New major, minor moving forward for fall semester

The new Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) major is a go. The major received final approval earlier this month, and will be available to students next school year.

Along with the new major, a new minor in music business is also starting in the fall.

Leaders of both programs said they are excited to see the new offerings being developed.

“It’s a big step,” said Carol Dorough, MVNU’s dean of Nursing and Health Sciences.

The CSD major will prepare students for jobs in the high-demand fields of speech, language and audiology. It’s also a great fit for the MVNU mission because it offers students the chance to “touch and improve lives,” Dorough said.

Graduates in the field “serve clients over a lifespan, which means these professionals may work with any age group, from newborns to the very elderly,” Dorough said. Further, “much of the work is done one-on-one, making it relationship-oriented.”

Eight new courses will be added to the curriculum, and the new major will require the hiring of at least one new full-time faculty member, but these changes will not take place until the 2016-2017 school year.

The new Music Business minor also kicks off next fall. The minor is offered in conjunction with the music business program at Trevecca Nazarene University.

Students will complete one course online prior to spending a semester (most likely spring semester of the junior year) in residence at TNU. Students will take courses such as Concert Management, Artist Management, and Marketing in the Music Industry.

Professors in MVNU’s music department are already promoting the minor. Current freshmen and sophomores might be able to pursue the minor as an option.

“We see this as being an excellent option for both music majors and business majors with interest in the music industry,” said music professor Dr. John Packard.