New Majors Coming to Saint Leo University in Fall

ST. LEO, FL - Saint Leo University (www.saintleo.edu) announces the creation of four new undergraduate majors and new curriculum options available in the university’s undergraduate English major. The options will be part of the offerings at University Campus in east Pasco County, where Saint Leo was founded, effective in the Fall Semester 2019.

Faculty at Saint Leo have designed the new majors so that they are in keeping with contemporary requirements for careers and further study. At the same time, the undergraduate degree programs all rest on the foundation of a well-rounded curriculum that prepares students to become responsible, principled leaders and members of society.

Software Engineering

This new major leads to a Bachelor of Science degree that will help supply a growing marketplace demand for professionals with a broad and deep expertise in software. It can be pursued online as well as at University Campus. Undergraduates will take courses in software architecture, design, development, and testing from computer science faculty at the Tapia College of Business. Saint Leo is adding a Master of Science degree program in this discipline, as well, and the graduate program will be available online.

Data Science

People who want to go into data science will help their employers be able to extract data from increasingly large volumes of information, present data in meaningful ways, and protect the information for the good of all interested parties. Saint Leo will prepare these specialists with a Bachelor of Science degree that draws from mathematics and statistics, computer science and programming skills, and psychology. As a Catholic university, Saint Leo also prepares students to lead ethically, as will be needed in this field. The degree program will be offered only at University Campus. Math faculty in the Department of Mathematics and Science are directing this program with the assistance of university colleagues in other academic departments.

Medical Humanities

The Bachelor of Arts in medical humanities is a degree program for students who are interested not just in studying specific medical conditions, but also the way individuals, families, and societies react and adapt to human development, illness, suffering, and the end of life. Two foundation courses and a course in bio ethics are required of all students. In addition, medical humanities majors will be encouraged to complete academic projects, find service-learning opportunities, and seek internships. The new major will be offered only at University Campus to start.

Students choose from one of two academic options for their BA: the pre-medical track or the health and humanities track. The pre-medical track is for undergraduates who want to go on to become physicians, dentists, physician assistants or nurses who are able to interact with patients holistically, in addition to being capable scientists. The pre-medical track includes required courses in biology, chemistry, physics, and math that are elements of the strong, existing Saint Leo biology degree programs.

The health and humanities track provides groundwork for students interested in careers in medical social work, psychology, occupational therapy, medical illustration, public health policy, nonprofit organizations devoted to patient advocacy, and other options are advised to follow the health and humanities track. This track is rich in coursework options from anthropology, psychology, sociology, history, art, literature, religion, philosophy, and ethics. Students also have time for a minor, which could be biology or chemistry, or another discipline.

Theatre

With the establishment of the Black Box Theatre at University Campus and the development of many more courses, Saint Leo’s College of Arts and Sciences is now equipped to offer a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre. Previous, it was a specialization available under the English degree. The fully rounded theatre degree requires that students complete 36 credit hours of includes coursework in acting, directing, production, dramatic writing, script analysis, theatre history, selected works of William Shakespeare, and other literature. In addition, each student will complete an internship each semester. Additionally, students will work on Saint Leo theatre projects. Students will still have enough credit hours available to take on another major or minors that will complement their career goals.

Changes and Additions to the English Major

The English major is still offered with three specializations leading to the Bachelor of Arts degree, but the specializations have been updated. Any of the specializations can be combined with an education minor for those who want to teach. The choices are: the literary and cultural studies specialization; a professional writing specialization; and a creative writing specialization. These updates also mean that students who are not English majors, but who enjoy taking literature or writing courses to fill elective requirements, will have new course offerings to consider.

Media Contact: To arrange interviews with key faculty members, contact Jo-Ann Johnston, Saint Leo academic communications manager, at jo-ann.johnston@saintleo.edu or by calling (352) 588-8237.

Or, reach Mary McCoy, media relations contact, at mary.mccoy02@saintleo.edu or (352) 588-7118.

About Saint Leo University

Saint Leo University (www.saintleo.edu) is a modern Catholic teaching university that is firmly grounded in the liberal arts tradition and the timeless Benedictine wisdom that seeks balanced growth of mind, body, and spirit. The Saint Leo University of today is a private, nonprofit institution that creates hospitable learning communities wherever students want to be or need to be, whether that is a campus classroom, a web-based environment, an employer’s worksite, a military base, or an office park. Saint Leo welcomes people of all faiths and of no religious affiliation, and encourages learners of all generations. The university is committed to providing educational opportunities to the nation’s armed forces, veterans, and their families. Saint Leo is regionally accredited to award degrees ranging from the associate to the doctorate, and the faculty and staff guide all students to develop their capacities for critical thinking, moral reflection, and lifelong learning and leadership.

The university remains the faithful steward of the beautiful lakeside University Campus in the Tampa Bay region of Florida, where its founding monks created the first Catholic college in the state in 1889. Serving nearly 12,000 students, Saint Leo has expanded to downtown Tampa, to other sites in Florida and beyond, and maintains a physical presence in seven states. The university provides highly respected online learning programs to students nationally and internationally. More than 93,000 alumni reside in all 50 states, in Washington, DC, in three U.S. territories, and in 76 countries.