Newberry College approved to offer graduate degrees

NEWBERRY — Newberry College has officially announced that after almost a century, they will once again offer graduate degrees.

“In 1928, Ella Dunn, Newberry College class of 1924, became the college’s first and only woman to earn her Master of Arts degree, and she was the last of 54 students to do so,” said Newberry College President Maurice Scherrens, Ph.D. “Today is a new day, we recently received approval from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges for a level change, from Level II to Level III. This approval is a recognition that Newberry College has the institutional strength to now offer graduate level programs.”

This historic step, as Scherrens said, is a natural extension of Newberry College’s mission and the next step in continued growth.

“Our mission includes preparing students to pursue their calling, pursue their vocation,” he said. “As society and industries change, Newberry College will be here to give students the tools they need to pursue their calling — whether it is a traditional bachelor’s degree; degree completion for working professionals in nursing and respiratory therapy; and now, a master’s degree.”

The first degree to be offered will be a Master of Science in organizational development and leadership. According to Scherrens, it will be housed in the business department.

“What is great about this program is it is intended to be interdisciplinary, so many different fields — healthcare, sports management — need individuals to assume roles in leadership and organizational effectiveness,” he said.

While the college will begin to offer graduate degrees, this does not mean that they will change their name. Scherrens said they will remain Newberry College, as it is not required to change to a university.

“Today’s historic announcement is just that; it marks the beginning of a new era for Newberry College and for our surrounding communities. It means that students will be able to continue their education with passion, purpose, and personal attention, right here. It means more opportunities to work with our community partners and equip the next generation of entrepreneurs,” he said. “It means that in time, many of our alumni will not have to leave Newberry to pursue advance degrees, they can pursue those degrees in place and with the people they’ve come to live with and love and renew their commitment to education for life. That is the beauty of having advanced degrees.”

This is only the first step for Newberry College, Scherrens anticipates that they will be adding more graduate degree fields in the near future. He said there are many graduate degree programs in high demand fields that Newberry College needs to offer.

“Our faculty is already drafting proposals,” he said.

This new program will be offered 100% online, and the approved tuition rate is $495 per credit hour ($1,485 per course). Total tuition cost for the MSODL is $14,850. This does not include the cost of books or additional course fees.

Vice President for Academic Affairs Sid Parrish, Ph.D., introduced those who contributed to getting Newberry College to this point, David Fowler Ph.D. (program coordinator for the new master’s program); Sarah Bryant Ph.D. (department chair for business administration); and Kelli Lynn Fellows Ph.D. (dean of online and graduate programs).

“This new program is a new opportunity to fulfill our mission of preparing students for lifelong intellectual and personal development and engage citizenship in the ever-changing global society. Students will work with others to solve problems, complete complex task and manage change, all skills that are critical in our ever-changing world. No matter what type of business vocation, graduates of this program will develop skills to build and lead strong teams to ensure success in their chosen field,” Parrish said.

He added that they are in the process of developing Newberry College’s first program and will look forward to officially launching classes later this year.

Fellows added that this is a recognition of the legacy of undergraduate academic excellence at Newberry College.

“They instilled on us the opportunity to expand that legacy to graduate programs. We are here to make a difference for South Carolina, Newberry and the entire country, and it starts here,” Fellows said.

While the announcement is still new, Scherrens said they have already received a good number of students prepared to begin the program next month.

City of Newberry Mayor, Foster Senn offered congratulations to Newberry College for this achievement.

“What a great day for Newberry College, our community and our region to now offer graduate level programs at Newberry. This is going to be outstanding for people looking to get a master’s degree right here in the Newberry region,” he said.