SLIPPERY ROCK — Slippery Rock University added four new degree programs after the board of trustees voted to accept them Friday.

The university plans to add degrees in:

-civil engineering;

-mechanical engineering;

-cybersecurity;

-a doctorate in educational administration and organizational theory, which students mostly will complete online.

Alfonso Angelucci, a Slippery Rock trustee who also serves on the academic committee, said the development of new programs is best led by the professors.

“When we have professors implementing new programs that says a lot about the staff's recognition of the need of the new programs,” Angelucci said.

Steven Wei, a professor who presented the engineering programs to the committee, said engineering is a growing field across the United States and locally. He said these degrees are essential for meeting those demands.

“Pennsylvania is a top-five state in terms of civil engineering jobs,” Wei said. “To achieve first-class infrastructure you need a well-trained and dedicated workforce.”

Wei said he has overseen the growth of the first two engineering degrees, petroleum and natural gas and industrial and systems engineering, brought to SRU, and adding the new degrees will offer an alternative to private schools.

“It is hard for any university to have only two engineering programs to survive,” he said. “If you offer a suite of engineering programs, we can take advantage of the synergy between programs.”

Deborah Whitfield, computer science department chairwoman, said the new cybersecurity degree requires only the addition of a few more classes. She said the degree is an extension of SRU's current program which before only offered a track in cybersecurity from the computing major.

“The infrastructure that is already in the department is going to sustain most of this,” she said.

Nitin Sukhija, SRU assistant professor who helped present the cybersecurity degree to the committee, said today's technology climate is ripe for new professionals, using recent hacking scandals as examples.

“If you see these hacks, you see them when they have occurred,” Sukhija said. “Those skills for cybersecurity professionals are missing.”

Angelucci said being the first to offer these programs will build on SRU's uniqueness. “There's a lot of different areas where SRU is unique,” Angelucci said. “It's a draw for potential students.”

Edwin Christmann, a SRU professor of secondary education and foundations of education, said SRU could continue to bolster its reputation in educating educators with a new doctoral degree in administration.

“The name as a brand is recognizable,” he said. “We intend to have a high-quality curriculum.”

Christmann said enrollment projections show this degree is appealing. “Over time the potential for the program enrollment continues to increase,” he said.

Angelucci added that a lot of research has been done to ensure the programs have a market. He said SRU continues to look at the local jobs and impact from the programs.

“It shows that the university is keeping community-mindedness as a priority,” he said.

Angelucci added there are more programs on the horizon for SRU, and faculty will be a big part of bringing them to light.

“There always are,” he said. “It shows the staff's willingness to grow and see the need to grow.”