MSU Academic Program Portfolio Review- May 1, 2025

Minnesota State University, Mankato has completed a review of its Academic Program Portfolio. This collaborative project, involving faculty and administration, began in August 2024 and builds on prior strategic budget planning efforts.

This review will result in modest long-term cost savings, but those savings will be used to reinvest in new or emerging programs. It was not undertaken as a direct solution to fix budget gaps. We anticipate that continued strength in our programs will continue to attract students.

Definitions:

Degree—an academic award earned after completing a program

Program—a cohesive arrangement of curricular requirements leading to an academic award

Certificate—an academic award earned after completing a shorter, more focused program designed to provide specific skills or knowledge for a particular career path

Course—a class, lab or other designed experience in which students attain specific learning outcomes. Classes can overlap between programs. So, while one program might be suspended, specific classes in that program will still be offered where they contribute to other programs.

Highlights of the Review:

  • MSU currently offers over 300 degrees and certificates—significantly more than peer institutions.
  • The review analyzed both qualitative and quantitative data points.
  • 86 degrees and certificates have been identified for suspension.
  • Program suspensions affect 1.6% of current degree-seeking students and 0.8% of current certificate-seeking students.
  • All students currently enrolled in suspended programs will be able to complete their programs through teach-out plans.

Impact and Benefits:

  • A strong portfolio that meets the needs of students and market demands while responsibly using our resources and opening opportunities for new growth.

  • Continued commitment to support a vibrant intellectual and artistic culture in our community and region.  

  • Opportunities to consolidate similar programs (e.g., BA and BS degrees in the same field)

  • Ability to merge programs for stronger course offerings and regional relevance

The table below is organized first by award type, then alphabetically by program name.

Award Type Program Decision Notes
Associate Liberal Arts and Sciences - AA Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Accounting - BS Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Agribusiness and Food Innovation - BS Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Agricultural Sciences - BS Suspend Not applicable
Baccalaureate Agronomy - BAS Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Alcohol and Drug Studies - BS Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate American Indigenous Studies - BA Suspend Counterpart program retained
Baccalaureate American Indigenous Studies - BS Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Anthropology - BA Suspend Counterpart program retained
Baccalaureate Anthropology - BS Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Applied Health Science - BS Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Applied Leadership - BS Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Art - BA Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Art - BFA Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Art History - BA Suspend Not applicable
Baccalaureate Art Teaching - BS Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Automotive Engineering - BS Keep Replaces Automotive Engineering Technology - BS
Baccalaureate Automotive Engineering Technology - BS Suspend Replaced by Automotive Engineering - BS
Baccalaureate Aviation - BS Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Biochemistry - BA Suspend Counterpart program retained
Baccalaureate Biochemistry - BS Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Biology - BS Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Biotechnology - BS Suspend Not applicable
Baccalaureate Business Administration - BBA Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Chemistry - BA Suspend Counterpart program retained
Baccalaureate Chemistry - BS Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Chemistry Teaching - BS Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Civil Engineering - BSCE Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Clinical and Diagnostic Sciences - BS Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Cognitive Science - BS Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Communication and Media - BS Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Communication Arts and Literature - Education - BS Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Communication Sciences and Disorders - BS Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Computer Application Development - BAS Suspend Not applicable
Baccalaureate Computer Engineering - BSEC Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Computer Engineering Technology - BS Suspend Not applicable
Baccalaureate Computer Information Technology - BS Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Computer Science - BS Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Construction Management - BS Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Corrections - BS Merge Merge into Criminal Justice - BS
Baccalaureate Creative Writing - BA Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Criminal Justice - BS Merge Merges: Policing Studies - BS, Corrections - BS, and Criminal Justice - BS
Baccalaureate Dance - BA Suspend Counterpart program retained
Baccalaureate Dance - BFA Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Dance - BS Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Dental Hygiene - BS Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Dental Hygiene Post Licensure - BS Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Earth Geospatial Sciences - BS Merge Merges: Geography - BA, Geography - BS, Earth Science - BS, and Geospatial Science - BS
Baccalaureate Earth Science - BS Merge Merge into Earth Geospatial Sciences - BS
Baccalaureate Earth Science Teaching (5-12) - BS Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Economics - BA Suspend Counterpart program retained
Baccalaureate Economics - BS Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Electrical Engineering - BSEE Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Electronic Engineering Technology - BS Suspend Not applicable
Baccalaureate Elementary Education - BS Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate English - BA Suspend Counterpart program retained
Baccalaureate English Studies - BA Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Environmental Science - BS Merge Merges: Geology - BS and Environmental Science - BS
Baccalaureate Ethnic Studies - BS Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Exercise Science - BS Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Family Consumer Science Education - BS Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate FCS-Child Development & Family Studies - BS Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Film and Media Studies - BA Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Finance - BS Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Food Science Technology - BS Suspend Not applicable
Baccalaureate French - BA Suspend Not applicable
Baccalaureate French Teaching - BS Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Gender and Women's Studies - BA Suspend Counterpart program retained
Baccalaureate Gender and Women's Studies - BS Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Geography - BA Merge Merge into Earth Geospatial Sciences - BS
Baccalaureate Geography - BS Merge Merge into Earth Geospatial Sciences - BS
Baccalaureate Geology - BS Merge Merges into Environmental Science - BS
Baccalaureate Geospatial Science - BS Merge Merge into Earth Geospatial Sciences - BS
Baccalaureate German - BA Suspend Not applicable
Baccalaureate German Teaching - BS Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Health and Physical Education - BS Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Health Communication - BS Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Health Informatics - BS Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate History - BA Suspend Counterpart program retained
Baccalaureate History - BS Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Integrated Communication - BS Suspend Not applicable
Baccalaureate Integrated Engineering - BSE Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Integrated Science and Technology - BS Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Interdisciplinary Humanities - BA Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Interdisciplinary Studies - BS Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate International Business - BS Suspend Not applicable
Baccalaureate International Relations - BA Merge Merge into Political Science - BS
Baccalaureate Life Science Teaching (5-12) - BS Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Literature - BA Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Management - BS Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Management Information Systems - BS Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Manufacturing Engineering - BS Keep Replaces Manufacturing Engineering Technology - BS
Baccalaureate Manufacturing Engineering Technology - BS Suspend Replaced by Manufacturing Engineering - BS
Baccalaureate Marketing - BS Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Mathematics - BA Suspend Counterpart program retained
Baccalaureate Mathematics - BS Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Mathematics Teaching - BS Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Mechanical Engineering - BSME Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Media Studies - BA Suspend Not applicable
Baccalaureate Music - BA Suspend Not applicable
Baccalaureate Music Education - BS Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Music Industry - BS Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Nursing - BS Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Nutrition and Dietetics - BS Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Open Studies - BS Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Philosophy - BA Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Philosophy, Politics and Economics - BA Suspend Not applicable
Baccalaureate Physical Education & Developmental Adapted Phy Ed - BS Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Physics - BS Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Physics Teaching - BS Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Policing Studies - BS Merge Merge into Criminal Justice - BS
Baccalaureate Political Science - BA Merge Merge into Policital Science - BS
Baccalaureate Political Science - BS Merge Merges: Political Science - BA, Political Science - BS, and International Relations - BS
Baccalaureate Psychology - BS Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Public Policy - BS New Not applicable
Baccalaureate Public Relations - BS Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Recreation and Parks Leadership Studies - BS Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate RN Baccalaureate Completion - BS Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Robotics Engineering - BSE New Not applicable
Baccalaureate Scandinavian Studies - BA Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Social Studies - BS Suspend Not applicable
Baccalaureate Social Studies Teaching - BS Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Social Work - BSSW Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Sociology - BA Suspend Counterpart program retained
Baccalaureate Sociology - BS Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Software Engineering - BS Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Spanish - BA Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Spanish Teaching - BS Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Special Education: Academic and Behavioral Strateg - BS Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate SPED: Autism/Emotional Behavioral Disorders - BS Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Sport Management - BS Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Statistics - BS Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Technical Communication - BS Suspend Not applicable
Baccalaureate Theatre Arts - BA Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Theatre Arts - BFA Keep Not applicable
Baccalaureate Theatre Arts - BS Suspend Counterpart program retained
Baccalaureate Urban and Regional Studies - BS Keep Not applicable
Certificate Accelerated Accounting - CERT Keep Not applicable
Certificate American Indigenous Studies - CERT Keep Not applicable
Certificate American Sign Language - CERT Keep Not applicable
Certificate Bench Chemistry - CERT New Not applicable
Certificate Business Analytics - CERT Keep Not applicable
Certificate Business Law - CERT Keep Not applicable
Certificate Child, Youth, and Family Services - CERT Keep Not applicable
Certificate Community Health Worker - CERT Keep Not applicable
Certificate Criminal Justice Leadership - CERT New Not applicable
Certificate Critical Thinking - CERT Suspend Not applicable
Certificate Database Technologies - CERT Keep Not applicable
Certificate Elementary Education STEM - CERT Suspend Not applicable
Certificate Entrepreneurship and Innovation - CERT Keep Not applicable
Certificate Environmental Geology - CERT Suspend Not applicable
Certificate Experimental Psychology - CERT Keep Not applicable
Certificate Geoarcheology - CERT Keep Not applicable
Certificate Geographic Information Science GISc - CERT Keep Not applicable
Certificate Geomorphology and Earth Surface Processes - CERT Suspend Not applicable
Certificate Graphic Design - CERT Keep Not applicable
Certificate Health Informatics - CERT Keep Not applicable
Certificate HVAC&R Engineering Design - CERT Suspend Not applicable
Certificate Information Security - CERT Keep Not applicable
Certificate Integrated Business Experience - CERT Keep Not applicable
Certificate Internet of Things - CERT Suspend Not applicable
Certificate Journalism and Media Professionals - CERT New Not applicable
Certificate Museum Studies - CERT Keep Not applicable
Certificate Networking Technologies - CERT Keep Not applicable
Certificate Non-Profit Leadership - CERT Keep Not applicable
Certificate Policing Studies - CERT Keep Not applicable
Certificate Post Bac Communication Sciences & Disorders - CERT Keep Not applicable
Certificate Professional Sales - CERT Keep Not applicable
Certificate Project-based Engineering - CERT Suspend Not applicable
Certificate Renewable Energy - CERT Suspend Not applicable
Certificate Software Development - CERT Keep Not applicable
Certificate Teaching English as a Foreign Language - CERT Keep Not applicable
Certificate Teaching PK-12 Multilingual Learners - CERT Suspend Not applicable
Certificate Technical Communication - CERT Suspend Not applicable
Certificate Technical Integration & Design - CERT Suspend Not applicable
Certificate Tourism and Event Management - CERT New Not applicable
Doctorate Educational Leadership - EDD Keep Not applicable
Doctorate Nursing Practice - DNP Keep Not applicable
Doctorate Nursing Practice (from MSN) - DNP Suspend Not applicable
Doctorate School Psychology - PSYD Keep Not applicable
Graduate Certificate Academic and Behavioral Strategist - GC Keep Not applicable
Graduate Certificate Aging Studies - GC Keep Not applicable
Graduate Certificate Assurance - GC Keep Not applicable
Graduate Certificate Business Leadership - GC Keep Not applicable
Graduate Certificate College Student Affairs - GC Keep Not applicable
Graduate Certificate Communication Education - GC Keep Not applicable
Graduate Certificate Computer, Keyboard, and Related Technology - GC Suspend Not applicable
Graduate Certificate Cultural Diversity - GC Suspend Not applicable
Graduate Certificate Culturally Responsive Teaching - GC Suspend Not applicable
Graduate Certificate Curriculum and Technology - GC Keep Not applicable
Graduate Certificate Cyber Risk Analysis - GC Suspend Not applicable
Graduate Certificate Database Technology - GC Suspend Not applicable
Graduate Certificate Edu Tech for Adult and Prof Learners - GC Suspend Not applicable
Graduate Certificate Educational Technology in the Classroom - GC Keep Not applicable
Graduate Certificate Elementary Math Pedagogy - GC Keep Not applicable
Graduate Certificate English Literature - GC Suspend Not applicable
Graduate Certificate Family Consumer Science Education - GC Keep Not applicable
Graduate Certificate Gender and Women's Studies - GC Suspend Not applicable
Graduate Certificate General Psychology - GC Keep Not applicable
Graduate Certificate Geographic Information Science (GISc) - GC Keep Not applicable
Graduate Certificate Global Solutions in Engineering and Technology - GC Suspend Not applicable
Graduate Certificate History - GC Keep Not applicable
Graduate Certificate Instructional Design and Educational Technology - GC Suspend Not applicable
Graduate Certificate Middle School Endorsement - GC Suspend Not applicable
Graduate Certificate Modeling and Simulation - GC Suspend Not applicable
Graduate Certificate Museum Studies - GC Suspend Not applicable
Graduate Certificate Nonprofit Leadership - GC Suspend Not applicable
Graduate Certificate Online and Blended Learning - GC Suspend Not applicable
Graduate Certificate Planning and Students' Learning - GC Suspend Not applicable
Graduate Certificate Political Science - GC Suspend Not applicable
Graduate Certificate Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Licensure - GC Suspend Not applicable
Graduate Certificate Professional Communication - GC Suspend Not applicable
Graduate Certificate Project Management - GC Suspend Not applicable
Graduate Certificate Public Management - GC Suspend Not applicable
Graduate Certificate Quality Management Systems - GC Suspend Not applicable
Graduate Certificate Racially Conscious School and Systems Leadership - GC Keep Not applicable
Graduate Certificate Reading - GC Keep Not applicable
Graduate Certificate Sociology - GC New Not applicable
Graduate Certificate Spanish for Professionals - GC Suspend Not applicable
Graduate Certificate Special Education: Autism Spectrum Disorders - GC Keep Not applicable
Graduate Certificate Special Education: Developmental Disabilities - GC Keep Not applicable
Graduate Certificate Special Education: Early Childhood Special Ed - GC Keep Not applicable
Graduate Certificate Special Education: Emotional/Behavioral Disorders - GC Keep Not applicable
Graduate Certificate Special Education: Learning Disabilities - GC Keep Not applicable
Graduate Certificate Standards of Effective Practice for Teachers - GC Keep Not applicable
Graduate Certificate Superintendent of Schools - GC Keep Not applicable
Graduate Certificate Taxation - GC Keep Not applicable
Graduate Certificate Teaching English as a Foreign Language - GC Suspend Not applicable
Graduate Certificate Teaching PK-12 Multilingual Learners - GC Suspend Not applicable
Graduate Certificate Teaching Writing - GC Keep Not applicable
Graduate Certificate Technical Communication - GC Keep Not applicable
Graduate Certificate Technology, Equity, and Accessibility for Learners - GC Keep Not applicable
Graduate Certificate TESOL K12 ESL Licensure Prep - GC New Not applicable
Graduate Certificate TESOL: Higher Education Preparation - GC Keep Not applicable
Graduate Certificate The Teacher as Leader - GC Suspend Not applicable
Graduate Certificate Theory and Practice in Special Education - GC Keep Not applicable
Graduate Certificate Urban Planning - GC Suspend Not applicable
Masters Accounting - MACC Keep Not applicable
Masters Advanced Dental Therapy - MS Keep Not applicable
Masters Advanced Professional Nurse - MS Keep Not applicable
Masters Aging Studies - MS Suspend Not applicable
Masters Applied Anthropology - MS Merge Merge into Applied Geosciences & Anthropology - MS
Masters Applied Geosciences & Anthropology - MS Merge Merges: Applied Anthropology - MS, Geography - MS, and Geographic Information Science - MS
Masters Applied Health Science - MS Suspend Not applicable
Masters Applied Statistics - MS Keep Not applicable
Masters Art - MA Keep Not applicable
Masters Artificial Intelligence - MS New Not applicable
Masters Athletic Training - MS Keep Not applicable
Masters Aviation Safety - MS Keep Not applicable
Masters Biology - MS Keep Not applicable
Masters Business Administration - MBA Keep Not applicable
Masters College Student Affairs - MS Keep Not applicable
Masters Communication and Composition - MS Keep Not applicable
Masters Communication and Media - MA Keep Not applicable
Masters Communication Sciences and Disorders - MS Keep Not applicable
Masters Communication Studies - MS Suspend Not applicable
Masters Counseling and Student Personnel - MS Keep Not applicable
Masters Creative Writing - MFA Keep Not applicable
Masters Criminal Justice - MS Keep Not applicable
Masters Cross-Disciplinary Studies - MS Keep Not applicable
Masters Data Science - MS Keep Not applicable
Masters Dietetics - MS Keep Not applicable
Masters Education - MAT Keep Not applicable
Masters Education Technology - MS Keep Not applicable
Masters Educational Leadership - MS Keep Not applicable
Masters Electrical and Computer Engineering - MS Keep Not applicable
Masters Elementary Education - MS Merge Merges: Reading - MS and Elementary Education - MS
Masters Elementary Teaching - MS Keep Not applicable
Masters Engineering - MS Suspend Not applicable
Masters Engineering Management - PSM Keep Not applicable
Masters English - MA Keep Not applicable
Masters Environmental Science - MS Suspend Not applicable
Masters Ethnic and Multi-Cultural Studies - MS Keep Not applicable
Masters Exercise Physiology - MS Keep Not applicable
Masters Forensics & Communication - MFA Suspend Not applicable
Masters French - MS Suspend Not applicable
Masters Gender and Women's Studies - MA Suspend Not applicable
Masters Gender and Women's Studies - MS Suspend Not applicable
Masters Geographic Information Science - MS Merge Merge into Applied Geosciences & Anthropology - MS
Masters Geography - MS Merge Merge into Applied Geosciences and Anthropology - MS
Masters Health Informatics & Analytics - PSM Keep Not applicable
Masters History - MA Suspend Counterpart program retained
Masters History - MS Keep Not applicable
Masters Industrial/Organizational Psychology - MA Keep Not applicable
Masters Information Security & Risk Management - PSM Suspend Not applicable
Masters Information Technology - MS Keep Not applicable
Masters International Sport Management - MS Suspend Not applicable
Masters Literature and Composition - MA Suspend Not applicable
Masters Manufacturing Engineering Technology - MS Keep Not applicable
Masters Mathematics - MA Keep Not applicable
Masters Mathematics and Statistics - MS Keep Not applicable
Masters Mathematics Education - MS Suspend Not applicable
Masters Mechanical Engineering - MS Keep Not applicable
Masters Music - MM Keep Not applicable
Masters Physics - MS Keep Not applicable
Masters Public Administration and Community Management - MA Merge Merge into Urban Management and Planning - MA
Masters Public Health: Dietetics MPH New Not applicable
Masters Public Health: Hlth Behavior and Hlth Promotion - MPH New Not applicable
Masters Public Health: Nutrition MPH New Not applicable
Masters Reading - MS merge Merge into Elementary Education - MS
Masters School Library and Information Studies - MS Keep Not applicable
Masters School Psychology - MS Keep Not applicable
Masters Social Work - MSW Keep Not applicable
Masters Sociology - MA Keep Not applicable
Masters Sociology Human Service Planning & Administration - MS Suspend Not applicable
Masters Spanish - MS Suspend Not applicable
Masters Spanish for the Professions - MS Keep Not applicable
Masters Special Education - MS Keep Not applicable
Masters Sport Management - MS Keep Not applicable
Masters Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology - MS Keep Not applicable
Masters Teaching and Learning - MS Keep Not applicable
Masters Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages - MA Keep Not applicable
Masters Technical Communication - MS Keep Not applicable
Masters Theatre and Dance - MFA Keep Not applicable
Masters Theatre Arts - MA Suspend Not applicable
Masters Urban Management and Planning - MA Merge Merges Public Administration and Community Management - MA and Urban Planning - MA
Masters Urban Planning - MA Merge Merge into Urban Management and Planning - MA
Specialist Educational Leadership - SPEC Keep Not applicable