University of Houston-Downtown (UHD) is as dynamic as the city it calls home. Our students graduate prepared to meet the demands of the modern workforce, so it's only fitting the UHD Strategic Plan 2020 includes expanding baccalaureate and graduate degree programs.

In fall of 2015, the University offered two new degrees in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, and a new graduate certificate program in the College of Business.

Bridging The Gap

The Bachelor of Science in health and behavioral science (BSHBS) is the first interdisciplinary program in health offered in the Houston area. The program combines a liberal arts education with hands-on, professional experience. Students may choose between two concentrations: the Healthcare Navigation track prepares students for work in medical case management and patient advocacy, and the Aging and Wellness track readies them for careers in geriatric care, and promoting health and wellness in aging populations.

"With advances in modern medicine, the elderly are the largest growing population in America," said program director Cindy Stewart. "Studies show that the current workforce is not prepared to accommodate the demand created by this aging population."

Big data, big value

Big business is inundated with big data. In 2013, Forbes magazine reported a projected 25-percent increase in the demand for data analysts by 2022, suggesting data processing would be a $50 billion business by 2017.

Collecting and interpreting massive quantities of information is a job unto itself, which is why UHD worked with industry partners to develop an application-based Master of Science in data analytics (MSDA). The MSDA curriculum is taught in the classroom and online, with the goal of offering a completely online track within five years. MSDA students learn to assemble, structure, analyze and report large data sets for application in day-to-day business operations. Students receive rigorous training in statistical analysis and computational techniques and engage in faculty research projects and internships with businesses, nonprofits and government agencies. This interdisciplinary program prepares graduates for success in a variety of business sectors, including healthcare, energy, criminal justice and technology.

Safeguarding Information and images

Increased connectivity opens doors that were closed tightly just a few short years ago. It also opens the door to cybercrime. With that in mind, the UHD College of Business offers a graduate certificate program in cybersecurity, created with the input of expert computer security managers who protect organizations from cyberthreats and associated risks every day.