Muhlenberg College Announces the Launch of Graduate Programs

The new School of Graduate Studies programs, in applied analytics and organizational leadership, will be offered this fall. The College is also changing the name of the Wescoe School of Continuing Education to the Muhlenberg College School of Continuing Studies.

By: Meghan Kita  Thursday, February 6, 2020 08:10 AM

Fall Campus 2019

In January, Muhlenberg received accreditation approval from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education for its new graduate programs in applied analytics and organizational leadership, which will begin to be offered in the fall semester. The newly established Muhlenberg College School of Graduate Studies will be led by Dean of Graduate Studies Uppinder Mehan, who began his role in November. Mehan joined Muhlenberg from Moravian College, where he was the dean of the School of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences and helped launch several new degree programs.

“Adding graduate programs to the rich variety and solid foundation of what we already offer allows us to reach out to those who already have undergraduate degrees and are interested in deepening their knowledge and developing proficiencies, and also to our alumni who have helped make Muhlenberg the highly respected college it is,” Mehan says.

The School of Graduate Studies will offer two master’s degree programs, one in applied analytics and one in organizational leadership. Extensive market research helped administrators decide to offer these particular programs, says AJ Lemheney, vice president and executive director of Muhlenberg’s Division of Graduate and Continuing Education.

“What we found are businesses and government agencies rely on big data to succeed and better serve their customers and communities. Our applied analytics program focuses on helping them carry the best of their past forward, understand the present and use their data to envision their future,” Lemheney says. “Likewise, we found small to large companies and agencies are complex systems of people and processes prone to problems. Our organizational leadership program is an alternative to the MBA for those companies in demand for a leader who thinks holistically, solving complex problems with empathy, ethics and creativity.” Graduate certificates in both areas of study are also being offered as an alternative for those looking only to build specific advanced knowledge and skills in a particular discipline.

With the addition of the School of Graduate Studies and launch of these new programs, Muhlenberg is also changing the name of the Wescoe School of Continuing Education to the Muhlenberg College School of Continuing Studies. This name “better aligns with the College’s strategic plan and brand identity and provides clarity of the school’s function within the greater community we serve,” Lemheney says.

About the Muhlenberg College School of Graduate Studies
The Muhlenberg College School of Graduate Studies offers a variety of post-baccalaureate certificates and master’s degrees aimed at enhancing intellectual and career development through challenging coursework grounded in the liberal arts. With a mix of graduate certificate pathways and master’s degrees aligned with workforce and economic trends, the Muhlenberg College School of Graduate Studies enables students to prepare for professional work and career advancement, with a focus on leadership and innovation.

About the Muhlenberg College School of Continuing Studies
For more than 100 years, Muhlenberg College’s School of Continuing Studies has provided lifelong learners the opportunity to continue and enhance their education in ways that recognize their experience, maturity, motivation, life circumstances and capacity for independent scholarship. Through a rich variety of certificates and baccalaureate degrees, the School of Continuing Studies aligns a rigorous, high-quality and student-centric curriculum with the needs and trends of our regional economy.

About Muhlenberg College
Founded in 1848, Muhlenberg is a highly selective, private liberal arts college offering baccalaureate and graduate programs. With an enrollment of nearly 2,000 students, Muhlenberg College is dedicated to shaping creative, compassionate, collaborative leaders through rigorous academic programs in the arts, humanities, natural sciences and social sciences; selected preprofessional programs, including accounting, business, education and public health; and progressive workforce-focused post-baccalaureate certificates and master’s degrees. Located in Allentown, Pennsylvania, approximately 90 miles west of New York City, Muhlenberg is a member of the Centennial Conference, competing in 23 varsity sports. Muhlenberg is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.