The Transportation Infrastructure Electrification (TIE) Graduate Certificate is a new 15-credit, stand-alone graduate certificate offered jointly by the University of Utah and Utah State University, launching Fall 2026. Delivered fully online through University Connected Learning, the program is designed for both matriculated graduate students and working professionals. Electrifying the transportation system sits at the intersection of transportation, energy and the power grid, AI and data science and public policy—domains that have historically operated with little strategic coordination. The certificate provides cross-disciplinary training across all of them through four newly designed courses, including electrified transportation systems, AI-enabled network modeling, urban sustainability and energy modeling and grid modernization, culminating in an industry capstone internship with partners including HNTB, Rocky Mountain Power, Utah Transit Authority, Utah Inland Port Authority, Esri and Salt Lake City. The program is funded by a two-year Deep Technology Initiative grant from the Utah System of Higher Education and responds to strong workforce demand, with more than 1,000 open Utah jobs in related fields. It was approved by the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering (unanimous faculty vote), the John and Marcia Price College of Engineering and the Graduate School, and is being reviewed by the Academic Senate under provisional summer authority.

The ASUDC certificate will be discontinued due to Utah’s Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) restructuring under SB26 (2024), which made SUDC a required intermediate step toward ASUDC licensure rather than a separate parallel credential, so students will now complete the SUDC certificate at the U and pursue ASUDC licensure directly through DOPL post-graduation, with no new ASUDC admissions or teach-out period needed. There will be no impact on the SUDC certificate.

The proposal recommends renaming the existing B.A./B.S. in Urban Ecology program to B.A./B.S. in Urban Ecology & Planning to better align with the Department of City & Metropolitan Planning’s identity and contemporary professional practice. The change applies consistently across the undergraduate minor and 4+1 pathway, creating clearer branding and continuity. The proposal emphasizes that curriculum content, learning outcomes and credit requirements will remain unchanged, ensuring no disruption for students or faculty. The new title is expected to improve program visibility, including at the Utah Asia Campus, and better communicate graduates’ expertise to employers. Faculty and professional organizations, including the American Planning Association, support the change.

This new program, proposed by the Division of Physician Assistant (PA) Studies and Education, develops a 36-credit-hour doctoral program that builds upon the PA master’s degree. The mean number of credits for the PA master’s degree nationwide is 112.7 credit hours (PAEA Annual Report, number 36, 2023).

The goals of this doctoral program are to:

1. Address the physician workforce shortages to achieve the U of U Health Impact 2030 goal.
2. Educate post-graduate PAs as leaders in healthcare, academia and policy.
3. Develop a national model for PA workforce advancement.

The proposal aims to update the Nuclear Engineering Minor at the University of Utah, aligning it with the state’s workforce needs in advanced nuclear energy, national security and reactor technology. The plan keeps the 16-credit structure but modernizes the curriculum, offering greater flexibility and expanded electives for students across multiple engineering disciplines. It emphasizes hands-on learning through campus reactor and lab facilities and updates assessment standards. The changes are designed to better prepare students for careers in industry and research, support clean energy goals and have no negative impact on current minor students or their graduation timelines.

Market research shows that Utah is a growing market for sport administration, both within the industry and in higher education. The Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism currently offers sport management as an emphasis for PRT majors. We now seek to better serve students outside the major by offering a Sport Administration Minor.

This minor will increase the visibility of sport management within the department, support course enrollment and better serve student-athletes and students in other majors. All courses included in the minor are already offered by PRT along with one course from Health and Kinesiology, so no new courses are required.

Our faculty and academic advisor have reviewed and discussed the program, and the faculty voted in favor of launching the minor. The Athletics Department has also expressed enthusiastic support, as have students. When polled, students have said they see clear career value in the program, want pathways into the sport industry, view the minor as a strong complement to other majors, and value the professional and durable skills it will help them develop.

The proposal introduces a new 18-credit undergraduate minor in Urban Design within the Department of City & Metropolitan Planning. The minor fills a gap in undergraduate education by providing formal exposure to urban design concepts and methods. It builds on successful pilot course enrollment and strong student interest, while complementing existing graduate offerings. The curriculum combines core urban design courses with electives in planning, visualization, sustainability and related topics. Offered at both the Salt Lake City and Utah Asia campuses, the program leverages existing faculty and courses, requiring no additional resources. Strong labor market demand for urban design skills supports the minor’s contribution to student career readiness and workforce needs.