AUM launches two new graduate degree programs to meet workforce needs in the Montgomery region

Auburn University at Montgomery has introduced two new graduate degree programs to meet evolving workforce needs and the growing regional demand for advanced professionals in speech-language pathology and biomedical disciplines.

When the fall semester begins on August 19, AUM will be the only university in Montgomery’s River Region to offer a Master of Science in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (MS-BMB).

“Larger universities in the state have similar degree programs, although these universities tend to focus on doctoral programs rather than MS degree programs,” said Douglas Leaman, dean of AUM’s College of Sciences. “However, our new master’s degree program in biochemistry and molecular biology fulfills an unmet need in the Montgomery region.”

Before launching the MS-BMB degree, AUM did not have a life sciences graduate program of any type, Leaman added.

“Having such a degree provides our graduates with an opportunity to continue their science education right here at AUM before going off to professional school, doctoral programs or careers in biomedical fields,” he said. “It will prepare them to be more competitive for professional schools and biomedical careers.”

AUM’s MS-BMB program prepares students for biotech, pharmaceutical, and biomedical research jobs that can be found in food and product development industries, public health agencies, public or private research organizations, medicine, academia, and within science policy advocacy groups.

The 16- to 24-month MS-BMB program was designed to help students explore whether a career in biomedical research is right for them, but also will provide those already in a job-related field with an avenue to enhance their skillsets and chances of employment or advancement, Leaman said.

“There are significant deficiencies in the region in the healthcare and in technology sectors that need to be addressed,” he said. “Both can be addressed most directly by developing homegrown talent that is most likely to settle in this region.”

AUM’s path to offering the MS-BMB program in the fall included receiving approval from the Auburn University Board of Trustees, Alabama Commission on Higher Education, and finally the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), the latter of which was received in Spring 2024.

In Fall 2024, AUM will also add a new online Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) to its degree offerings. The program welcomed its first cohort of accepted graduate students to campus July 29 to complete their two-week clinical intensive, said Haley Adams, advising and recruiting manager in the Department of Communication Disorders in AUM’s College of Nursing and Health Sciences.

“We are excited to welcome our first cohort to AUM,” she said. The group completed their clinicals on August 9. AUM’s online MS-SLP program is designed to foster an innovative, intellectually stimulating student-centered learning environment, both academically and clinically. Founded on active learning, the program helps students develop skills in areas such as critical thinking, problem-solving, self-analysis, and research-based discovery.

The program’s goal is to prepare graduates for licensure and certification while providing excellence in clinical service. Graduates of AUM’s MS-SLP program are prepared to pursue careers as speech-language pathologists who work to prevent, assess, diagnose, and treat speech, language, social communication, cognitive-communication, and swallowing disorders in children and adults.

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) estimates that approximately 40,500 speech-language pathology jobs will be available over a 10-year period because of growth in the field. Alabama professionals with a master’s degree in the field can earn a median pay of $79,927, according to ASHA.