Iowa State University will close 10 degree programs and consolidate or merge several others following the initial outcomes of the university’s Program Vitality Review, according to a recent update from Senior Vice President and Provost Jason Keith.

The update is expected to be presented at the April meeting of the Iowa Board of Regents, set for April 22-23, at Iowa State. 

The review is a part of the Regents Workforce Alignment Review, which focuses on academic programs with low enrollment thresholds set by the board at fewer than 25 undergraduate majors and fewer than 10 graduate students, according to Regent documents. 

Keith said the review examined enrollment date, credit hour production, workforce demand and each program contributes to Iowa State’s land-grant mission. 

Programs indentured for closure include 10 degrees across undergraduate and graduate levels. 

Undergraduate programs slated for closure: 

• Bioinformatics and computational biology
• Environmental studies 
• Interdisciplinary design 
• Religious studies 
• Women’s and gender studies 

Graduate programs slated for closure: 

• Accounting analytics 
• Biophysics
• Energy systems engineering 
• Interdisciplinary graduate studies 
• Toxicology 

Certificates and minors in some of these areas may continue, and related courses could still be offered. Current students in programs marked for closure will be able to complete their degrees after final approval from the Board of Regents, but no new students will be admitted.

“While these decisions are difficult and never taken lightly, the outcomes announced this week are not expected to impact academic minors, course offerings or faculty and staff positions,” Keith said.

In addition to closures, 13 programs are expected to be consolidated or merged: 

• Ph.D. programs in applied physics, condensed matter physics, high-energy physics and nuclear physics will be combined into one program
• Sociology and rural sociology will be merged into a single graduate program
• Earth science and geology will be merged at both the undergraduate and graduate levels
• Rhetoric composition and professional communication will be consolidated within a broader graduate program
• Gerontology will be merged into an existing program in the College of Health and Human Sciences
• Experiential graphic design will be consolidated into a multi-credential pathway that includes concurrent bachelor’s and master’s degrees

According to Meghan Gillette, teaching professor in human development and family studies and Faculty Senate president, changes like these follow a multi-step approval process at Iowa State.

“Any curricular changes go through many steps at ISU,” Gillette said. “Proposed changes start in a department/program, then go to the college curriculum committee… then move to Faculty Senate… There is student representation on each of those committees… If approved, once the Provost signs off on the change, it then moves to the Board of Regents.”

Of the remaining under-enrolled programs, seven received exemptions due to workforce demand or licensure requirements: 

• Undergraduate interdisciplinary studies
• Nursing
• Mathematics education (graduate)
• Science education (graduate)
• Secondary education (graduate)
• Veterinary clinical science (graduate)
• Veterinary pathology (graduate)

Keith pointed to Iowa’s need for more nurses, particularly in rural areas, as one reason for exempting certain programs. 

“It’s important that we figure out how to grow the program to address that need,” Keith said.

Three programs, including bachelor’s degrees in philosophy and international studies and a graduate degree in digital health, exceeded enrollment thresholds and will receive a two-year extension and additional review.

The rest of the under-enrolled programs will undergo a two-year extension period to further evaluate student demand and workforce alignment before being reviewed again. 

These include undergraduate and graduate programs as follows: 

• Dairy science (undergraduate) 
• Seed science (undergraduate) 
• Agricultural meteorology (graduate) 
• Animal breeding and genetics (graduate) 
• Animal physiology (graduate) 
• Anthropology (graduate) 
• Community development (graduate) 
• Diet and exercise (graduate) 
• Entrepreneurship (graduate) 
• Event management (graduate) 
• Forestry (graduate) 
• Industrial design (graduate) 
• Meat science (graduate) 
• Nutritional sciences (graduate) 
• Teaching English as a second language/applied linguistics (graduate) 

Gillette also said faculty leadership had input in shaping the review process before it was finalized.

“In regards to the program vitality review process itself, before it was finalized, the Provost and his office worked with the Faculty Senate Executive Board to gain input on the review process and update it per FSEB’s recommendations,” Gillette said.

Keith also addressed Iowa State’s broader academic mission, noting that the university continues to maintain a wide range of academic offerings despite the program changes.

“Iowa State’s academic brand has always been about offering a high-quality education that combines practical and critical thinking skills to help our graduates excel after graduation. Even with these changes, the university still offers around 200 degree programs, as well numerous undergraduate and graduate minors, certificates and increasingly micro-credentials, to help students round out their education,” Keith said.