Penn State Plans to Eliminate 47 Degree Programs

Penn State has finalized recommendations to close 47 low-enrollment degree programs as part of a multi-year review of its academic offerings, the university said on Monday.

The programs recommended for closure “due to low student demand, combined employment opportunity, program realignment and other factors” represent 11.66% of the university’s 403 baccalaureate and associate degree programs. A total of 784 students, or about 1.1% of Penn State’s 68,390 undergraduate population, are enrolled in the programs, and the university said it “will work closely with all students to be sure they can complete their degrees in a timely and supported manner.”

Nine of the programs currently have no enrolled students, and 15 already have submitted formal teach-out proposals or enrollment holds. Twenty-four programs would continue to be offered at the university through another college.

Ten are located at University Park, with the remaining 37 at Commonwealth Campuses.

Programs recommended for closure will be shared with Faculty Senate for review before decisions are finalized by Executive Vice President and Provost Fotis Sotiropoulos, according to Penn State. The university did not detail a specific timeline, but said teach-out plans for enrolled students to finish their degrees will be developed and carried out “over the coming semesters.”

“Throughout this process, driving success for our current and future students has been the focus,” Sotiropoulos said in a statement. “Portfolio and program reviews are a healthy practice common across higher education. They help us to continually ask – in a strategic and data-informed way – whether we are meeting and exceeding the needs of our students and their future employers, and how we can best retain and deploy our world-class faculty talent to meet our land-grant mission.

Preliminary recommendations of the Academic Portfolio and Program Review were released in April and included 49 programs for closure. In the final recommendations published on Monday, three initially recommended for closure are now among 71 to be reviewed again in one year, while one recommended for review is now slated to close.

The programs recommended for closure by college are:

COLLEGE OF ARTS AND ARCHITECTURE
– Professional Photography (BDES)

COLLEGE OF EARTH AND MINERAL SCIENCES
– Geobiology (BS)
– Geosciences (BA)

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
– Elementary and Kindergarten Education (BS)
– Middle Level Education (BS)
– World Languages Education (BS)

COLLEGE OF INFORMATION SCIENCES AND TECHNOLOGY
– Information Sciences and Technology (BS)
– Security and Risk Analysis (BS)

COLLEGE OF THE LIBERAL ARTS
– Multidisciplinary Studies (BA)
– Multidisciplinary Studies (AA)

EBERLY COLLEGE OF SCIENCE
– Planetary Science and Astronomy (BS)

ABINGTON COLLEGE
– Integrative Arts (BA)
– American Studies (BA)

ALTOONA COLLEGE
– Environmental Studies (BS)
– Security and Risk Analysis (BS)
– Elementary and Kindergarten Education (BS)
– Criminal Justice (BA)
– History (BA)
– Human Development and Family Studies (AS)
– Science (AS)

BEHREND COLLEGE
– English (BA)
– Physics (BS)
– Secondary Education (BS)

BERKS COLLEGE
– Security and Risk Analysis (BS)
– Elementary and Kindergarten Education (BS)
– Global Studies (BA)
– Hospitality Management (BS)

CAPITAL COLLEGE (HARRISBURG)
– American Studies (BA)
– Enterprise Technology Integration (BS)
– Information Sciences and Technology (BS)
– Information Systems (BS)
– Security and Risk Analysis (BS)
– Human Development and Family Studies (BS)
– Humanities (BA)
– Health Policy and Administration (BS)
– Project and Supply Chain Management (BS)

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE (MULTIPLE COMMONWEALTH CAMPUSES)
– Communication Arts and Sciences (BA)
– Integrative Science (BS)
– Administration of Justice (BA)
– Administration of Justice (BS)
– Arts Administration (BA)
– Corporate Communication (BA)
– American Studies (BA)
– Humanities (BA)
– Mining Technology (AS)

ENGINEERING PROGRAMS AT UNIVERSITY COLLEGE CAMPUSES
– Surveying Engineering (BS)
– Electrical Engineering Technology (AENGT)

The review also recommends promoting 55 programs as “strategic growth opportunities” that “align strongly with workforce and industry needs and present clear potential for growth, innovation, or expansion,” according to the university.

“I am grateful to all who have helped to get us to this point. Regular program reviews will help us to be nimble and responsive as the world continues to change, and as we continue to face the reality of changing demographics, stagnant state support for our students, and rising costs. This is the latest step in what will be an ongoing cycle of intentional self-evaluation, with our colleges in the lead and in partnership with me and my team.”

The APPR lays the groundwork for long-term portfolio and program evaluations, and processes for establishing a regular review cycle are under development, according to the university.

“I am grateful to all who have helped to get us to this point,” Sotiropoulos said. “Regular program reviews will help us to be nimble and responsive as the world continues to change, and as we continue to face the reality of changing demographics, stagnant state support for our students, and rising costs. This is the latest step in what will be an ongoing cycle of intentional self-evaluation, with our colleges in the lead and in partnership with me and my team.”

The recommended program closures mark the latest significant changes to university operations and offerings under President Neeli Bendapudi, following the decision to close seven Commonwealth Campuses at the end of the 2026-27 academic year, buyouts of hundreds of Commonwealth Campus employees, the sale of WPSU to nonprofit public broadcaster WHYY, the pending transfer of State College Regional Airport to the Centre County Airport Authority and substantial budget cuts.