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Cullen and Bauer colleges to expand programs in Sugar Land, Katy this fall

The Cullen College of Engineering will add three new degree programs, exclusive to UH Katy. Kathryn Lenihan/The Cougar

The Cullen College of Engineering will add three new degree programs exclusive to UH Katy. | Kathryn Lenihan/The Cougar

New engineering degree programs at UH Katy and upper-division business classes at UH Sugar Land are expanding UH across the greater-Houston area.

UH Katy in Fall 2020 will begin offering three new engineering degrees with the Cullen College of Engineering: computer engineering and analytics, construction engineering and systems engineering. These three degrees are not part of the eight engineering degrees currently offered at the main campus.

“We want organic, natural growth, and it is for that reason that we are offering three new programs, we are not duplicating programs,” said associate dean for UH Engineering in Katy JR Rao.

While the Katy programs are an effort to mobilize UH engineering degrees across Houston, the University does not want to shift the majority of its engineering programs away from the main campus. The Katy programs are designed for alternative forms of engineering that are located near the Houston Energy Corridor

“Katy is meant strictly as a supplementary, new initiative, we don’t want to say don’t come to the main campus, go to Katy,” Rao said. “Katy is to be viewed and is being developed as an expansion for the college and the University. We hope to reach a bigger audience.”

Students participating in the new degree programs will take their core classes with Houston Community College and their engineering classes with UH faculty members. Through this program, students will finish the four-year degree plan in Katy.

Through the Bauer College at UH at Sugar Land 2 + 1 + 1 Program, starting in Fall 2020, students will be able to take two years of core courses at community college, one year of business classes that apply to all business majors in Sugar Land and the final year of business courses at UH main campus.  

“As the largest undergraduate program in Texas whose mission is to provide an outstanding education while being accessible and affordable, the Bauer College of Business is committed to providing opportunity to all qualified students to obtain an undergraduate degree,” said C.T. Bauer College of Business Dean Paul Pavlou in an email.

For students who live in Sugar Land the program can cut down on travel times for commuters.

“I think it’s a good idea for people who live around that area, I’m kind of jealous honestly because I live in Cypress,” said supply chain management senior Ashton Galley. “I wish we had something like that because I have to commute so far to take my classes.”

Similarly to the engineering degrees, the Sugar Land business program makes receiving a UH education more accessible to students who may face difficulty in enrolling full time at the main campus. 

Moving forward, Bauer may further develop this program or add new ones to continue expanding the instructional sites.

“The Bauer College is also considering additional program offerings in Sugar Land in order to provide access to world-class education for graduate and continuing education students,” Pavlou said.

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