News and Event
Posted on Monday 17th of February 2020
Morgan State University to Offer Three Degree Programs in Ghana Following Board Approval
Domestic Degree Programs Also See Expansion, with Proposed Addition of Master of Science
in Advanced Computing and MHEC-Approved Bachelor of Science in Cloud Computing
BALTIMORE — Morgan State University (MSU) is slated to establish an international presence
on the African continent by way of a new pilot program. During the recent public session of the
MSU Board of Regents’ winter quarterly meeting, the Board unanimously approved a proposal for
the university to begin offering three degree programs — a Master of Business Administration, a
Master of Science in Global Multimedia Journalism and Communications, and a Bachelor of
Science in Entrepreneurship — at the African University College of Communications (AUCC) in
Adabraka, Accra, Ghana. The pilot program is scheduled to begin in fall 2020, creating
opportunities for western African students to pursue degrees from Morgan. The collaboration marks
a first of its kind for an HBCU in Ghana, with Morgan poised to join only a select few American
universities offering degree programs in Africa.
“Over the past five years, we have been very interested in Africa and have been eyeing expansion
into new markets. We look forward to piloting these three academic degree programs in Ghana, and
if this initiative is successful in attracting top-notch students and awarding them highly valued
Morgan degrees, we will consider establishing a more physical presence in Africa,” said Morgan
President David Wilson. “So long as I am the president of this institution, Morgan will never be in
stasis. We cannot afford to stand still. It is incumbent upon the university to always lean forward
and continuously explore all viable opportunities in this rapidly transforming higher education
environment.”
Coinciding with the expansion abroad, the Board also authorized the University to pursue the
addition of a new Master of Science in Advanced Computing degree program. Pending Maryland
Higher Education Commission (MHEC) approval, the M.S. in Advanced Computing would be the
only degree of its kind offered at a Maryland university, and Morgan would be the sole HBCU in
the nation to offer it. The availability of the program at Morgan would offer students a solid
foundation in emerging areas of computer sciences such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data
science, machine learning and cloud computing.
In addition, during its fall meeting this past November, MSU’s Board of Regents supported the
addition of a new degree program in cloud computing. MHEC recently approved Morgan’s request
to offer a new Bachelor of Science in Cloud Computing beginning in fall 2020.
In January, an administrative team, led by Morgan’s provost, traveled to Ghana for a site visit at
AUCC, a University of Ghana affiliate institution, and to finalize the remaining details of the
proposed collaboration. The arrangement calls for Morgan professors from the Earl G. Graves
School of Business and Management and the School of Global Journalism and Communication to
travel to Ghana to teach courses throughout the year to incoming cohorts. Each of the three degree
programs would be offered in a hybrid delivery consisting of face-to-face and online instruction.
Morgan is seeking at least 20 students to begin the pilot. An evaluation of the programs is slated for
the end of the inaugural year.
Recent economic trends indicate that Africa will be the top emerging market of the 21st century.
With 1.2 billion inhabitants (up from 447 million in 1980), more than 50 percent of them under the
age of 30, Africa is projected by the United Nations Population Division to witness an accelerated
population growth in the immediate future. Most African governments are allocating a significant
amount of their annual revenue to increase access to primary and secondary schools for their young
and rapidly growing populations. One area that the majority of African governments have not been
able to expand rapidly is access to “tertiary education,” or colleges and universities. At present,
public higher education institutions in Africa can accommodate less than 5 percent of the overall
demand.
“Morgan State University will deliver highly innovative M.S. and B.S. programs that fully prepare
individuals to be global leaders,” said Lesia Crumpton-Young, Ph.D., provost and senior vice
president for Academic Affairs at Morgan State University. “These program graduates will serve as
catalysts for economic growth and development throughout the African continent and beyond.”
In response to a national need for a workforce skilled in computing, Morgan proposes to offer a
Master of Science in Advanced Computing degree program, available both online and in a
traditional classroom setting. Based on an innovative curriculum, the new program would be
designed for students who have recently completed a bachelor’s degree program in computer
science and/or related fields and who wish to enhance their careers, explore research opportunities
in computer science or apply their acquired skills in transdisciplinary teams or for a specific focus.
With a one-year completion option, the M.S. in Advanced Computing would serve as a complement
to the new B.S. in Cloud Computing.
“Morgan understands what employers, particularly those in the technology sector, are looking for
from our graduates,” added Dr. Wilson. “They need talent with particular skill sets, and we are
bringing forth degree programs to provide those skills. Our students who are matriculating in these
programs are going to be highly sought after, the world over.”
Both the proposed transdisciplinary M.S. program and the B.S. in Cloud Computing will be
managed by the Department of Computer Science in Morgan’s School of Computer, Mathematical
and Natural Sciences.
With the terms of a strategic collaboration agreed to in principle, the final affiliation agreement will
require approval from the MSU Board of Regents. The Board’s next quarterly meeting is scheduled
for May 5, 2020.
About Morgan
Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified doctoral research institution
offering more than 126 academic programs leading to degrees from the baccalaureate to the
doctorate. As Maryland’s Preeminent Public Urban Research University, Morgan serves a
multiethnic and multiracial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are
opened as wide as possible to as many as possible. For more information about Morgan State
University, visit www.morgan.edu.