Key Takeaways
- Penn State Program Closures include recommendations to close 47 degree programs across its campuses, affecting 784 undergraduate students.
- Faculty Senate will review the recommendations before the provost makes final decisions.
- The university identified 55 programs for strategic growth amid rising costs and changing workforce needs.
Penn State University has recommended closing 47 degree programs across its campuses as part of a multiyear academic review announced Monday, citing low enrollment, employment opportunities and program realignment, with 784 undergraduates affected.
Penn State Targets Programs With Low Enrollment
The proposed Penn State Program Closures cover 11.66% of the university’s 403 baccalaureate and associate degree programs, according to Penn State. The programs currently enroll about 1.1% of the university’s 68,390 undergraduate students.
Nine programs have no enrolled students, while 15 have submitted formal plans to phase out instruction or placed enrollment holds. Another 24 programs would continue to be offered through different colleges within the university system.
Ten of the programs are based at the University Park campus, while the remaining 37 are offered at Commonwealth Campuses.
Penn State said it would work with affected students to ensure they can complete their degrees in a timely manner. Teach-out plans will be developed and implemented over the coming semesters, although the university has not announced a specific timeline.
The recommendations will go to the university’s Faculty Senate for review before Executive Vice President and Provost Fotis Sotiropoulos makes final decisions.
“Throughout this process, driving success for our current and future students has been the focus,” Sotiropoulos said in a statement.
He said regular reviews help the university assess whether its academic offerings meet the needs of students and future employers while ensuring effective use of faculty resources.
University Revises Initial Closure Recommendations
The final recommendations follow preliminary proposals released in April that identified 49 programs for closure. In the latest review, three programs initially targeted for closure were moved to a group of 71 programs scheduled for another review in one year. One program previously recommended for further review is now slated for closure.
The university also identified 55 programs as strategic growth opportunities. Penn State said that despite the Penn State Program Closures, these programs align with workforce and industry needs and have potential for growth, innovation, or expansion.
Sotiropoulos said the review process would help the university respond to changing demographics, limited state support and rising costs. He added that the institution plans to establish a regular cycle of academic evaluations, with colleges taking the lead in the process.
The recommended closures span multiple academic fields, including education, information technology, science, humanities, engineering, and business-related disciplines.
Programs proposed for closure include elementary and kindergarten education at several campuses, security and risk analysis at multiple locations, and information sciences and technology at University Park and other campuses. Other affected offerings include geosciences, planetary science and astronomy, English, physics and hospitality management.
At University College campuses, the recommendations include communication arts and sciences, administration of justice, American studies, mining technology and arts administration. Engineering-related proposals include surveying engineering and electrical engineering technology.
Cuts Follow Broader Changes Across Penn State
The academic review comes amid broader changes to Penn State’s operations under President Neeli Bendapudi. The university’s trustees have approved the closure of seven Commonwealth Campuses at the end of the 2026-27 academic year.
Other recent measures include employee buyouts at Commonwealth Campuses, the sale of public broadcaster WPSU to WHYY, plans to transfer State College Regional Airport to the Centre County Airport Authority and substantial budget reductions.
Penn State said the academic portfolio review behind the Penn State Program Closures is intended to establish a long-term process for evaluating programs and aligning resources with student demand and workforce needs.
The university has not yet finalized the 47 proposed closures. Faculty Senate review and the provost’s decisions will determine which programs ultimately close and how students currently enrolled in those programs will complete their studies.
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