Penn State Proposes Closure of 47 Academic Programs

Penn State University has announced the closure of 47 academic programs as part of its final recommendations from the Academic Portfolio and Program Review (APPR). This decision includes 11 programs at University Park and was made public on Monday.

The university cited low student demand, limited employment opportunities, and program realignment as reasons for the closures. Notably, graduate programs will not be impacted by this review. While 24 of the affected programs will still be available through other colleges, 784 undergraduate students, representing about 1.1% of the total student body, are currently enrolled in these programs. Additionally, nine of the programs have no enrolled students, and 15 have already initiated teach-out proposals.

Penn State is in the process of developing a formal teach-out plan to assist students in completing their degrees. The timeline for implementing these recommendations remains unspecified. In contrast, the university plans to promote 32 programs at University Park that show potential for growth and will review 37 programs in a year to assess their enrollment progress.