MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee State University is taking the lead in Tennessee with a reduced-credit bachelor’s degree designed to prepare students for careers protecting children and supporting vulnerable youth.

Earlier this month, MTSU became the first public university in Tennessee to receive permission from the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, or THEC, to move forward with a proposal for a Focused Baccalaureate Degree, or FBD. The focus will be in Youth Protection and Prevention Services.

“This milestone places MTSU at the forefront of Tennessee’s new effort to create shorter, workforce-focused bachelor’s degree pathways,” said MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee. “This particular degree in Youth Protection and Prevention Services responds to a documented workforce need in Tennessee.”

MTSU will now move forward with the formal proposal process. If approved, the degree could help prepare more professionals to serve children and families across Tennessee, particularly in communities facing shortages of qualified workers.

The proposed 90-credit-hour degree comes on the heels of the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury audit of the Department of Children’s Services, which identified problems with child safety, investigations, housing, healthcare and facility oversight. Findings also showed that Child Protective Services had a 23.3% turnover rate and a 20.3% vacancy rate, with persistent vacancies contributing to higher caseloads that could affect the timeliness and thoroughness of investigations.

“Our audit identified significant staffing challenges within Tennessee’s Child Protective Services program, and I am encouraged to see MTSU exploring innovative ways to help address this need,” Tennessee Comptroller Jason Mumpower said.

Peter Grandjean, dean of MTSU’s College of Behavioral and Health Sciences, said the proposed degree was developed to bridge the gap between education and employment while providing students a more flexible path to completing their education.

“This fulfills a huge need,” Grandjean said. “We are not only shaping the state with this degree pathway, but we are shaping the nation.”

The interdisciplinary program will bring together the fields of social work, criminal justice, psychology and public health, allowing students to build micro credentials and certificates that are recognized by employers as they work toward their bachelor’s degree.

A key component is the mandatory Child Advocacy Studies Training program, or CAST, a nationally recognized, evidence-informed curriculum designed to prepare current and future professionals to prevent, identify, investigate and respond to child maltreatment.

“We have a great opportunity to serve new student populations with Focused Baccalaureate Degrees in Tennessee,” said MTSU Provost Mark Byrnes. “I’m excited to see our faculty in conversations with workforce partners, interested nonprofits, and state agencies to move forward with degree proposals.”

Grandjean said the approach also offers flexibility for students who need to pause their education, allowing them to utilize the certificates they have earned as part of their degree program and remain employable as they work toward completing the degree. Additional coursework would allow students to develop expertise in areas such as social services, juvenile justice and public health.

“This is a brand-new, unique program. It is not a reduction in credit hours from an existing program,” Grandjean said, explaining that the proposed degree embeds credentials into a new, career-ready training.

Grandjean credited Department of Social Work professors Vickie Harden and Carmelita Dotson with developing the framework while building relationships with state agencies and industry partners.

“We are so excited to offer this innovative program that aligns with a career path so important to our children and families in Tennessee,” Harden said.

Mumpower said focused bachelor’s degrees could help prepare students for meaningful careers while meeting Tennessee’s labor demand.

“I commend MTSU for taking this important step toward developing a program that could make a real difference for Tennessee’s children and families,” Mumpower said.

And it’s just the beginning.

“We will continue to pursue other focused bachelor’s degrees that could have similar impacts for our state’s economy,” McPhee said.

— Nancy DeGennaro ([email protected])