Columbia is proposing a new bachelor’s degree designed for students in creative fields who left the college before graduating or want a more flexible way to finish a degree using previously earned credits.
The new bachelor’s in creative professional studies, which can be completed online or in-person, combines existing Columbia courses across six disciplines.
Students would choose coursework from two minors: Creative Industries Management, Cinema and Television Studies, Fashion Studies, Communication, Music Business and Social Media and Digital Strategy.
The Faculty Senate approved the new degree on March 6, and it is now under review by the Office of Provost. If approved, the program would launch in Fall 2026.
Kendra Thulin, co-chair of the Senate’s Academic Affairs Committee, said the degree is built entirely from courses the college already offers, meaning it can launch without adding new classes, hiring faculty or expanding facilities.
“All the course options are currently offered regularly and are or can be taught by current faculty, using existing space and equipment,” said Thulin, an associate professor in the School of Theatre and Dance.
In addition to six credits of foundational course work, which includes “Introduction to Management and Entrepreneurship” and a choice between “Design Thinking” and “Storytelling,” students would take courses in two minors to complete the remaining credits needed for the degree.
“The degree is designed for flexibility,” Thulin said. “It addresses an unmet enrollment opportunity by encouraging both returning students, and new students to complete their degrees.”
Steven Corey, dean of Academic Programming, said the degree is intended to attract former students who left Columbia without graduating, as well as new transfer students.
“We very much want to appeal to those students who were at Columbia and have not returned,” Corey said. “We want to make it easy for them to finish their Columbia degree, and at the same time, we can do that for a whole bunch of people who want to transfer in.”
The degree program would accept up to 16 credits for life experience, which is Columbia’s policy for all existing programs.
“The degree also provides a path for students who find themselves part-way through a degree and want to change their direction of study,” Thulin said.
Corey said as the program gains momentum, it could eventually become a signature offering for students who are seeking a flexible completion to their existing credits and life experience.
Junior photography major Diana Peschel, who returned to Columbia in Fall 2025 after transferring for a year at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, said the degree is a good opportunity.
“I think a lot of people would do the degree, especially if they are a returning student because maybe they want to try different stuff or choose their own way they go with it,” Peschel said.
Copy edited by Katie Peters
