Pitt-Greensburg ‘Pitt-nic’ includes campus tour, lunch, lawn games
Share this post:
High school students who will be starting their senior year this fall are invited to a summer “Pitt-nic” July 16 on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg.
The outdoor admissions event is set for 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Those attending will have an opportunity to tour the campus at 150 Finoli Drive in Hempfield. They’ll meet the university’s admissions staff and learn about the admissions process.
They’ll then enjoy a picnic-style lunch and play family-friendly lawn games.
Those planning to attend the event should register at greensburg.pitt.edu/visit. Any questions can be submitted to upgadmit@pitt.edu.
According to university officials, the majority of students who attend Pitt-Greensburg reside in Westmoreland, Fayette or Allegheny counties. Last fall, 1,316 full-time students and 57 part-time students were enrolled at the campus — not counting those who took courses offered to high school students.
The ratio of students to faculty is 16 to 1.
While final enrollment figures are pending for the coming fall semester at Pitt-Greensburg, the number of incoming freshmen is tracking to be about 24% higher than in the previous year.
Majors and minors
Pitt-Greensburg offers 31 majors, 30 minors and four certificate programs.
Newer majors include data analytics and special education.
The data analytics degree program includes a blend of mathematics and information science coursework meant to prepare students to gather, analyze and present information in a way that extracts meaning from the data.
It’s a major for those interested in using data to support leadership decisions in any number of fields, ranging from business to government intelligence and health care policy. Entry level roles could include working as a business analyst or providing quality assurance.
Melissa Marks, associate professor of education and director of the Pitt-Greensburg education program, noted the university offers special education training that spans all grade levels, from Pre-K to 12, helping to fill the need for special education teachers across the state and country.
“Any student who wants to earn full double certification in early childhood education and special education can do so by adding just one extra semester,” she said, providing graduates “an edge in working in school settings with students who have disabilities.”
An international studies minor was added last August. The interdisciplinary program requires courses from across at least two academic divisions and from numerous disciplines including anthropology, environmental sciences, literature, philosophy and international languages.
“I was an international studies undergraduate at George Mason University, and that major opened up a lot of career and academic pathways for me,” said Paul Adams, associate professor of political science and chair of Pitt-Greensburg’s Behavioral Sciences Division.
“Having an internationally and globally oriented program was something that our campus has been missing.”
Science and nursing
Historically, more than 40% of Pitt-Greensburg students are science majors.
The campus meanwhile continues to grow its nursing program, graduating 34 new nurses in its second class this past April.
University officials expect to see continued growth in these programs once construction is completed on a new Life Sciences Building, slated to open in January.
The University of Pittsburgh and its regional campuses are ranked in the top 10% of colleges and universities for their return on investment, as determined by two studies produced by Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce.
Out of the 4,500 schools ranked, all of the Pitt campuses were ranked within the 400 range.