When Chancellor Carlos Santiago first came to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, he proposed to add more doctoral programs to the university as an effort to put UWM at the national collegiate level.

Santiago has kept his staff busy with the addition of three new doctoral programs since 2003: history, health sciences and medical informatics. This represents rapid growth — there were only three doctoral programs added between 1985 and 2003.

There are a few programs under review at the campus level, including one in social work and another in communications.

There are a handful of programs being developed for the UW System Board of Regents. These programs are mostly science-based programs, such as microbiology and freshwater and earth sciences. However, the prime doctoral program under works is a program for Africology.

Vice Chancellor Rita Cheng said the new programs can help UWM become a research university.

“More doctorate programs can help the undergraduate class because the professors can share with the students the cutting-edge information with research done by the doctorate students and professors,” she said.

Also the doctoral programs bring diversity to UWM’s campus, according to Associate Vice Chancellor Dev Venugopalan. Records of doctoral students show that most of the students are minorities and international students, with black students contributing the highest enrollment.

Because the doctoral programs increase diversity, these programs help increase the visibility of the campus, Venugopalan said.

There is a lot to look at when creating a doctoral program, he said.

“The two most important things (are the) quality of the program and the resources for the program,” Venugopalan said.

The quality of the program is how actively involved the staff will be with it, he said. The doctoral programs also go through quicker when additional training and resources, like new buildings, are needed to get the program up off the ground.

The UW System Board of Regents is also looking to connect its universities more. UWM has begun a program of physical therapy with UW-La Crosse. The program is not a doctoral program, but simply a higher degree for physical therapists.

“Doctorate programs are all about creating opportunities and gaining experience,” Venugopalan said.

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