A new graduate program at Ohio University Southern may allow interested teachers to go back to school for some continuing education next year.

Starting this winter quarter, which begins January 2004, OUS will offer a masters in social sciences program. The program sequence will end in fall 2006.

It is an interdisciplinary program that focuses on geography, history and sociology that may be of particular interest to middle and high school teachers in these social sciences, said Dr. Eric Cunningham, associate dean at OSU.

"This is in response to requests from area school teachers," Cunningham said.

"It is also part of our continuing effort to bring graduate programs to the community."

The graduate program includes a total of 12 courses that will be offered on Saturdays at the southern campus.

This is the fourth graduate program offered by OUS. Like the other three that have already begun, students must enter the course of study at the beginning of the approximately 2-year period they are offered, Cunningham said.

Currently, OUS is offering three other master's degree programs - education with a focus on counseling, education with a focus on leadership (rural principals) and engineering management.

The southern campus is not content to just stop here, either. A master's in business administration is also on the horizon, and the existing graduate program may start again in the future, Cunningham said.

The university has offered one information session already and another is scheduled for 7 p.m. Oct. 23 in room 315 in the Riffe Center.

For more information, contact Cunningham at (740) 533-4608.