PLATTSBURGH -- Plattsburgh State is offering two new degree programs.

This fall, the university is offering a master of science in natural science and a bachelor of science in fitness and wellness leadership.

NATURAL SCIENCE

"We've had some excellent award-winning undergraduate research here," said Dr. Tim Mihuc, coordinator of the new natural-science program. "And we think we can extend that to the graduate level."

University officials created the graduate program to provide students with the knowledge, skills, experience and credentials to prepare them for careers as scientists in various fields of study.

Students choose a major concentration in environmental sciences, biology or chemistry, and within them they work with faculty conducting research in biochemistry, botany, chemistry, ecology, environmental science, genetics and more.

The program partly relies on the surrounding area.

"We're in a place that makes it very accessible to ask all kinds of research questions in a wide array of fields," Mihuc said.

"We are at the doorstep of a 6-million-acre park (the Adirondack Park) that is essentially a research laboratory. And we are on the shores of a 490-square-mile lake (Champlain), and that, too, can provide numerous opportunities for research."

Utilizing surrounding habitats is especially attractive for individuals seeking advanced degrees in field biology and ecology.

Science teachers who need graduate degrees for certification requirements also can benefit from the program, as well as pre-med students and other working scientists.

FITNESS/WELLNESS

The university's new undergraduate program in fitness and wellness leadership prepares students to work in one of the fastest-growing segments of the service industry.

They'll be qualified to fill positions in medically based and sports-performance facilities, commercial health clubs, corporate fitness centers, colleges/universities, YMCAs and recreational/athletic sites as directors, fitness managers, supervisors, exercise leaders, elite personal-fitness trainers and sports-performance coaches.

"They will be prepared to either work for someone or start their own business," said program coordinator Kenneth Baldwin.