Colleges and universities are continuing to shift their course offerings in Tulsa this fall after a 2025 law allowed them to expand their degree programs.
From data science to nursing and education, workforce demands are leading the changes. Here’s some of what’s new to Tulsa’s higher education options next semester.
OSU-Tulsa to continue adding four-year degrees, president says
The Oklahoma State University-Tulsa campus welcomed 74 aerospace engineering students this spring, its first new program following Senate Bill 701.
That means, for the first time, OSU-Tulsa students can complete a full four-year degree at the campus without transferring to Stillwater or another university. OSU-Tulsa plans to continue adding degrees at every level for “in-demand career opportunities right here in Tulsa,” said interim campus President Johnny Stephens.
“What excites me most isn’t any single program. It’s what this means for Green Country,” Stephens said. “Tulsa has waited a long time for a public four-year research university it can call its own — one that offers bachelor’s through graduate degrees built around northeast Oklahoma’s workforce needs.”
The university offered 20 additional course sections last semester and will up that to 41 in the fall. That’s down from the 70 initially planned for the upcoming semester, but will include general chemistry for engineers, elementary statistics and other fundamental courses.
Tulsa Community College leans in to data science, delays bachelor’s
TCC is launching an online associate’s degree in data science this fall. It’s the first of its kind in the state.
While the majority of data analysts have at least a bachelor’s degree, around 10% compete with less than a two-year degree, according to the college. With an average salary of $93,300 and hundreds of active job openings in the Tulsa area, the college’s leaders across engineering, math and business felt it was time to act.
“Basically anytime we are finding industry and occupation where someone can get a life-sustaining wage for one or two years of education, then that’s gonna be our wheelhouse,” said David Paige, dean of mathematics and engineering at TCC.
Data science is much more than crunching the numbers, adds Kirstin Krug, director of institutional research, reporting and analytics at TCC.
“Wherever data is — which data is everywhere — an analyst can be,” said Krug. “Most degrees prepare you for one or two industries. You could go into any industry with this.”
The program’s backbone is a series of data analytics courses, introducing programming and technical skills, then real-world projects. It also includes communications courses that build human skills, Paige added, like asking the right questions of data and communicating findings to others.
Previously, a Tulsa-based student looking to obtain a bachelor’s in data science needed a general business associate’s first, a less-specific certification. The college is working on future transfer agreements with the new program, possibly with Oklahoma State, the University of Oklahoma or University of Central Oklahoma.
“We’re threading the needle between still being a transfer degree, but giving you a skill that’s looking incredible right away,” said Paige. “If you get an associate’s degree in general business, I’m sure that doesn’t hurt your employment prospects by any means, but it’s not preparing you specifically for an occupation.”
TCC hopes to enroll around 30 students, especially those who may already work a 9 to 5 job and could increase their earning power with an added degree. Students can apply for the State Regents Reach Higher Finish Line scholarship program and will automatically qualify for support through Tulsa’s Build Back Better grant awarded by the U.S. Economic Development Administration in 2022.
The college is also adding a degree in music production and certificate in unmanned aerial vehicle maintenance technology next semester. While its first bachelor’s degree was set to launch in fall 2026, the college’s bachelor of science in child development will now launch in fall 2027.
Northeastern State University expands in Broken Arrow
This fall semester is the first where Northeastern State University will offer freshman- and sophomore-level coursework on its Broken Arrow campus.
The university plans to add on-campus and online courses spanning from business, education, liberal arts to science and health professions for undergraduate students.
It also added new online programs and concentrations, including a doctor of education in community-based leadership and two nursing master’s concentrations in veterans health and American Indian health. The Tahlequah campus is also launching a bachelor’s degree in nursing.
The first community-based leadership cohort will start in August as NSU’s second doctoral degree. It’s focused on ethics, policy and leadership skills. According to university spokesman
David Demopoulos, the fall program is expected to have a waiting list “due to overwhelming demand.”
Applications for the spring cohort are accepted through Aug. 1.
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