Synergis Market and Program Demand Analysis FINAL 10.4.17 (002) (002)

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Table of Contents

Overview 3

Objective 3

Research Data Sources 3

Summary Findings 3

West Virginia Location Analysis 4

Reputation and Brand Awareness 7

Educational Programs 8

Overview of Market and Occupational Demand 8

Competition 11

MAT and M.Ed Program Summary Findings 11

Technology Programs 13

Cybersecurity Overview of Market and Occupational Demand 13

Computer Science Overview of Market and Occupational Demand 15

Computer Engineering Overview of Market and Occupational Demand 17

Competition 21

Technology Programs Summary Findings 21

Master of Business Administration (MBA) 21

Competition 24

MBA Program Summary 24

Master of Architecture 25

Competition 26

Master of Architecture Program Summary 27

Master of Criminal Justice 27

Competition 29

Master of Criminal Justice Program Summary 29

Appendix 30

Data Sources 30

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OVERVIEW

OBJECTIVE

Synergis Education analyzed the viability of eight graduate programs, listed below, for

Fairmont State University (FSU) for the purpose of assessing the feasibility of a shared revenue partnership

RESEARCH DATA SOURCES

The research conducted utilized a combination of data sources including, but not limited to, Google Analytics, school websites and Emsi Data Emsi data is a hybrid dataset derived from official government sources such as the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Economic Analysis, and Bureau of Labor Statistics Leveraging the unique strengths of each source, the data modeling team creates an authoritative dataset that captures more than 99% of all workers in the United States This core offering is then enriched with data from online social profiles, resumes, and job postings that provides a complete view of the workforce Emsi data is frequently cited in major publications such as The Atlantic, Forbes, Harvard Business Review, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and USA Today

Please refer to the Appendix for specific references

SUMMARY FINDINGS

Programs that showed promise based on employment gaps, search demand, and program growth potential included the Master of Education, Master of Arts in Teaching, and Master of Science in Computer Science The projected growth of these programs would be incremental and therefore, from a financial standpoint, a revenue share would not be in the best interest of the University However, Synergis Education Academic Services Team could assist the

Programs Currently Offered:

 Master of Architecture

 Master of Business Administration

 Master of Education

 Master of Arts in Teaching

 Master of Science – Criminal Justice

New Program Offerings:

 MS in Computer Engineering

 MS in Computer Science

 MS in Cybersecurity

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University in moving their curriculum to a modality that would make them more competitive Additionally, it is recommended that FSU consider working with Synergis Education in

developing current in-demand programs with national appeal to attract students outside of its current geo-specific area

WEST VIRGINIA LOCATION ANALYSIS

Located at the north-central tip of West Virginia, the university is close to several metropolitan areas including Pittsburgh, Youngstown, Washington D.C., and Baltimore With well-known institutions in several of these areas, FSU will rely largely on the population of West Virginia for program enrollments

West Virginia’s lagging economy and low education attainment levels will drive low

enrollment numbers for graduate programs Ranking 47th or 48th nationally in education

rankings, only 11.5% of West Virginia residents possess a Bachelor Degree (6.8% below the national average), and 6.4% hold an Associate Degree (1.5% below the national average)

Table 1: West Virginia Educational Attainment

By 2020, 51% of all jobs in West Virginia will require some training after high school; however, only 11% of jobs in the state will require a master’s degree As evidenced below, the top

growing industries and occupations in West Virginia between 2011 and 2016 were as follows:

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Table 2: Top Growing Industries

Table 3: Top Growing Industries Detail

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Table 4: Top Growing Occupations

Table 5: Top Growing Occupations Detail

In summary, as West Virginia tries to revamp its economy and improve their education levels, the State’s focus will be on increasing vocational and technical training Therefore, while search trends are positive and Cost-per-Clicks are competitive, without a strong need for a master’s degree in this market, driving a significant student population will be difficult

However, as these students reach career ceilings, it is probable that the demand for higher education could increase

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REPUTATION AND BRAND AWARENESS

Across West Virginia, search trends for the school’s brand name “Fairmont State University” index higher than most of their WV competitors FSU did see a significant increase in search trends in March of 2017 with their second-place finish in the NCAA Division II Basketball Tournament Only West Virginia State University and Marshall University surpass FSU in search demand in West Virginia and FSU is best known in Clarksburg-Weston, WV Awareness

of FSU is minimal across the US, but the school has gained some recognition in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Washington D.C., and Ohio

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FSU has mixed critiques from various student review sites, and rather than being a variation of good and bad, opinions vary from one extreme to the other For undergraduate programs, some students love the small size, faculty, and location, while at the opposite end, students think the education is poor, overpriced, and, according to studentreviews.com, 55% of individuals would not return

There are very limited reviews on the graduate programs One recent complaint referred to the MBA program, and one site indicated 80% (survey of 5 students) thought highly of the

programs

Clearly, FSU is in a position to build upon its growing reputation and brand towards national recognition Additionally, as FSU ranks second in terms of brand traffic among its competitors with strong awareness in the market bidding on brand terms will help optimize the overall paid search costs, once programmatic marketing commences

EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS

OVERVIEW OF MARKET AND OCCUPATIONAL DEMAND

West Virginia had 33 regional institutions that had completions in educational degree programs over the last 14 years In 2016, there were 2,235 regional program completions against a total of 4,150 annual job openings Of the 2,235 completions, 49.3% were at a master’s level, and 35.3% were at a bachelor’s level

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At a master’s level, there were 13 regional institutions that had completions in the last 14 years

In 2016, there were 1,102 regional program completions against total annual job openings of 1,409 Regional completions by institution in 2016 were as follows:

West Virginia University 371 Marshall University 337 American Public University System 138 Fairmont State University 55

West Liberty University 36 Wheeling Jesuit University 25 Salem International University 17 Ohio Valley University 15 West Virginia Wesleyan College 15

Strayer University-West Virginia 2

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The occupational market demand for educators holding a master’s degree in West Virginia is projected at a negative -6.6% while at a national level, the anticipated growth is +9.1%

The table below details the target occupations that are projected to grow between 2017-2027

Earnings

Growth (2017-2027)

Postsecondary Teachers 2,680 234 $27.29 +5.34%Preschool Teachers, Except

Special Education 232 23 $13.33 +1.72%Self-Enrichment Education

Teachers and Instructors,

Top 10 Employers

The employers posting the highest number of jobs provides the institution with an opportunity

to reach out to the community to gain input when developing or refreshing programs or working to place interns and graduates For this particular degree 9 of the 10 are competitors, however, they are:

1 West Virginia University

2 Workforce West Virginia

3 ITT Technical Institute

4 American Public University System, Inc

5 Kaplan, Inc

6 Blueridge Community & Technical College

7 Liberty West University

8 New River Community and Technical College

9 Fairmont State University

10 Marshall University

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COMPETITION

All Schools Assume In-State Tuition Fees

MAT AND M.ED.PROGRAM SUMMARY FINDINGS

West Virginia is currently in a teacher crisis with over 700 open positions mostly due to the lack

of pay for teachers Therefore, there is a strong need, but not enough demand, for these

positions In addition, hiring methodology has been strict and WV is trying to relax these rules

 Step 1: 3-Year initial teaching certificate and then most apply for renewal

 Step 2: To renew, a student must demonstrate professional improvement which couldinclude working towards the master’s degree or an endorsement

 Step 3: After 5 years, teachers must renew once again and to gain the permanent

teaching certificate they need to complete a master’s degree

Master of Education (MEd)

Marshall University Online 30 to 36 $387.25 $11,617.50 Huntington, WV American Public University Online 36 $350.00 $12,600.00 Charles Town, WV West Virginia University Online 30 $429.00 $12,870.00 Morgantown, WV West Liberty University Online or Ground 30 $446.00 $13,380.00 West Liberty, VA Alderson Broaddus University Online 30 $525.00 $15,750.00 Philippi, WV Concord University Online 36 $453.00 $16,308.00 Athens, WV Wheeling Jesuit University Online 33 $550.00 $18,150.00 Wheeling, WV Frostburg State University* Varies 33 to 45 $413.00 $13,629 - $18,585 Frostburg, MD California University of Pennsylvania Online 30-39 $500.00 $15,000 - $19,500 California, PA Point Park University* Varies 36-42 $595.00 $21,420.00 Pittsburgh, PA Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT)

Marshall University Hybrid (2-3

ground classes) 36 $387.25 $13,941.00 Huntington, WVConcord University Online 36 $453.00 $16,308.00 Athens, WV

*All MED's on ground with the exception of special eduation

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West Virginia is also part of the NASDTEC Interstate agreement, which allows teachers to potentially teach in other states that are part of the interstate agreement For a state school, FSU cost of attendance is lower and therefore students can complete their master’s and easily

transition to other States for employment, if desired

Search trends in West Virginia, Washington D.C., Maryland, and Pennsylvania show a strong trend for M.Ed keywords; however, costs to acquire these students will be expensive By state, West Virginia ranked in the 40th spot for interest in a Master of Education, while Pennsylvania ranked 6th, D.C 14th and Maryland 19th

There is also demand for the Master of Arts in Teaching in the regional areas Costs to acquire these students are lower than the M.Ed which is due to the lower competition in the area Typically, an MAT degree is granted to those students who already hold a bachelor's degree in

an area other than teaching, it is harder to target and acquire this particular student

The concentrations that FSU offers in Professional Studies and Digital Media, New Literacies and Learning show little demand in the area; however, there is interest in special education in the geographical locations analyzed

For special education, search demand by state ranks as follows:

 West Virginia - 17th

 Pennsylvania - 20th

 Maryland - 23rd

 Washington D.C - 39th

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TECHNOLOGY PROGRAMS

Cybersecurity professionals commonly hold a degree in CIP Code 11.1003 - Computer and

Information Systems Security/Information Assurance For this degree program, West Virginia had 4 regional institutions that had completions in the last 14 years In 2016, there were 342 regional program completions against a total of 492 annual job openings Of the 342 completions, 29.5% were at a master’s level, and 56.1% were at a bachelor’s level

At a master’s level, there was only 1 regional institution, American Public University System, that had completions in the last 14 years in CIP Code 11.1003 - Computer and Information Systems Security/Information Assurance In 2016, they graduated 101 students against annual job

openings of 58

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Regionally there were 2 similar programs that graduated an additional 36 students at a master’s level They are as follows:

CIP

11.0101 Computer and Information

Sciences, General Marshall University 17 11.0701 Computer Science West Virginia University 19

The occupational market demand for Cybersecurity professionals holding a master’s degree in West Virginia is projected to grow by 8.5%, which is below the national growth rate of 13.3% The table below details the target occupations that are projected to grow between 2017-2027

Median Hourly Earnings

Growth (2017-2027)

Computer User Support Specialists 196 16 $21.12 +7.14% Network and Computer Systems

Administrators 135 9 $28.76 +3.70% Database Administrators 97 7 $31.47 +6.19% Web Developers 73 8 $19.02 +27.40% Computer Network Support

Computer Network Architects 54 4 $35.10 +7.41% Information Security Analysts 46 4 $35.80 +15.22%

Top 10 Employers

The top 10 employers posting the highest number of jobs are as follows:

2 Mantech International Corporation

3 Imagine One, LLC

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4 International Business Machines Corporation

5 AFLAC Incorporated

6 Ideal Innovations Incorporated

8 United States Government

9 Hewlett-Packard Company

There were 14 regional institutions who had completions in the last 14 years in Computer Science In 2016, there were 97 regional program completions against a total of 843 annual job openings Of the 97 completions, 19.6% were at a master’s level, and 63.9% were at a bachelor’s level

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At a master’s level, there was only 1 regional institution, West Virginia University, that had completions in the last 14 years in CIP Code 11.0701 Computer Science In 2016, they graduated 19 students against annual job openings of 156

Regionally there were 6 similar programs that graduated an additional 156 students at a

master’s level They are as follows:

Sciences, General Marshall University Master’s degree 17 11.0401 Information Science/Studies Marshall

University Master’s degree 11 11.0401 Information Science/Studies Strayer

University-West Virginia

Master’s degree 1

Systems Security/Information

Assurance

American Public University System Master’s degree 101

14.0903 Computer Software Engineering West Virginia

University Master’s degree 16 51.2706 Medical Informatics Marshall

University Master’s degree 10

The occupational market demand for Computer Science professionals holding a master’s degree

in West Virginia is projected to grow by 10.6%, which is slightly below the national growth rate

of 13.8%

The table below details the target occupations that are projected to grow between 2017-2027

Earnings

Growth (2017-2027)

Software Developers,

Applications 339 32 $39.54 +23.01%

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Earnings

Growth (2017-2027)

Software Developers, Systems

Software

210 18 $34.17 +16.19%

Computer and Information

Systems Managers 204 19 $54.75 +13.73% Computer User Support

Specialists 196 16 $21.12 +7.14% Web Developers 73 8 $19.02 +27.40 Computer Network Support

Specialists

54 4 $35.10 +7.41% Information Security analysts 46 4 $35.80 +15.22

Top 10 Employers

The top 10 employers posting the highest number of jobs are as follows:

1 International Business Machines Corporation

3 Mantech International Corporation

4 American Express Company

5 The Mitre Corporation

6 Sra International, Inc

9 Key Technology, Inc

10 Sirius Computer Solutions, Inc

There were 3 regional institutions who had completions in the last 14 years in Computer Engineering In 2016, there were 58 regional program completions against a total of 306 annual job openings Of the 58 completions, 27.6% were at a master’s level, and 72.4% were at a bachelor’s level

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At a master’s level, there were no regional institutions who had completions in CIP Code 14.0901 Computer Engineering, General However, there were 20 similar programs that graduated an additional 304 students at a master’s level They are as follows:

CIP

04.0201 Architecture Fairmont State University Master’

degree

1

04.0601 Landscape Architecture West Virginia University Master’s

degree 1 11.0101 Computer and Information

Sciences, General Marshall University Master’s degree 17 11.0401 Information Science/Studies Marshall University Master’s

1 11.0701 Computer Science West Virginia University Master’s

degree 19

Tiêu đề	Analysis of Market and Program Demand
Trường học	Fairmont University
Thể loại	report
Năm xuất bản	2017

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Số trang	36
Dung lượng	2,42 MB