University Senate approved implementing a new materials science comprehensive major and a Middle East Studies minor Tuesday at the governing body's bi-weekly meeting.
Senate also approved a readjustment of the Geography department and approved renaming several emphases within that department.
The proposed comprehensive science major must still get approval from the UW System Administration and the Board of Regents, but Sen. Robert Hollon, a science education professor and chairperson of the Senate committee that recommended approving the new major, said he is confident the Board will give its approval.
"The Board of Regents is pretty responsive to things like this," Hollon said. "I would be very surprised if anything held it up at this point."
The materials science field studies compositions of solids and some liquids, said Marcus McEllistrem, an associate chemistry professor who has worked on developing the new major. Materials science also encompasses the fields of nanotechnology and nanoscience.
"I think one of the main benefits of the major is that it's an interdisciplinary major between predominantly chemistry and physics, but also geology (and) biology," McEllistrem said, "so the major offers opportunities for students and faculty in those departments to interact in a way that they haven't normally done."
If the new major does receive Board approval, Hollon said he expects the program will be included in the university's catalogue as early as next year.
The Middle East Studies minor will be based in the foreign languages department