Earn a four-year degree locally that's recognized globally.
At Penn State Berks, students have the best of both worlds: a close-knit campus community with all the opportunities of a major research institution. The college offers 21 four-year degrees, most of which feature degree options for further specialization.
Complement your four-year degree with one of our four associate degrees, dozens of minors, or a certificate to customize your education and create the future you dream about—all at a campus close to home.
You can also pursue one of Penn State's 275+ majors in the University's 2+2 degree plan, where you begin the first two years of a four-year degree at one campus and complete your program at another, including University Park.
Baccalaureate degrees at Penn State Berks
The Accounting degree program helps students prepare for careers in auditing and public accounting, industrial and managerial accounting, and in governmental and not-for-profit accounting. The AACSB-accredited program offers a wide variety of opportunities in accounting, business, finance, and data analytics. Courses cover topics such as financial accounting, managerial accounting, advanced financial accounting theory, auditing, and taxation principles.
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (B.S.)
The Biochemistry & Molecular Biology degree program applies the basic principles of chemistry and physics to the study of living cells and their components to explain biology at molecular, genetic, and cellular levels. Students will develop a strong foundation in quantitative and analytical biological sciences, including molecular biology, biochemistry, enzymology, metabolism, cell biology, and molecular genetics. Degree options include:
- Biochemistry
- Molecular Biology
The Biology degree is designed to educate students about the world of living things through a broad biology curriculum. All students in the major will take courses in introductory biology, ecology, cell and molecular biology and animal/plant physiology. This degree prepares students for work in fields including parks and recreation, laboratories, and pharmaceuticals, and also provides the prerequisite coursework for a variety of professional schools including medical and veterinary. The degree also prepares students for graduate study in a variety of biological disciplines. Degree options include:
- General Biology
- Genetics and Developmental Biology
The Business degree is a professionally-oriented program that combines the theoretical underpinnings of core business disciplines, notably management, marketing, finance, and supply chain management, with applied study in a practical setting. The program prepares students for careers in accounting, financial services, banking, insurance, business management, and marketing. Students complete basic and intermediate core business courses including accounting, economics, management information systems, marketing, business logistics, and finance. Degree options include:
- Accounting
- Business Analytics
- Entrepreneurship
- Financial Services
- Individualized Study
- Marketing/Management
Communication Arts and Sciences (B.A.)
Through studying human communication and the role it plays in diverse interpersonal, organizational, public, and intercultural settings, students in the Communications Arts and Science (CAS) degree program cultivate their oral and written communication, problem-solving, critical thinking, and leadership skills.
Students in the criminal justice degree program learn about each of the three main components of the criminal justice system and their interrelationships; are able to evaluate critically both current and future crime control policy proposals and criminal justice research; and understand the complexity of the crime phenomenon and its relationship to individual, social, and cultural factors. This major includes study in law enforcement, courts and corrections individually and as components of a system, plus work in theories of crime causation, and crime control policy.
The B.A. in Criminal Justice provides a broadly based liberal arts background for the study of crime, justice and the criminal justice system. The B.S. in Criminal Justice offers an opportunity for educational enrichment in fields not traditionally considered part of the liberal arts. Either degree is excellent preparation for a career in criminal justice, graduate, or professional study, or informed citizenship.
Cybersecurity Analytics and Operations (B.S.)
The Cybersecurity Analytics and Operations degree is an interdisciplinary program that prepares students for careers as cybersecurity professionals. It educates students on the essential concepts of cyber-defense and the analytical fundamentals of cybersecurity, with a focus on the analytical and risk management underpinnings and associated cyber-defense techniques and strategies for ensuring the safety of online information stored in large and heterogeneous networks that are embedded within and across the complex socio-technical infrastructures that are pervasive in today's business, government and military organizations.
Electro-Mechanical Engineering Technology (B.S.)
The Electro-Mechanical Engineering Technology degree prepares students for careers as electro-mechanical engineering technologists. The program emphasizes a breadth of knowledge in all fields of engineering technology related to typical, highly-automated manufacturing, production, or assembly plant processes. Basic coverage is provided in all major areas to technology involved in the operation and control of manufacturing and production processes, including instrumentation and monitoring methods, principles of machine design, automated control techniques, thermal and fluid sciences, computerized manufacturing systems, principles of electrical and electronic circuit operation, computer-aided drafting and design, economics of production, and statistical analysis and quality control.
Elementary and Early Childhood Education (B.S.)
The Elementary and Early Childhood Education degree prepares candidates to teach all content areas in Pre-Kindergarten through grade 4 (PK-4). Coursework explores elementary and early childhood learning environments, child development, and field experiences in grades PK-4 classrooms, as well as content and teaching methods courses specific to teaching language and literacy, mathematics, science, and social studies. Graduates of this major meet all coursework and field experience requirements for the PK-4 Instructional I Certificate issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Education.
The Global Studies degree features both active and collaborative classroom experiences in addition to intensive study abroad/internship experiences. The program is designed for students who wish to develop a set of analytical and interpersonal skills that will prepare them for entry-level employment in a wide range of government and non-profit organizations and agencies and in businesses and industry. This program differs most notably from traditional majors in international/global studies by requiring core courses in world literature and intercultural communication, while retaining the traditional foreign language, history, and political science emphasis of most other programs. Study abroad and an internship with an international organization are also important features of this degree.
The hospitality industry is a major economic driver in the Berks County area, and the Hospitality Management degree program is offered in response to demand for graduates with degrees in the hospitality industry. Penn State Berks is the only campus outside University Park to offer this degree program with the Entrepreneurship option.
Students who choose the Information Technology program are interested in a challenging and rewarding career in a field relevant to a multitude of industries. This degree has been designed to offer both broad organizational problem-solving skills and in-depth knowledge in current in-demand technical skills. Using technology to leverage organizational resources and address organizational challenges are at the forefront of the program. Coursework explores cybersecurity, databases, computer programming, project management, security and risk analysis, networking, web design and development, application development, and systems analysis. Degree options include:
- Application Development
- Business Applications
- Custom Information Technology
- Cybersecurity
- Security and Risk Analysis
The Integrative Science degree provides a broad education in the sciences. This degree allows students flexibility in choosing upper-level coursework that can be tailored to long-term goals, allowing students to focus on physics, chemistry, and mathematics, or on the biology of the human body. Both options provide student with a strong foundation in all scientific areas: biology, chemistry, mathematics, and physics. Degree options include:
- General Science
- Life Sciences
The Kinesiology degree seeks to provide students with an interest in professions related to health and fitness with practical skills well-grounded in theory and scientific knowledge. The faculty in the department are dedicated to creating an active learning atmosphere, giving students access to high quality courses, developing an environment for growing applied skills, providing opportunities for novel research, and sharing connections to a network of businesses and clinics for internships and job placement. Degree options include:
- Exercise Science
Mechanical engineering is one of the largest and broadest engineering disciplines, involving the study of mechanics, fluid/thermal systems, and system dynamics. Built on a foundation of physics, chemistry, and mathematics, the ABET-accredited Mechanical Engineering program at Penn State Berks includes both a strong design emphasis and hands-on laboratory experience. Students learn to use scientific and engineering methods to devise useful products that are safe, reliable, and cost effective.
Organizational Leadership (B.S.)
The Organizational Leadership program provides a well-rounded liberal arts education with a special focus on the complex social, cultural, and organizational issues that confront organizational leaders in the world. The degree is developed specifically for adult students interested in expanding their professional horizons, enabling them to lead others effectively in any industry.
Psychology is the scientific study of thought, behavior, and experience. As a profession, psychology is related to fields such as health, education, marketing, human resources, social work, and more. In the Psychology degree, students develop information and computer competence, communication skills, and realistic ideas about how to implement their psychology education in occupational pursuits in various settings.
The B.A. in Psychology incorporates a broad exposure to the many facets of the field, in addition to a strong liberal arts foundation. The B.S. in Psychology provides the same exposure to the field of psychology and adds options in science and business to prepare students for more specific career directions.
Security and Risk Analysis (B.S.)
Identity theft, natural disasters, and transnational terrorism — the headline threats of our time – require problem solvers with the broad skills and knowledge to meet these challenges. The Security and Risk Analysis degree helps put students on the front line in meeting threats to national security, responding to emergencies, and protecting vital knowledge. This major is offered with the Information and Cybersecurity option, which will help students to build an understanding of network security, cyber-threat defense, information warfare, and critical infrastructure protection across multiple venues.
Writing and Digital Media (B.A.)
The Writing and Digital Media degree prepares students to write and communicate effectively in a variety of workplace and academic settings. Today’s professionals need to be adept in creating print-based and electronic forms of writing, and this program gives them the ability to communicate in a range of genres, including traditional media as well as digital and multimedia.