Purdue Indianapolis launching new academic programs to fill workforce needs

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Purdue University in Indianapolis is launching new academic programs to help meet the workforce needs of the city and state of Indiana.

Leveraging strengths, meeting workforce demands

With these new programs rooted in science, technology, engineering, and math, Purdue is leveraging some of the city’s and state’s biggest strengths, such as manufacturing, radiopharmaceuticals, construction, hospitality, technology, and sports, to “fulfill the demands of a growing local economy and start graduates on career paths right here in Indiana,” according to a news release.

“We are being intentional with our academic offerings because creating a qualified workforce in these in-demand fields benefits everyone,” said David Umulis, Purdue’s senior vice provost for Indianapolis. “It helps our students hit the ground running in their career pursuits, it gives local business and industry partners ready access to qualified workers, and it benefits our city and state leaders by keeping talent within Indiana’s borders.”

Program highlights

A well-rounded array of offerings — stemming from the College of Engineering, College of Health and Human Sciences, College of Pharmacy, College of Science, Purdue Polytechnic Institute, and the Mitch Daniels School of Business — will launch over the next two academic years. Many of the programs will be built upon key partnerships with industry leaders in Indianapolis.

Purdue is launching a radiopharmaceutical manufacturing graduate program with Indianapolis-based industry leader SpectronRx. This strategic partnership will enable faster movement from discovery to impact in a field where Indiana has emerged as a national leader, as the state was recently recognized as the Radiopharmaceutical Capital of the World.

Sports are a multibillion-dollar industry in Indianapolis, which is home to dozens of teams, organizations, and major sporting events, and Purdue is leaning into that strength with graduate programs in both sport management and sports engineering. The sports engineering program will be instructed alongside motorsports engineering at the Dallara IndyCar Factory in nearby Speedway, just steps from the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Sports also feed a robust tourism economy in central Indiana, and Purdue will launch its hospitality and tourism management program in Indianapolis next year.

Purdue’s integrated business and engineering program will bridge the gap between the two fields, better preparing graduates to make business decisions grounded in technology, engineering, and math.

For a metropolis with nearly $5 billion in the development pipeline, a critical need has emerged in Indianapolis for leadership and management expertise in the construction industry. Purdue is filling that void with the formal launch of the construction management technology program.

Programs launching for Indianapolis in 2025-26

• Bachelor of Science in actuarial science
• Bachelor of Science in integrated business and engineering
• Certificate in entrepreneurship and innovation
• Cornerstone certificate
• Master of Science in interdisciplinary engineering — sports engineering concentration
• Master of Science in Radiopharmaceutical Manufacturing
• Master of Science in Software Engineering

Programs launching for Indianapolis in 2026-27

• Bachelor of Science in construction management technology
• Bachelor of Science in hospitality and tourism management
• Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering
• Bachelor of Science in multidisciplinary technology
• Master of Business and Technology
• Master of Science in Civil Engineering — concentration in construction engineering and business
• Master of Science in Civil Engineering — concentration in smart cities and urban informatics 
• Master of Science in Sport Management

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