About
Areas of Excellence
The University of Louisiana System, one of the largest public systems of higher education in the nation, has identified five Areas of Excellence at Louisiana Tech.
An extensive and growing research unit boasting an entrepreneurial edge offers a wide learning foundation for the Doctor of Business Administration degree (D.B.A.) in the College of Business. The College of Business has a long-standing tradition of excellence, demonstrated by its 50-plus years of accreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International). Over the past six years, the College of Business has achieved remarkable enrollment growth with a 44 percent increase in graduate and undergraduate students. Tremendous interdisciplinary activities such as the Center for Entrepreneurship and Information Technology (CEnIT) are stimulating research and strategic partnerships with businesses in Louisiana and around the country.
The Institute for Micromanufacturing (IfM) is an integrated nanomanufacturing and micromanufacturing center, dedicated to micro/nano scale technologies and systems research, education, and commercialization. IfM is a world-class resource for the realization of commercially viable micro- and nanosystems, contributing to the economic infrastructure of Louisiana and the nation and benefiting humanity as a whole. The IfM consists of three components, totaling 65,000 sq. ft. of user facilities – the R & D facility at Louisiana Tech in Ruston; the X-ray beam lines and lithography processing facility at the Center for Advanced Microstructures and Devices (CAMD) in Baton Rouge, LA; and the Technology Transfer Center in the Shreve Industrial Park in Shreveport, LA. The R & D facility is housed in a modern 41,000 sq. ft. building that includes 20,000 sq. ft. of environmentally controlled laboratories, including 5,000 sq. ft. of modular clean rooms. These facilities provide a full suite of micro- and nanomanufacturing capabilities, a comprehensive set of measurement and characterization tools, as well as modeling and simulation software.
The Center for Applied Physics Studies (CAPS) was founded in 1997 at Louisiana Tech University to be a link between physics and the applied sciences. The mission of CAPS is to provide a world-class, integrated engineering and physics educational and research environment, creating opportunities for interdisciplinary studies, sharing of resources, and transfer of technology from basic science to engineering applications. The CAPS multidisciplinary research and education program combines the strengths of researchers and students from physics, biomedical engineering, electrical, mechanical and civil engineering.
The major research efforts of CAPS currently span the areas of nuclear and particle physics, numerical electrodynamics, acoustics and elastodynamics. It includes a broad range of experimental simulations and instrumentation. The research program includes a complete range of the scientific responsibilities from detector development, computer software development, data analysis and theoretical interpretation of the results. CAPS received funding from agencies such as the NSF, DoE, EPSCOR, NASA, LaSpace, LaBOR, and private companies.
The Center for Biomedical Engineering and Rehabilitation Science (CBERS) is located in a donated former hospital close to the main campus. This four-story, 22,000-square-foot complex contains classrooms, research and service laboratories, offices, and support facilities. The center’s research initiatives range from cardiopulmonary support systems and micro biomedical devices to technology-based services for people with disabilities.
The area of Creative Arts and the Humanities focuses on the tools of communication and expression that help shape the world around us. The School of Design (offering the B.F.A. and M.F.A. in communication design, photography and studio art), the School of the Performing Arts, and the School of Literature and Languages enrich the entire academic community through the Louisiana Tech Concert Association, the University Gallery, the Stone Theatre, and the Band of Pride, the annual stage combat workshop, The Tech Talk and classes in creative writing, dance, photography, ceramics, and graphic design.