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BEND - The Oregon State University-Cascades Campus has received a new $163,000 grant from the U.S. Office of Education that will allow it to create a degree option in international business beginning in fall, 2003.

The new program will build upon a business curriculum that is becoming one of the academic strengths of OSU-Cascades, educators say, and will make a good complement to a degree in international ecotourism that is being developed with a separate federal grant.

"This is one of only 30 grants of its type made this year in the nation," said Jack Van de Water, director of international programs at OSU-Cascades. "Both of these federal grants will emphasize cooperation with the Central Oregon tourism industry, which is one of the region's leading areas of economic growth."

The new program will be developed in cooperation with the Economic Development for Central Oregon, or EDCO program, and a partner university in Bad Mergentheim, Germany. Students will have exchange and international internship opportunities in several countries. An international tourism conference will also be planned in cooperation with business leaders in the Bend area, in an effort to highlight the many tourism opportunities throughout Oregon.

Prospective students who would like to find out more about the new program and course offerings can contact Van de Water via e-mail, at jack.vandewater@orst.edu.

The OSU-Cascades Campus is growing rapidly, said Jay Casbon, campus executive officer. New degree and program opportunities such as this will help to serve the educational needs of the region, boost the local economy and are a key to the continued growth of the campus, he said.