Carleton University will launch five new programs in fall 2025, with the goal of ensuring its program offerings meet the demands of today’s growing industries.
The undergraduate programs span a wide range of disciplines. The university will now offer bachelor degrees in nursing, cybersecurity, data science, mechatronics and accounting.
Nursing
The university and Ontario Premier Doug Ford officially announced Carleton’s new bachelor of nursing program on Nov. 5. The condensed three-year program is the first nursing degree to launch in Ontario in 20 years.
Carleton is looking to “address a big societal need” through the program, Maria DeRosa, the dean of the Faculty of Science, told the Charlatan.
Ontario is facing a “critical nursing shortage,” according to the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario.
Training in the new program will include hands-on experience in clinical placements, practice in prescribing medications and learning through virtual and extended reality technologies. Students will work in simulation labs to practice their skills on mannequins, including ones that simulate birthing.
“Challenges look different, technology looks different,” DeRosa said. “The nurse of the future needs a new way to train.”
An option for a concentration in data science will have students looking at how to revolutionize health care using AI.
“We’re trying to build the nurse that is on the forefront of new technology,” DeRosa added.
Cybersecurity
The Faculty of Science will offer the bachelor of cybersecurity program.
“There’s a huge societal need for experts in cybersecurity,” DeRosa said. “There will be a need for [cybersecurity experts] in all industries as technology develops.”
With internet reliance increasing, the issue of cybersecurity “is not a problem that’s going away,” DeRosa said.
Students in the program will obtain real-world experience by working with tech companies while earning their degree after just their first year of study, DeRosa said.
By offering more programs with a tech focus, DeRosa said she believes Carleton is “bridging the gap into employment.”
Data science
The Faculty of Science’s bachelor of data science program will focus on the growing fields of AI and data analytics. The program was developed following conversations with Statistics Canada, DeRosa said.
“[Statistics Canada] needs people at the undergrad level who have a great understanding of data science who could then be experts,” DeRosa said.
DeRosa said the program is unique, as it blends math, stats and computer science while allowing students to explore how they want to apply their degree.
The program is built so students can add a minor and become a subject matter expert on a topic of their choice.
“Everybody is using data to inform decisions,” DeRosa said. “The sky’s the limit for data science jobs.”
Mechatronics
The Faculty of Engineering and Design at Carleton will launch a bachelor of mechatronics program, which combines mechanical and electrical engineering.
The new program will educate students on “fundamental knowledge and skills in both domains” so they can create designs with electrical and mechanical components, said mechatronics professor Jie Liu.
There is a demand for well-rounded students educated in both domains, Liu said.
“Mechatronics is not a new program, but new things are being integrated,” Liu said. “Now we have computer engineering, we have AI. More things are getting woven in as the technology advances.”
Accounting
Changes in the finance industry inspired the creation of the bachelor of accounting in the Sprott School of Business, said Sprott associate dean Rebecca Renfroe.
After many partners and senior managers retired during the COVID-19 pandemic, Renfroe said the industry has a “desperate need” for accountants.
“Looking at our co-op placements, there are more jobs than there are students,” Renfroe said.
While AI is replacing data entry work, Renfroe said accountants are still needed to verify the information, and they can give small or mid-sized business comfort that AI can’t.
“Advising is never going away,” she said.
After Chartered Professional Accountants Canada changed its competency map to include fewer requirements for university accounting programs, Renfroe said Sprott decided its students should know much more than what is necessary.
She added the new accounting program is tailored specifically to students who want to become certified professional accountants, and students in the program will gain practical work experience.
“Students are excited,” Renfroe said. “I think we’ll become known as, ‘If you want to become [an accountant], you go to Sprott.’”
Featured graphic by Alisha Velji.
