Canadian University Dubai plans 47 new majors to meet market needs

Dubai: Canadian University Dubai (CUD) is set to launch a number of new majors as part of a new strategic direction to align the university's continuing growth with the emerging needs of the local, regional and global labour market, to mark the tenth year of operations.
The University Board and Senate have ratified a comprehensive plan to introduce 47 new majors that will address the demand for skilled professionals in a wide range of growing business sectors, including tourism and hospitality, digital media, public health and sustainable design.
The new programmes, which have been developed following an analysis of emerging business and economic trends, are being designed in collaboration with industry representatives, as well as the university's partner institutions in Canada.
Each of the new majors will go through the Ministry of Education - Higher Education Affairs accreditation process and will be introduced in phases, with the first new degrees to be launched in the Fall 2016 semester.
The first wave of new undergraduate programmes will include majors in the growing healthcare sector, such as Health Informatics and Epidemiology. New engineering majors will include Network Security, Software Engineering and Game Development, Mechatronics and Electronics.
New Bachelor of Arts programmes will include Advertising and Design, and Digital Media and Journalism, while in the business school, majors will be available in Operations and Supply Chain Management, Travel, Tourism and Event Management, and Forensic Accounting. An Executive MBA and a Master in International Trade will be introduced at graduate level.
In the second wave of programmes that will be offered from 2017, there will be a host of new majors in the arts, including Media Production, Video and Film Production, Sport Media, Media Design and Art, Performing Arts, Arts in Education and Humanitarian Aid & Relief. Other new Bachelor Degrees will include a BS in Nutrition and Dietetics, a BS in Smart Cities/Systems and a BBA in Luxury Marketing.
At graduate level, 2017 will see the introduction of programmes in Sport Sciences, Sport Administration, Public Health, Construction Management, Design Management, and Architecture, with majors in Sustainable Planning, Sustainable Design, and Sustainable Interior Design. The University's MBA programme will also be extended to include concentrations in Project Management, Supply Chain Management, Health Management, and IT Governance.
Speaking about the plans, University Chancellor, Buti Saeed Al Ghandi, said: "With the introduction of these new programmes we aim to extend the University's undergraduate degree portfolio and also to build upon our existing flagship MBA programme with a broader range of graduate study options."