Algonquin innovates with new programs that will bring unique opportunities  

The past two years have presented many challenges that have changed industries across the globe. As part of this shift, Algonquin is introducing new programs that will offer unique opportunities to students in Canada.

Degrees launching in Fall 2022

Bachelor of Culinary Arts and Food Science (Honours)

This new program will combine food and science, and it is the first of its kind in Ontario. It’s not only about teaching people advanced skills in cooking and baking, but also teaching them food science and food safety.

 “Students will start the program by being introduced to food science, microbiology, culinary arts fundamentals, chemistry and physics. Then continue to develop the link of food safety, food operations, food chemistry, and nutrition, says the program coordinator David Fairbanks.

For Fairbanks, the new program comes at a great time in a sector that continually addresses opportunities, challenges and innovations.

“There is a growing demand and opportunity for our students to engage with and contribute to food product research, processing and development. With the college resources and the diverse agricultural, food service, and food development and processing sector resources that can be found locally, it was an excellent fit to offer the program here,” says Fairbanks.

Bachelor of Business Administration (Trades Management) (Honours)

The four-year business degree will focus on skilled trades and will be offered through a partnership between three colleges in Ontario: Algonquin College, George Brown and Mohawk College.

This new program will be the first-of-its-kind with all instruction being provided remotely and virtually. The degree is intended for people working in the skilled trades sector who are looking to grow their own businesses, take on greater responsibilities in their current work environments, or pursue management careers in medium-to-large organizations.

The online Bachelor of Business Administration (Trades Management) degree will concentrate on business administration, managerial skills, accounting, project management, leadership, marketing, communication and applied research competencies. This theoretical instruction will be combined with 420 hours of structured work experiences (or equivalent), for which students receive credit.

Upon completion, graduates should be able to manage and employ human resources, marketing, finance and accounting aspects of skilled trades business operations, as well as conducting research, executing strategic plans, assessing risk and foster healthy workforce and business growth.

Bachelor of Science (Building Science) (Honours) 

This program is the only Building Science program offered at the Bachelor level in Canada. During the four years of study, students will learn all about how buildings are designed, built, operated and maintained.

For the Program Coordinator Stephen Vardy, the new program offers a unique opportunity for students in Canada. “It fills a large void for an industry that is in need of skilled graduates and prepares students for career opportunities in a wide range of fields related to buildings.”

Some of the skills students will learn in the program include learning how to create a computer model to understand energy performance of a building, designing strategies for energy efficient buildings, learning how to design, constructing and testing building envelopes and much more.

  Students graduating from the program may work in architects’ offices, engineering firms, contracting companies and government agencies and departments as researchers, junior analysts, project officers, building specialists, technical staff, architectural and construction project team leaders and consultants.

Vardy emphasizes that the program content has been chosen with everything the industry is looking for.

“Our industry partners were heavily involved in the program revisions, ensuring our graduates are best suited to meet the needs of an exciting and rapidly evolving industry.”

Degrees Coming soon

Bachelor of Commerce (Strategic Human Resources Management) (Honours)

This new degree is one of the limited Human Resources Management programs offered across Ontario. Program Coordinator Carol Ann Samhaber said that human resource management is an in-demand profession and the degree opportunities in the province are still limited.

“This program, among the suite of our human resource management programs, will ensure students have ample academic choices.”

For Samhaber, human resource management professionals are essential for the success of an organization. The new program will teach students how to consider human resource management through a strategic and organizational wide lens.

“This degree will move students through an HRM business model, stimulations and artificial intelligence, and IT sandboxes to acquire HRM knowledge and skills to be industry-ready,” said Samhaber.

This profession is changing as we see shifts happening inside workplaces, and the program curriculum was created taking those changes into consideration.

“Students will explore the importance of managing human capital in the remote employment and COVID workplace contexts,” said Samhaber.

Graduates of this program will have the opportunity to work as coordinators, generalists or in any specializations inside human resource management.

Bachelor of Event, Sport and Entertainment Management (Honours)

This four-year program will be one of the only dedicated Event Degrees in Canada. Students will get to learn how to create design and execute multi-faceted events. “Event programming topics will include Sports, Concerts, Expositions, Government, Conference, Corporate, Non-Profit and Special Events,” says the Program Coordinator Sylvia Densmore. Global event trends, sustainable and green events will also be part of the curriculum.

For Densmore, the new program will fill an identified gap in the Canadian event industry. Something unique about the program is that students will have a variety of work-integrated learning experiences such as two paid event co-placements.

  “As communities emerge from the pandemic, they will utilize event tourism as a destination marketing tool to attract visitors and boost their economies. Graduates of this program will be uniquely positioned for this challenge,” says Densmore.

Students who take this program will be ready to work in the tourism industry, government sectors, sports organizations, the entertainment and arts sector and much more.

“The combination of academic excellence and experiential learning offered at Algonquin College will ensure graduates are ready to jump into a career in the explosive event industry,” says Densmore.