January 2022: Responding to tech industry needs
The first priority in Memorial’s new strategic plan, Transforming Our Horizons, is proactive programs with the aim of building global citizens for tomorrow’s needs. Our most recently announced program offerings do precisely that.
Beginning in September 2022, Memorial University will offer new computer software engineering, artificial intelligence and data science master’s degree programs. These 12- to 16-month programs will allow graduate students to build on their existing skills and specialize in areas of high demand in the tech industry.
At full capacity, the programs will provide up to 85 highly skilled graduate level professionals per year to meet a growing demand across technology sectors in Newfoundland and Labrador, particularly in the high-tech industry. This nearly doubles the number of master's graduates in these fields at Memorial.
Our faculties of Science, and Engineering and Applied Science, are uniquely positioned to bring academic expertise, a wealth of research experience and a unique understanding of the province’s industry needs to support important areas of our economy like the high-tech sector.
These courses are building on Memorial’s existing strengths.
In fact, at our recent Alumni Tribute Awards, Jamie King, co-founder of Verafin and co-recipient of Memorial's Luminus Award, noted that 600 of their 800 employees are from a single university — Memorial University — and that he doesn’t think there’s another company in the world that can say that.
It was Memorial graduates who helped build Verafin to the level of success it enjoys today.
The new programs announced this month will help companies like Verafin find the highly skilled graduates they need to continue building on their success.
Over the past five years, the number of graduates from Memorial’s undergraduate computer science and computer engineering programs have seen continued growth, nearly tripling in that period of time. In addition, Memorial’s Fisheries and Marine Institute has been a leading innovator in technology education and training through its diploma, undergraduate and graduate degrees in ocean technology and technology management.
Last fall, a CBC documentary referred to Newfoundland and Labrador as “silicon island” and the “real opportunity on [our] horizon.” Graduates of the new master's programs, and others, such as our new undergraduate mechatronics engineering program, will be ready to lead and facilitate innovation and commercialization opportunities for the province and the world.
More information on the new master's programs will be available on our website in the coming weeks.
Finally, I want to mention that today we welcomed students back to campus in scenarios where it is safe to do so. The health and safety of our community is our priority.
We have been working very closely with Public Health since the beginning of the pandemic. All major decisions have been informed by its input and general guidance. Nearly two years into the pandemic, it is imperative that we do everything we can to provide students with fulfilling in-person learning opportunities on all our campuses to meet educational outcomes.
We have put many health and safety controls in place and made some adjustments to our academic procedures to help support students, faculty and staff. If you are interested in learning more, please visit Memorial’s COVID-19 website.