New Majors to Start in the Fall of 2018

BY LYDIA WIGHT

Sacred Heart University is continuing its expansion efforts with the addition of two new majors: Computer Engineering and Hospitality, Resort and Tourism Management.

The addition of these two majors follows the acquisition of the former General Electric headquarters and its development into Sacred Heart’s new West Campus.

“By adding new majors we are capturing the attention of prospective students,” said senior Lauren Petrozzi, who is also a Student Ambassador. “This is important because we are having more and more students choose SHU. SHU is rapidly expanding both by physical size and by population.”

The new computer engineering program will fall under the School of Computing in the College of Arts and Sciences. The program will prepare students for careers in hardware and software development, telecommunications, aviation, healthcare, and the automotive industry.

The new computer labs will be located in the new West Campus, which is set to open in Fall 2018. It will include tools for students such as laser cutters, 3D printers, and electronics. The lab has been modeled after Yale’s own computer lab.

Sacred Heart is also partnering with Rochester Polytechnic Institute and Columbia University to allow a dual degree opportunity for students. The partnership gives students the opportunity to obtain their liberal arts degree from Sacred Heart University and their engineering graduate degree from one of the partner schools.

On the management front, Sacred Heart is set to offer a bachelor’s degree in hospitality, resort and tourism management under the Jack Welch College of Business. According to the Sacred Heart University website, the program’s first semester will begin in Fall 2018.

“I think the new programs are an awesome way of bringing an even more diverse group of students to campus,” said senior Brooke Lopez. “As a senior, I’ve watched our school expand greatly over the last three years. I’m so excited to come back and see how much it continues to expand in the next 10 years.”

The new hospitality program gives students a core background in business, while allowing them to choose between three specializations: revenue, pricing, and data analytics management, tourism management, and hotel, resort and club management.

Falling only behind the size of the federal government, the hospitality industry is the second largest employer in the United States, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This industry covers a broad spectrum of businesses including lodging, travel agencies, theme parks, airlines, restaurants, cruise lines, clubs and resorts, and more.

The program will provide industry-related experiential learning. The degree will teach students practical application of theoretical data, pricing and revenue, and applying analytic concepts to current tourism, hospitality, and corporate real estate.

Internship opportunities will be offered at the Great River Golf Course in Milford and Sacred Heart University’s West Campus, the former General Electric Headquarters. Hospitality students will also have the opportunity to study abroad at Sacred Heart’s sister campus in Dingle, Ireland.

“Each and every year there is something new to see or talk about,” said Petrozzi. “By demonstrating growth to prospective families, this shows that SHU truly cares about accommodating its students and faculty as well as having the best services possible.”

About the author

Leave a Reply