Daily News

American International College Launches New Programs to Meet Workforce Needs

SPRINGFIELD — The School of Business, Arts, and Sciences at American International College (AIC) has begun recruiting students for three new academic degree programs designed to prepare students for fields in high demand. Launching in the fall of 2023, these new offerings expand AIC’s academic portfolio of more than 40 interdisciplinary programs grounded in the liberal arts.

AIC’s new cybersecurity program will equip students with the technical and business knowledge needed to secure high-paying and growing jobs in this field. Students will assess modern cybersecurity challenges threatening privacy, security, and safety and gain the knowledge and hands-on technical skills to protect digital assets from cybercriminals. Cybersecurity is an ideal degree for people who want to work in a future-focused field with a high earning potential. And with 33% job growth by 2030, opportunities continue to grow.

The new bachelor’s degree in public administration program at AIC was developed to provide students with the necessary knowledge and skills to succeed in public-sector roles. This program emphasizes experiential learning, with projects in government administration, public health, social science, history, and more. Public administration is a field for those who want to enact change in their communities and beyond. With more than half of all federal workers nearing retirement age, demand for fresh talent is set to skyrocket in the coming years.

The esports and gaming administration program at AIC offers a business degree with a gaming-industry specialization, providing business fundamentals that will last a lifetime. This program addresses the greatest needs in the esports and gaming industry, identified through interviews with major companies, including Capcom and Riot. AIC’s coursework will provide students with the necessary context for understanding the games industry and a basic understanding of how technology-based companies get things done. Between 2018 and 2019, the number of jobs in esports nearly doubled, growing a staggering 85%.

“We are pleased to expand the college’s academic program offerings with new degree pathways that will lead to in-demand careers for our students,” AIC Interim Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Michael Dodge said. “Additionally, these three new programs will help to realize the college’s strategic plan, ‘AIC Reimagined,’ that charts an ambitious course forward.”

AIC is partnering with the Lower Cost Models Consortium (LCMC) and Rize Education to offer these programs with approximately 80% of the coursework on-campus and the remaining 20% in an online environment. The LCMC is a strategic partnership of private colleges and universities collaborating with Rize Education to provide access to a cutting-edge curriculum that prepares students for successful careers.