Roger Williams University Launches 9 New Academic Programs and Pathways for Fall 2026

BRISTOL, R.I. – Roger Williams University is expanding its academic offerings for Fall 2026 with nine new programs and pathways that give students more ways to connect their interests with career preparation, hands-on learning, and advanced study.

The additions include new majors in Human Resource Management and Information Technology, a new Pre-Athletic Training advising track, and six accelerated bachelor’s/master’s pathways in Cybersecurity, Mathematics Education, Preservation Practices, Real Estate, Special Education, and STEM Education.

“At Roger Williams University, we prepare students to become changemakers who build meaningful careers and use their knowledge and experiences to make a difference,” said Interim President Brian Williams. “These new programs and pathways expand opportunities for students to create powerful combinations across disciplines, connect their education to emerging professions, and pursue advanced study. By continuing to evolve our academic offerings, we are preparing graduates with the adaptability, confidence, and purpose to lead through change and help shape what comes next.”

Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Margaret Everett said the additions also build on RWU’s ability to connect students with opportunities across undergraduate, professional, and graduate education.

“RWU’s strength as a comprehensive university is our ability to create connected pathways that help students move from undergraduate study into professional and graduate opportunities,” Everett said. “These new majors, advising track, and accelerated programs give students more ways to personalize their education, build expertise across disciplines, and continue their academic journey at RWU with greater momentum and purpose.”

What’s New at RWU for Fall 2026

New Majors

• Human Resource Management
• Information Technology

New Pre-Professional Advising Track

• Pre-Athletic Training

New Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s Programs

• Cybersecurity 4+1
• Mathematics Education 4+1
• Preservation Practices 4+1
• Real Estate 4+1
• Special Education 4+1
• STEM Education 4+1

New Majors

Human Resource Management

Degree: Bachelor of Science in Human Resource Management

Description: The Human Resource Management major prepares students to understand both the strategic and operational dimensions of managing people within organizations. Coursework includes areas such as Compensation and Benefits, Labor Relations, and Employment Law, providing a foundation across recruiting and selection, compensation, employee relations, compliance, and other core HR functions.

Skills and professional preparation: The curriculum is aligned with the subject areas tested on the Associate Professional in Human Resources, or aPHR, certification exam through HRCI. Students graduate prepared to pursue professional certification and enter the field with expertise across the major functions of human resource management.

Experiential learning: Every student completes a required internship in human resource management, providing hands-on professional experience, real-world perspective, and connections in the field before graduation.

Career outcomes: Graduates can pursue positions in recruiting, compensation and benefits, labor relations, human resource generalist roles, and other areas of HR management.

“RWU’s new Human Resource Management major gives students the chance to build targeted expertise in a fast-growing and vitally important field,” said Mario J. Gabelli School of Business Dean Diya Das. “Human resource professionals are essential to creating productive, inclusive, people-oriented workplaces, and we are thrilled to offer our students a degree that opens the door to this career. The major is designed for students drawn to the human side of work and management, those seeking a curriculum that is both theoretically grounded and highly applied, preparing them to step confidently into the workforce after graduation.”

Information Technology

Degree: Bachelor of Science in Information Technology

Description: RWU’s new Information Technology major is an applied, systems-focused computing program that prepares students to design, deploy, secure, and manage the technology infrastructure organizations rely on, from networks and servers to cloud platforms, data pipelines, and enterprise applications. The program complements RWU’s Computer Science and Cybersecurity & Networking majors while sharing foundational coursework in programming and cybersecurity.

Skills and technologies: Networking and systems administration, cloud computing, data engineering, Internet of Things, IT automation, virtualization and containerization, database management, enterprise systems, cybersecurity, and programming.

Professional preparation: Students develop skills aligned with widely recognized technology certifications while gaining experience with technologies increasingly shaping the field, including cloud platforms, data systems, automation, and AI-assisted IT operations.

Career outcomes: Systems or network administrator, cloud engineer, data engineer, IT operations manager, database administrator, business systems analyst, DevOps or IT automation technician, and technical consultant.

“Computer science teaches students to build software, and cybersecurity teaches them to defend it. Information technology prepares students to run the systems everything else depends on, from cloud infrastructure and connected devices to data pipelines,” said Shakour Abuzneid, Program Director for Cybersecurity and Information Technology. “We built this program for students who want to work hands-on with the technology organizations rely on every day and graduate ready to design, deploy, and keep those systems running.”

New Pre-Professional Advising Track

Pre-Athletic Training

Program type: Pre-professional advising track

Compatible majors: Students from any undergraduate major can pursue the Pre-Athletic Training track alongside their degree requirements. While many students pursuing Pre-Health pathways major in the sciences, graduate athletic training programs do not require or prefer a particular undergraduate major.

How it works: Students complete their chosen major while also taking the prerequisite courses required by the graduate athletic training programs they plan to pursue. Requirements vary by institution, so students work with RWU’s Pre-Health Programs to plan ahead and supplement their undergraduate curriculum where necessary.

Academic preparation: Common prerequisites include coursework in chemistry, biology, anatomy and physiology, physics, statistics or mathematics, and psychology. Most athletic training programs also require kinesiology and exercise physiology.

Advising and experiential preparation: Students can meet one-on-one with the Director of Pre-Health Programs to discuss course selection and experiences outside the classroom. Pre-Health students also have access to professional-school visits, alumni sessions, application workshops, and guidance on gaining experience through work, internships, volunteering, or shadowing in athletic training and related health care settings.

Professional pathway: Students seeking to become athletic trainers complete the appropriate undergraduate prerequisites before enrolling in and completing a graduate athletic training program leading to a master’s degree.

“We’ve noticed an increased interest in students looking for applied, hands-on careers in the health sciences, and being able to more effectively support students interested in Athletic Training aligns with RWU’s Pre-Health programs goals,” said Jon Albert, Director of Pre-Health Programs. “As we explore partnerships with area schools to create even more pathways and opportunities for our students, Pre-Athletic Training was a natural fit.”

New Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s Pathways

RWU’s 4+1 Graduate Pathway Programs allow current undergraduate students to begin graduate-level coursework before completing their bachelor’s degree. Students generally apply during the first semester of junior year and, once accepted, can take one to three graduate courses during senior year that count toward both degrees.

In most cases, students can complete their bachelor’s and master’s degrees in approximately five years. For many programs, the pathway also reduces the graduate coursework remaining after the bachelor’s degree from 36 to 30 credits. Eligible RWU undergraduates who continue into graduate study may also receive the 25 percent Soar Higher Graduate Scholarship.

“We want graduate education to feel like a natural extension of the undergraduate experience for students who are ready to take that next step,” said Dean of Graduate Admission Leanda Miranda. “These accelerated pathways give RWU students an opportunity to begin graduate-level work earlier, reduce the time and cost associated with earning a master’s degree, and build advanced expertise that can help them stand out in their careers. Just as importantly, students can continue learning within a community they already know and where their faculty and advisors are invested in their success.”

Cybersecurity 4+1

Graduate degree: M.A. or M.S.

Eligibility: Open to students from all undergraduate majors.

What it adds: Advanced preparation beyond the undergraduate experience in cybersecurity, information security, technology, and risk.

Skills: Cybersecurity analysis, information security, problem-solving, risk management, and applying technical knowledge to real-world security challenges.

Career outcomes: Cybersecurity analyst, information security professional, security consultant, risk and compliance roles, and other cybersecurity-related positions.

Mathematics Education 4+1

Graduate degree: M.A.

Eligibility: Designed primarily for Elementary Education and Secondary Education majors. Students from other majors may be considered on a case-by-case basis.

What it adds: Advanced study in mathematics education that deepens students’ mathematical content knowledge while developing more sophisticated approaches to instruction.

Skills: Mathematics education, instructional strategies, curriculum development, and approaches for supporting diverse mathematics learners.

Career outcomes: Teaching and educational leadership at the elementary, middle, and secondary levels, along with opportunities in curriculum and mathematics education.

Preservation Practices 4+1

Graduate degree: M.S.

Eligibility: Designed for students who complete an undergraduate minor in Historic Preservation or Preservation Studies.

What it adds: Advanced professional preparation in cultural resource management, community planning, and place-based revitalization and redevelopment.

Skills: Building materials and technology, documentation and analysis, cultural resource management, interdisciplinary planning, and preservation practice.

Experiential learning: The graduate program includes a guaranteed paid internship.

Career outcomes: Cultural resource management, historic preservation, community planning, redevelopment, and related preservation fields.

Real Estate 4+1

Graduate degree: M.S.

Eligibility: Open to students from all undergraduate majors. The interdisciplinary pathway can complement undergraduate study in architecture, business, preservation, environmental studies, liberal arts, and other fields. RWU’s undergraduate Real Estate minor can also provide a foundation for the pathway.

What it adds: Graduate-level preparation across the multidisciplinary real estate industry, including development, finance, investment, sustainability, and the built environment.

Skills: Real estate economics, capital markets and investment, project development and finance, and evaluating real estate through business, community, and sustainability perspectives.

Career outcomes: Real estate development, investment, finance, property and asset management, planning, consulting, and other roles across the industry.

Special Education 4+1

Graduate degree: M.A.

Eligibility: Open to Elementary Education and Secondary Education majors.

What it adds: Advanced preparation for working with students with diverse learning needs and creating inclusive educational environments. The program leads to licensure.

Skills: Special education practices, inclusive instruction, assessment, differentiated learning, and strategies for supporting diverse learners.

Career outcomes: Special education teaching and other educational roles supporting students with disabilities. The program can also support students pursuing additional certification pathways.

STEM Education 4+1

Graduate degree: M.A.

Eligibility: Open to students from all undergraduate STEM majors.

What it adds: Interdisciplinary graduate study focused on integrating STEM concepts, technology, and hands-on learning into educational environments.

Skills: STEM integration, coding and robotics, makerspaces, technology-enhanced instruction, curriculum development, STEM leadership, and community engagement.

Experiential learning: Students complete a hands-on internship in a STEM environment.

Career outcomes: STEM education positions in K–12 schools, science museums, industry initiatives, community organizations, and other STEM-focused settings.

Together, the nine new offerings expand the ways RWU students can shape an education around where they want to go, whether that means entering a growing profession, preparing for specialized graduate study, or building advanced expertise while maintaining the momentum of their undergraduate experience.