STORY BY DEVON GENERAL
Next September, Sheridan College will add seven new university-level degree programs to its steadily growing roster in preparation for the eventual transition to Sheridan University. Degrees will be offered in Craft & Design, Film & TV and five business programs.
These new programs will combine Sheridan’s practical learning approach with a heavier focus on theoretical learning than what is currently offered.
In the case of the Bachelor of Craft & Design, while students will still be able to choose their specialization, there will be heavier emphasis on the business side of being a designer.
“One of the new areas we’re looking at is consumer product design,” said Ronni Rosenberg, dean of the Faculty of Animation, Arts and Design. “You make things like you always have, but then you ask, how will people use it?”
In Film & Television, students will be able to look much deeper into all areas of working with media, from cinematography to screenwriting to sound editing. Like Craft & Design, it will also take a more serious approach to the entrepreneurial aspects of filmmaking.
“You spend 90 per cent of your time trying to raise money to make a film, and 10 per cent of the time actually filming it,” said Sandy McKean, associate dean of Film, Television and Journalism. “As a result of that, we wanted to include the entrepreneurial learning to help our students figure it out – from crowd funding, to grant applications… all the areas that lead to a successful production.”
Though they couldn’t be more different on a fundamental level, the five new business degrees – Accounting, Finance, Human Resources Management, Marketing Management and Supply Chain Management – share a similar view on better preparing graduates for the future.
“We want students to be able to solve problems, create and innovate, reflect on their work and come up with new ideas,” said Jeremy Staples, associate dean of Business. “And so we’ve designed these degrees to focus in on application of learning.”
Students can also look forward to learning from professionals in whatever field they choose – as they always have at Sheridan.
“We have an incredibly experienced and enriched faculty here,” said McKean. “All of them have had some form of industry experience.”
All of this comes at a time of transition for the school, having just launched its new brand. These degrees will join other new additions like Mobile Computing and Game Design.
“It’s all happening really fast,” said Rosenberg. “We’re turning everything around on a dime.”
Students currently enrolled in related diploma programs are eligible to transfer into the degree variants.
“There will be similarities [between the diploma and degree], but the expectations are going to be a little higher, and it does require a higher level of application,” said Staples.