{"id":110289,"date":"2026-08-20T17:16:16","date_gmt":"2026-08-20T17:16:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/?p=110289"},"modified":"2026-08-20T17:16:17","modified_gmt":"2026-08-20T17:16:17","slug":"uri-offering-new-programs-for-the-2026-27-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/2026\/08\/uri-offering-new-programs-for-the-2026-27-year\/","title":{"rendered":"URI offering new programs for the 2026-27 year"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">KINGSTON, R.I. \u2013 Aug. 20, 2026 \u2013 Fall semester classes begin at the University of Rhode Island on Sept. 9, with the state\u2019s flagship public research university offering several new programs this academic year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Among new undergraduate options, the University will offer bachelor\u2019s degrees in Environmental Arts and Humanities, Environmental Engineering, and in Learning and Education in Action. URI is also offering a new master\u2019s degree in Applied Science Communication.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/news\/sites\/16\/2026\/08\/uri-online-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-110292\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.4993363419166446;width:535px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/news\/sites\/16\/2026\/08\/uri-online-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/news\/sites\/16\/2026\/08\/uri-online-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/news\/sites\/16\/2026\/08\/uri-online-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/news\/sites\/16\/2026\/08\/uri-online-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/news\/sites\/16\/2026\/08\/uri-online-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/news\/sites\/16\/2026\/08\/uri-online-364x243.jpg 364w, https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/news\/sites\/16\/2026\/08\/uri-online-500x334.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/news\/sites\/16\/2026\/08\/uri-online-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/news\/sites\/16\/2026\/08\/uri-online-1280x854.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/news\/sites\/16\/2026\/08\/uri-online-2000x1334.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/news\/sites\/16\/2026\/08\/uri-online.jpg 2400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Many new programs offered at URI are available in flexible online formats. (Stock photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In addition, the College of Engineering is offering new tracks in its biomedical engineering bachelor&#8217;s degree program, an aerospace engineering minor, and a new undergraduate certificate in AI\/machine learning for engineering application.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Expanding online opportunities<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The University is also offering two new fully online master\u2019s degrees this fall, in Health Professions Education and Engineering Management and Leadership. It is offering eight new graduate certificates, all fully online, in Leadership in Sports Management, Health Professions Education, Industry 4.0, Prevention Science and Human Development, Organizational Leadership, Multilingual Learner Education, English Language Development, and Public Finance and Budgeting (MPA).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">MBA students can also now attain an online \u201cBlue MBA,\u201d a specialization in URI\u2019s MBA program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Also new this year are a certificate and specialization in Business Analytics and Artificial Intelligence in the College of Business, in partnership with URI Online, as well as a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Studies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Feinstein College of Education is offering a new online Doctorate of Education program, with URI Online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Additionally, URI Online is introducing new, lower tuition rates across all online graduate degrees and certificates, along with a reduced tuition rate for the undergraduate RN to BSN program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWith both new and expanded online offerings, online education is a significant area of growth for the University,\u201d said Heather Sharpes-Smith, executive director of <a href=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/online\/\">URI Online<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">URI Online, which offers programs for undergraduate and graduate students, now offers 49 undergraduate and graduate programs across the University, including ten new programs launching this academic year. URI Online programs range from undergraduate certificates to doctorates, in accelerated and standard formats. Online offerings span certificates through doctoral programs and include accelerated seven-week and 14-week formats for working professionals and other students seeking flexible pathways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThese programs are offered in partnership with URI\u2019s academic colleges and reflect the collaborative nature of URI\u2019s growing online portfolio,\u201d said Sharpes-Smith.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Future URI<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Looking ahead to 2027, URI\u2019s Department of Film\/Media will be offering a BFA degree starting in the spring semester, in addition to its BA degree option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The University is also beginning recruitment for some programs that will launch in 2027, for new Ph.D. programs in Computational Social Science and Accounting, and a fully online graduate certificate in Applied Artificial Intelligence and Business Analytics. See the URI <a href=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/graduate-school\/\">Graduate School<\/a> for more information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">URI offers a broad range of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/programs\/undergraduate-majors\/\">undergraduate<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/graduate-school\/\">graduate<\/a> academic degrees, certificates, and minors, both in-person and online. To learn more, visit our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/programs\/\">program finder<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>KINGSTON, R.I. \u2013 Aug. 20, 2026 \u2013 Fall semester classes begin at the University of Rhode Island on Sept. 9, with the state\u2019s flagship public research university offering several new programs this academic year. Among new undergraduate options, the University will offer bachelor\u2019s degrees in Environmental Arts and Humanities, Environmental Engineering, and in Learning and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":110290,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[1907,1914,1913,1915],"class_list":["post-110289","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-archives","tag-academic-excellence","tag-graduate","tag-public-engagement","tag-undergraduate"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/110289","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/25"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=110289"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/110289\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":110294,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/110289\/revisions\/110294"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/110290"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=110289"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=110289"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=110289"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}