How one university is bringing real business into the classroom

Nestled in the heart of downtown, New York Institute of Technology (NYIT)-Vancouver, has developed their programs with two key objectives in mind: to have a strong focus on teaching student-specific skills and ensuring it maximizes opportunities for students through partnerships with local businesses. "We offer students a career-oriented, technology-driven approach to...

New York Institute of Technology’s Vancouver campus provides students with real-world, hands-on experiences, and the advantage of working with award-winning faculty in a variety of highly sought after fields

Nestled in the heart of downtown, New York Institute of Technology (NYIT)-Vancouver, has developed their programs with two key objectives in mind: to have a strong focus on teaching student-specific skills and ensuring it maximizes opportunities for students through partnerships with local businesses.

“We offer students a career-oriented, technology-driven approach to education,” says Paul Dangerfield*, NYIT-Vancouver executive director and campus dean.

Founded in 1955, NYIT is a non-profit, independent, private and non-sectarian institution of higher education. It has more than 12,000 students worldwide with six campuses spanning three continents.

“As a university whose focus is on career-oriented professional education, NYIT-Vancouver partners with respected local companies to provide professional education to members of our local community. We have formed partnerships with major local public institutions and collaborated with 45 business partners in British Columbia, most of which are in Vancouver.”

Through technology-based, experiential learning, including teaching talent and software tools from cutting-edge Vancouver partners, NYIT’s professional education helps ambitious professionals sharpen their skills for a constantly changing economy.

“Our experiences with NYIT’s leaders, students and alumni have helped us become more connected to the local business community,” says Pommashea Noel-Bentley, managing partner and CEO of AdvanceU 1st, a Vancouver-based business consulting company. “NYIT attracts students and business leaders who want to reimagine and shape the future,” she adds.

The Vancouver campus has over 150 students studying applied professional degrees, with a student body mix of international and local students.

“I had the privilege to speak at NYIT Vancouver’s 2nd Annual Cybersecurity Symposium in June 2016, and this event brought together students, faculty, government and industry to discuss the issues and strategies to approach cybersecurity,” says Leo de Sousa, senior manager of technology planning for the City of Vancouver—one of NYIT Vancouver’s business partners.

“I was able to share the cybersecurity challenges from a global, national and local government perspective,” de Sousa explains. “The subsequent question and answer session allowed me to hear from the attendees about their perceptions and suggestions regarding government cybersecurity. The symposium was a great example of the NYIT Advantage.”

Taking education and applying it locally and globally has certainly helped the institution’s track record of success, adds Dangerfield.

“We have recently received approval from British Columbia’s Ministry of Advanced Education to offer two new degrees: a Master of Science (M.S.) in Instructional Technology and an M.S. in Energy Management,” says Dangerfield. “We continue to offer our well-established Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) program and a M.B.A. with a finance concentration, as well as our cutting-edge Master of Science in Information, Network, and Computer Security (M.S.-INCS). We plan to offer a M.S. in the field of allied health in the near future.”

When a student earns a master’s degree from NYIT-Vancouver, they also become part of NYIT’s global university. A student can choose to start their program in Vancouver and complete it in New York or at another of their global campuses.

“Each program at our campus is based on the same courses as the similarly named program in New York, while catering to the Canadian market,” says Dangerfield. “This, in essence, allows you to learn in Vancouver and then work anywhere in the world.”

*Paul Dangerfield is the outgoing executive director and campus Dean of NYIT-Vancouver, as Irene Young will be taking on the role effective November 1, 2016.