Randolph announces three new undergraduate programs

Randolph College is once again expanding its academic offerings, with the addition of three new undergraduate programs for 2025-26: cybersecurity, cognitive science, and mechanical engineering. 

Teams of faculty and staff submitted new program proposals earlier this fall, responding to specific interests and requests from current students, alumnae, and alumni. 

Randolph College President Sue Ott Rowlands commended their efforts, noting that their proposals “demonstrate careful research and inspiring creativity.”

Cybersecurity, the study and practice of protecting computer systems, networks, and data from digital attacks, damage, or unauthorized access, relates to a wide variety of disciplines, including cryptography, law and ethics, psychology, business, forensics, and criminal justice. 

Core courses for the major will include foundational computer science courses and specific classes in network security, web security, ethical hacking, and cryptography. Students will also select additional courses from computer science, mathematics, business, and criminal justice. 

Cognitive science—the study of the mind, how knowledge is acquired, and how these principles are practically applied—is similarly multidisciplinary, with courses in psychology, philosophy, linguistics, computer programming, and statistical analysis. 

The major will focus on understanding foundational theories about the mind while developing technical skills.

Recent studies centered around cognitive science have used machine learning techniques to link consumer behavior in spending with personality traits, algorithms to predict risky decision-making behavior, algorithms to discover neural activity patterns in comprehending abstract scientific terms, and have developed models to predict signs of depression and anxiety in speech patterns.

Mechanical engineering is among the most popular subfields of engineering, and the new program builds on the success of the robotics and mechatronics major that launched this fall. Like robotics and mechatronics, it will be ABET accredited.  

“Through faculty ingenuity, we have effectively built upon existing foundations in psychology, computer science, and robotics and mechatronics engineering to develop these three new majors,” said Tim Smith, provost and vice president of academic affairs.

Pending Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges notification, the new programs will launch in fall 2025.