By Tracy Moses
Veritas University, Abuja, has expanded its academic portfolio with the introduction of five new departments approved by the National Universities Commission (NUC), in a move aimed at strengthening its capacity in technology-driven education and preparing students for emerging global career demands.
The newly approved programmes are B.Sc Artificial Intelligence, B.Sc Cyber Security, B.Sc Information Systems, B.Sc Data Science, and B.A Theatre Arts.
The development was disclosed in a statement on Tuesday by the university’s Head of Corporate Affairs and Communications, Mr. Ben Agande.
According to the statement, the expansion increases the institution’s total academic offerings to 43 programmes across 12 faculties and a College of Medicine.
Agande noted that the university already runs a broad range of courses, including Law, Medicine and Surgery, Software Engineering, Nursing, Pharmacy, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, and Electrical and Electronics Engineering, among others.
He said the introduction of the new departments was driven by the need to respond to evolving industry requirements and prepare students for future labour market opportunities in a rapidly changing global environment.
Speaking on the development, the Vice Chancellor, Rev. Fr. Prof. Hyacinth Ichoku, said the new programmes are intended to strengthen the university’s academic profile, particularly in computing and emerging technologies.
“The new programmes will integrate advanced computational thinking, human-centred design and robust data analysis to prepare our students for the dynamic careers in an evolving digital landscape and to consolidate on the University’s robust computing programmes which have been nationally and internationally acclaimed,” he said.
He added that early exposure to relevant skills is critical for students to remain competitive in an increasingly complex global environment.
“In order to remain relevant in a competitively complex world, students must be exposed early in their academic pursuit to necessary skills set that will set them apart from others.
“As Artificial Intelligence and Data science continue to shape a large sector of human life, we cannot afford to lag behind. We want a personalized learning experience that can bridge existing education gaps. We want our students to be capable of providing the expertise that can safeguard institutional and National Data. This expansion aligns with our broader goal of leveraging technology to advance our core functions of teaching, research and community service.
“We want our students to be pacesetters in the world of interactive technologies and masters in securing critical digital infrastructure. We want them to be leaders in these high demand fields,” he said.
The Vice Chancellor further explained that programmes in Artificial Intelligence, Cyber Security, Data Science and Information Systems are being introduced in response to global shifts in education and employment trends, where demand for digital skills continues to rise.
Across the world, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and data science have become some of the fastest-growing fields, driven by increasing reliance on digital systems, data protection needs, and technological innovation.
By adopting these disciplines, Veritas University joins other tertiary institutions in Nigeria aligning their curricula with global standards and labour market realities.
The university encouraged prospective students interested in the new and existing programmes to visit its admission portal for application details and entry requirements.