Royal Military College in Kingston pausing some programs

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Following the cutback on programs at both St. Lawrence College and Queen’s University, another school in Kingston is hitting pause on some of its operations.

According to an email from the Public Affairs Officer, seven undersubscribed undergraduate academic programs for 2025-26 have been put on pause.

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“Last year, the Commander of Military Personnel directed the Royal Military College of Canada (RMC) and Royal Military College Saint-Jean (RMC Saint-Jean) to improve the sustainability and efficiency of their core operations. Subsequently, an in-depth analysis of all undergraduate and graduate programs offered at RMC was conducted over the last year. As a result, some undersubscribed undergraduate academic programs for academic year 2025-26 were paused,” Lieut. Joel Breton, the public affairs officer for RMC, told the Whig in a supplied statement.

The courses that will not be available for new cadets include:

• Business Administration and Economics
• Chemistry
• Economics
• Electrical Engineering
• English, Culture, and Communication  
• French, Literature, and Culture  
• Mathematics

According to RMC, it identified seven of 22 undergraduate academic programs that had fewer than 10 graduates per year for the past five years.

“The decision to pause these programs will allow RMC to ensure that limited resources can be prioritized appropriately in areas identified as critically important by the students through their registration choices,” read the statement.

As a result, about 40 first-year naval and officer cadets who wanted to enroll in one of the paused programs will be able to stay in their chosen academic domain. (engineering, science, or social sciences and humanities)

RMC said on average that impacted six or fewer students per paused program.

“We seek to minimize the impact on our students’ studies and life while ensuring that they receive a high quality and relevant education for their careers as Canadian Armed Forces officers. Second-year students and third-year students currently enrolled in these programs will be allowed to continue in their programs of choice until graduation,” RMC said.

RMC stated that no indeterminate positions have been impacted by the pause of programs at this time and that term and sessional contracts will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

Unlike other post-secondary institutions, RMC said funding was not the primary reason for the changes. Instead, it said “decisions are driven by reviews, including one over the last year that identified that some program offerings were not sustainable in the long term, and did not match the demand.”

RMC confirmed that enrollment in the Canadian Air Force and both Canadian military colleges remains high with all available spots at RMC and RMC Saint-Jean having been filled for the next academic year.

A more in-depth analysis of all professional development, undergraduate and graduate programs offered at RMC will be conducted over the next year to determine if any other programs should be paused, continued, revised, or added.

mkulchar@postmedia.com