1 year
The one-year business certificate is designed for individuals looking to acquire introductory business skills to increase their employability or augment existing work experience. It also allows for budding entrepreneurs to gain a credential quickly while learning the key functional areas of business.
Students participate in our signature course, Business Topics and Skills. This course connects students to themselves, to learning, to the diverse Central Alberta community, and to career opportunities. Students are provided with networking opportunities in various courses.
The certificate provides credit towards the Business Diploma and Bachelor of Business Administration Degree.
The certificate consists of 10 courses or 30 credits. Courses are available face-to-face and online. Students can complete the program on a full-time or part-time schedule.
Admission is normally available for the Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer.
Program Learning Outcome
1. Collaboration: Practice collaborating in and with diverse teams.
2. Communication: Communicate effectively utilizing oral, written, nonverbal, and media communication skills.
3. Critical Thinking and Creative Problem Solving: Practice using critical and reflective skills and practices to analyze organizational challenges.
4. Globalization: Recognize the impact of globalization across cultures and markets.
5. Social and Cross Cultural Awareness: Recognize the value of diverse ideas, perspectives, and worldviews in a business environment.
6. Information, Communication, Technology, and Financial Fluency: Apply information literacy, technology, research skills, and numerical and financial fluency to solve problems.
7. Ethics: Employ ethical decision making and demonstrate professionalism.
8. Business Acumen - Tools: Apply qualitative and quantitative methods to business scenarios.
9. Business Acumen - Holistic: Explain holistic and entrepreneurial approaches for working in, and managing, socially responsible organizations.
10. Lifelong Learning: Recognize the value of lifelong-learning and community engagement.
11. Indigenous: Contribute to the advancement of reconciliation and apply principles of Indigenous knowledge including identifying and describing Indigenous cultural protocols, worldviews, and learning approaches in both a business and societal context.
One of:
Two of:
Continuing Education coursework may be used for one-course equivalent. Generally, 45 hours of Donald School of Business, Science and Technology approved Continuing Education courses will be considered equivalent to one three-credit Business Option. Coursework must be business-related or content that enhances a business portfolio.
RDP Business Certificate courses provide credit towards the RDP Business Diploma.
ELA 30-2 65% or higher, or ELA 30-1 60% or higher, or equivalent
and MATH 30-2 65% or higher, or MATH 30-1 60% or higher, or equivalent
or
Exam Placement with a minimum score of 250 on the Reading component, 250 on the Writing component, 5 on the WritePlacer Test and 250 on the Arithmetic component.
Please note that students who enter the Business Certificate through exam placement will be required to upgrade before entering the diploma.
Note: Applicants whose first language is not English must demonstrate English language proficiency in addition to the program admission requirements.
Completion of 10 courses with a minimum grade of "D" and a minimum GPA of 2.00 (62%). The 10 courses consist of 7 core business courses, 2 business options, and COMM 250.
Business Certificate graduates find employment in a variety of fields. The certificate is designed to provide upward mobility for retail or sales associates; as well as, employment as shift managers, appointment coordinators, customer service associates, administrative assistants, and collections representatives. The certificate was designed to give entrepreneurs a one-year overview of the key functional areas of a business.
To learn about the employment outlook, average salary, and additional information about the occupations listed here, refer to the Government of Alberta ALIS website.