Have you recently graduated with a Guelph non-business degree, or are you close to completing undergrad studies in a non-business program? A new intensive certificate course in business fundamentals being launched at U of G this spring is intended to add more skills to your degree credentials and “jump-start” your career.
The non-degree credit course will help recent graduates and senior students move more readily from the classroom to the workplace, says Lori Stobbe, manager of continuing education and business development with Open Learning and Educational Support (OpenEd).
The certificate is designed to give graduates an extra edge in seeking jobs or in launching a business venture. “They’ll have the business acumen they need to get them started,” says Stobbe. She says the new offering provides an alternative to graduate or college studies often pursued by university grads.
The full-time course will run May 6 to June 27 and will include online and in-class components. Students will attend two five-hour classroom sessions a week.
“This should be attractive to students who may not want to extend their learning over a long period of time,” says Stobbe. “It’s an opportunity to jump-start their careers.”
Topics will include entrepreneurship and small business, finance, management, marketing, ethics, sustainability and strategic planning. Students will complete a real-world team project during the course. Business experts and U of G faculty will provide guest lectures.
Says Cathy Leitch, course developer and instructor: “Most students, regardless of their major, will work in business or not-for-profit organizations after graduation. The certificate in business fundamentals will enable students to understand the business environment in which they will be working.”
Leitch also teaches “Introduction to Canadian Business,” another course for non-business majors. Previously on the business faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, she moved to Canada in 2011.
The new certificate is offered jointly by OpenEd and the College of Management and Economics. Staff from Co-operative Education and Career Services on campus will discuss topics including interviewing skills and professionalism during the course.
Registrations are being accepted from non-business program graduates and current students who have completed six semesters in good standing.
For more information, call 519-767-5000 or email ecamm@uoguelph.ca.