Marketing Research and Business Intelligence at Algonquin College

Build employable skills in the dynamic and evolving marketing research industry.

In the one-year Marketing Research and Business Intelligence Ontario College Graduate Certificate program you are exposed to the current and emerging techniques in marketing research. This program can launch you into a fascinating data-driven career in the marketing research industry and organizations that use marketing research.

You learn to investigate how and why people purchase products and services. The program provides you with the employable skills to conduct marketing and opinion research in the public, not-for-profit and private sectors. The curriculum emphasizes the marketing research process including: research design; questionnaire construction; moderator`s guide construction; data collection; basic and intermediate statistical analysis and interpretation; and report writing and presentation skills.

In addition, you become familiar with the scientific method of hypotheses testing and reaching conclusions to solve business problems.

This program offers the opportunity to gain valuable and practical experience through real-world internships, beginning early in the program and continuing throughout, for a total of 448 hours.

Graduates may have opportunities to work in a wide variety of research settings across private, not-for-profit and public sectors.

SUCCESS FACTORS

This program is well-suited for students who:

• Possess strong English communication (written, verbal, technology) and interpersonal abilities.
• Are well organized and can work effectively under tight time constraints.
• Possess critical-thinking skills.
• Are inquisitive and have an analytical nature.
• See themselves contributing as a team member in dynamic environments.
• Like analyzing and solving problems.
• Enjoy a hands-on approach to learning about the marketing research industry.

Careers

Graduates may have opportunities to work in a wide variety of research settings across private, not-for-profit and public sectors.

Learning Outcomes

The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:

1. Retrieve, process, and present market research information and findings using current online and stand-alone information technology tools.
2. Conduct marketing and consumer behaviour research, with a high degree of accuracy and reliability that can inform major business decisions.
3. Write documentation to collect, and support the collection, of data for market research projects.
4. Interpret qualitative and quantitative research through the analysis and presentation of empirical data to meet the needs and objectives of the client.
5. Ensure that all analysis of numerical and text data is consistent with the appropriate principles of descriptive statistics and techniques of statistical inference.
6. Design and implement research projects for international and domestic populations with varied cultural and linguistic demographic profiles.
7. Formulate plans for market research and consumer behaviour research that will meet the needs of the client and follow all theoretical, practical, ethical, and legal guidelines related to the collection of data and the privacy of personal information.
8. Design and implement research projects that address the unique characteristics of public, private or not-for-profit organizations.
9. Identify and apply discipline-specific practices that contribute to the local and global community through social responsibility, economic commitment and environmental stewardship.

Program Eligibility

• Ontario College Advanced Diploma (minimum three years) or Degree. Typical specialties include: sociology, anthropology, political science, history, tourism, communications, economics, law, education and engineering.
• Applicants with international transcripts must provide proof of the subject specific requirements noted above and may be required to provide proof of language proficiency. Domestic applicants with international transcripts must be evaluated through the International Credential Assessment Service of Canada (ICAS) or World Education Services (WES).
• IELTS-International English Language Testing Service (Academic) Overall band of 6.5 with a minimum of 6.0 in each band; OR TOEFL-Internet-based (iBT)-overall 88, with a minimum of 22 in each component: Reading 22; Listening 22; Speaking 22; Writing 22.