Business Administration at Norquest Collage

Overview

Build the skills you need to thrive in a dynamic business world and choose from five specializations in the second year—Management (entrepreneurship or business operations), Accounting, Human Resources Management, Finance, or General Studies—in which you will develop a core understanding of business fundamentals for any career you choose.

Specialization

Applicants can apply directly to the specialization of their choice. Specialization courses are usually taken in year two.

There are five specializations for the Business Administration program; each provides a flexible and dynamic core understanding of business fundamentals with a wide assortment of job opportunities:

• Accounting specialization

  Graduates with an accounting specialization have an aptitude for numbers and enjoy problem-solving. They are able to look at the overall big picture while determining the bottom line. They are prepared to work with companies in financial, computerized tax, and cost accounting areas.

• Human Resources Management specialization

  Graduates with a human resources management specialization will know how to improve corporate culture and increase employee productivity. They will be confident in creating performance management policies, employing effective hiring and retention practices, reviewing and recommending employee compensation packages, creating hiring selection criteria, and applying employment law.

• Management specialization

  Graduates with a management specialization are becoming increasingly important to business in our competitive economy due to their strategic planning and analytical skills. They assist companies in integrating planning and development strategies using problem-solving techniques and consensus building. Leadership, marketing, and financial information are also studied.

  • Entrepreneurship focus: for students who are interested in starting a business of their own or who wish to help a newly formed business grow. It provides a thorough understanding of what is required to start and maintain a sustainable venture. Students will acquire the tools necessary to identify opportunity, assess entrepreneurial potential, produce a business plan, organize, promote, and finance a business, and prepare a marketing and sales structure.

  • Business operations focus: for students who are interested in how businesses supply, produce, and distribute goods and services in the most efficient and profitable way possible. Students will learn how to plan, control, and optimize business systems and techniques to deliver projects on time and on budget. Learning how to assess and improve productivity throughout an organization will make these graduates a valuable asset to any organization.

• Finance specialization

  Graduates with a finance specialization will be well positioned for work opportunities in banks and any financial services organization. As a financial professional, this program prepares students in the areas of financial planning, principles and industry standards, financial products and services, tax and legal implications, managing risks, and building financial customer service sales and expertise.

  • Financial services focus: for students who are interested in securing a role in a bank where they can serve customer needs for saving and borrowing. Students will learn principles of personal finance and banking including consumer and business lending, credit management and financial services selling and ethics.

  • Financial planning focus: for students who are interested in helping people achieve their financial goals. Students will gain technical knowledge in personal financial planning, Canadian investment funds, insurance and taxation

• General Studies

  Students may elect not to have an area of specialization. These students would take the common first-year courses, then choose 10 additional courses out of all Year 2 courses offered.

Career Potential

Graduates of the Business Administration program may find employment in the private or public sector, in small business, government, banking, insurance, not-for-profit organizations, retail, hospitality, oilfield, construction, and other industries.