Two new and improved programs at JMSB

Beginning this autumn workers seeking to become more effective managers and administrators will have two improved offerings to choose from at the John Molson School of Business.

On April 17, Concordia Senate approved a curriculum redesign for JMSB’s Graduate Diploma in Business Administration and for the Graduate Certificate in Business Administration.

Both programs provide students with functional knowledge in the fundamental areas of business, teach them how to identify, analyze, and propose solutions to business issues and effectively communicate with and influence their business’ stakeholders.

The programs differ in that while the 15-credit GCBA provides students with a good understanding of the functional areas within an organization, the 30-credit GDBA also provides them with an appreciation of how those areas inter-relate. In the diploma program, students are trained to analyze industries, markets, and competitors toward the design of cogent competitive strategies.

The GDBA was launched in 2009 and is among the most popular graduate programs in the John Molson School of Business. “These programs have now been around long enough for us to draw meaningful lessons from the experience of the staff, faculty and students,” says Associate Dean, Stéphane Brutus. “In re-designing them, our committee reviewed recent surveys to ensure that the new offerings really deliver what our students want and that they meet the learning objectives that we set for them.”

Some of the highlights include new courses in professional business skills (GDBA and GCBA) and a new course in strategic management (GDBA). The content of all the current courses has been modernized.  

According to Marie Lyster, the student recruitment officer for JMSB’s graduate programs, the programs were designed with three groups in mind: recent university graduates with non-business bachelor’s degrees, professionals who want to advance their careers or start their own businesses and new immigrants looking for Canadian qualifications to complement their previous university education. “Students in these programs come from a wide range of educational backgrounds, from social and hard sciences to law and engineering,” she says.

No work experience is required for either program and both can be completed on a part-time or full-time basis with a flexible daytime and evening schedule.

Register for an online information session to learn more about the Graduate Diploma in Business Administration.