Graduate Certificate in Entrepreneurship (GCE)
Curriculum
Overview Program details Admissions Tuition & aid Student profiles
The 15-credit certificate (5 courses worth 3 credits each) can be completed on a part-time or full-time basis. Courses are offered in the evenings, sometimes on weekends, and all courses are open to both full-time and part-time students.
GCE students are required to complete five core courses to graduate: four core courses and one elective.
Graduate Certificate in Entrepreneurship (GCE) Core Courses
Program: Graduate Certificate in Entrepreneurship
This course provides students with essential business knowledge. It covers the basic principles of self-employment and management of a micro-enterprise such as an artist-run studio, design firm, or a professional practice. Students learn how to organize and finance their new venture, set up basic accounting structures, understand tax implications, and protect their intellectual property. Pedagogical methods include lectures and case studies.
Program: Graduate Certificate in Entrepreneurship
This course focuses on entrepreneurial marketing for the micro-enterprise. Students learn how to strategize, plan and implement marketing programs in both online and offline environments. They also learn how to tailor these programs to address the needs of their audiences and customers and how to align their business accordingly. Topics include opportunity identification, demand generation, value pricing, promotion, channel decisions, and developing a marketing mindset. Pedagogical methods include lectures, case studies, class discussions and the development of a marketing plan.
Prerequisites & notes
Prerequisites: GCE 511 previously or concurrently
Program: Graduate Certificate in Entrepreneurship
This course adds to the knowledge acquired in GCE 511. It covers the issues that will arise as a micro-enterprise grows. Topics include strategies for achieving and sustaining growth, hiring and supervising staff, selecting software applications and protecting sensitive information. Pedagogical methods include lectures and case studies.
Prerequisites & notes
Prerequisites: GCE 511 previously or concurrently
Program: Graduate Certificate in Entrepreneurship
This capstone course is designed to guide students in conducting a market study and developing their complete business plan including their operational and financial plans and integrating the marketing plan. Topics include: transforming their idea into a business, analyzing the market and competition, and planning operations and finances for the next three to five years. Pedagogical methods include lectures, case studies, and the development of the business plan.
Prerequisites & notes
Prerequisites: GCE 511, 512, 513 previously or concurrently
Students who have received credit for this topic under GDBA 595 may not take this course for credit.
Graduate Certificate in Entrepreneurship (GCE) Elective Courses*
One GCE elective (GDBA 595, 3.0 credits) to be chosen from the list of Graduate Diploma in Business Administration (GDBA) electives or another course in the GDBA program with permission of the Program Director.
*Elective courses may change from year to year.
Business Law
This course will assist the students in understanding some of the basic principles of the Quebec legal system. Students will learn about the various methods available to start a new business and how to select the most appropriate form of business. Students will also learn basic legal notions relating to contracts, civil liability and employment law allowing them to better understand these legal principles in the context of operating a business.
e-Marketing
This course aims to introduce students to the conceptual framework and practices used in digital marketing. We will discuss various online business models, search engine marketing, affiliate marketing, email marketing, social media marketing and web analytics as well as other important aspects of customer acquisition, conversion and retention, in an online environment. We will also discuss loyalty and online reputation management which is crucial for success in an increasingly competitive online landscape. By the end of the course students should be able to develop an eMarketing plan using various techniques and tools used to successfully drive and convert traffic.
Professional Business Skills
This course provides students with the necessary skills that help with successful interaction with others in business settings. Topics include designing and delivering effective written and oral messages from concept to delivery, working in groups, and negotiating and resolving conflict by using ethical communication tactics. Pedagogical methods include group-based work, in-class workshops, case studies, presentations, and report writing.
Project Management
This course covers the theory, tools, and techniques associated with the management of projects including the use of project management software. Cases from various business contexts are used to illustrate essential steps in setting up project plans, scheduling work, monitoring progress, and exercising control to achieve desired results. The course integrates the Project Management Body of Knowledge with the Project Management Institute’s certification requirements.
Program schedule
Download the (tentative) GCE program schedule 2018-2019