Graduate Certificate in Business Development and Sales

at Conestoga College - Doon Campus Canada

The Bachelor of Design is a four-year degree in visual design with a complement of courses in entrepreneurship, marketing, and management. The program will ensure graduates have both the creative and visual acuity, and the knowledge of business strategy, that are necessary to create design solutions for current market needs. Conestoga’s Bachelor of Design is unique in Ontario for offering students a truly interprofessional perspective that blends visual design, entrepreneurship, and liberal studies courses with co-op opportunities, enhanced studio space, printing facilities and access to advanced technology, as well as state-of-the-art on-campus facilities. Limited enrolment and small class sizes ensure student access to faculty with professional experience in the fields of visual design and business development. As a comprehensive design program, students take courses in typography, visual design, colour theory, design studio, drawing and illustration, photography, interactive design, as well as entrepreneurship, branding, marketing, business management, writing and presentation skills, and group dynamics. The program employs a project-based learning approach that addresses design and entrepreneurship skills, as well as a variety of prescient issues including accessibility, sustainability, and corporate and social responsibility. Students engage in dynamic studio projects for both in-class and live clients.

The program curriculum is designed for students who wish to concentrate on the health sciences field and prepares students for application to Conestoga College's School of Health Sciences advanced diploma or degree programs (Respiratory Therapy, McMaster University Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Bachelor of Applied Health Information Science, Bachelor of Environmental Public Health, etc.). Students wishing to apply to Biotechnology Technician, Fitness and Health Promotion, Hearing Instrument Specialist, Practical Nursing, Nutrition and Food Service Management, Paramedic, Personal Support Worker, and Occupational Therapist Assistant/Physiotherapist Assistant programs are still able to do so by taking either the one-year Pre-Health Sciences Pathway to Certificates and Diplomas or upon completion of this one-year Pre-Health Sciences Pathway to Advanced Diplomas and Degrees.

Students will be introduced to the health sciences field, to college life and college workload, and will be able to increase their competitiveness to support their application to health sciences advanced diploma or degree programs.

Note for international students: the Pre-Health Sciences Pathway to Advanced Diplomas and Degrees is a pathway for international students interested in studying in either the Bachelor of Applied Health Information Science degree or the Bachelor of Environmental Public Health degree ONLY. Students interested in studying in a health science-related two-year diploma program should apply to the Pre-Health Sciences Pathway to Certificates and Diplomas.

Conestoga’s two-year diploma in Advertising & Marketing Communications is a rewarding, cross-disciplinary program that equips you to be a creative and strategic thinker, with the ability to engage with on-trend brands, craft strategic marketing campaigns through social platforms, and have the confidence and skill set that the industry demands. Taught by passionate, award-winning faculty, you will learn the essential aspects of marketing research, B2B and B2C sales strategies, social media campaigns, brand development, UI/UX design, copywriting, public relations and visual design as they apply to a variety of media applications. By leveraging a research-based methodology to problem solving, and using current industry software, you will learn to create, persuade, and entice audiences with targeted communication pieces that span a wide range of advertising mediums. The program’s live-client capstone project offers you the opportunity to develop and present a comprehensive integrated marketing communications campaign, including budgeting and full creative content creation. Working individually and collaboratively, you will also develop professional business acumen through managing project expectations, delivering campaign collateral, and meeting tight deadlines for your client. Valuable networking opportunities are provided through inspiring agency tours, knowledgeable industry guest speakers, and a globally diverse cohort of like-minded creative peers. To finalize the program, you will receive guidance on developing agency and industry contacts, creating a unique and competitive portfolio, establishing an exciting career path, and landing an advertising or marketing-related field placement. Begin the process of establishing your career path as a sought-after communication marketing strategist and visual-thinking creative specialist today, with Advertising & Marketing Communications.

Today's competitive, global businesses require office professionals to be responsible to manage the administrative tasks that support their challenging, dynamic office environments. Employers need office administrators with exceptional computer skills, efficient document processing skills, the ability to communicate professionally, and the organizational expertise to keep the office running smoothly.

In this two-year diploma program, students develop their technical, communication and interpersonal skills. With a wide variety of hands-on practical experience built into the program and emphasis on critical thinking, ethical decision-making and problem-solving skills, graduates are fully trained to meet the demands of today's challenging office environment. At the end of the program, students will have the opportunity to showcase their skills by participating in a 90-hour field placement position in a local business.

Practical Nursing is a career-focused program where the student will gain the knowledge, skills and experience required to become a member of the nursing profession and health-care team. The foundational knowledge for practical nursing is based on scientific theory from nursing, the physical and psychosocial sciences and humanities. Person-centred care is learned in context through real-life experiences and career-related work-integrated learning (WIL) experiences. Seniors care is given special attention to meet the needs of an aging population. Regulatory Obligations: The Nursing ActThe Nursing Act requires that all graduate practical nurses wishing to work in Ontario must be registered with the College of Nurses of Ontario. The Nursing Act also states graduates must not have been convicted of a criminal offence or an offence under the Narcotic Control Act (Canada) or the Food and Drugs Act (Canada). In addition, the Nursing Act identifies a number of other abilities and requirements that must be met in order to practice nursing in the province of Ontario. The College of Nurses of OntarioGraduate practical nurses wishing to register with the College of Nurses of Ontario must sign a declaration of their status regarding: citizenship; permanent residence; immigration; convictions of a criminal offence under the Narcotic Control Act/Food and Drug Act; involvement with respect to professional misconduct, incompetence or incapacity in Ontario in another health profession; any mental or physical disorder, which makes it desirable in the public interest that the person not practice nursing. These conditions also apply throughout the program. In preparation to pursuing a nursing career, we encourage all prospective nursing students to carefully consider the requisite skills and abilities for nursing practice in Ontario outlined by the College of Nurses of Ontario.

Conestoga's Protection, Security and Investigation (PSI) and Police Foundations (PF) programs offer a two-year integrated learning experience to help you develop the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values of a preferred candidate in your chosen field. The first year of the Protection, Security and Investigation program is shared with the Police Foundations program. This common first year focuses on justice foundations and has been designed to provide an overall base for a variety of careers in criminal justice and community safety. In this first year, you will be exposed to courses that give you an understanding of how society and its institutions work. In second year, you will be given the opportunity to concentrate your studies in one of the two programs, which focus on policing or security/investigations: Police Foundations or Protection, Security and Investigation. This second year provides both academic study and job-focused practical training to prepare students for careers in the private and public sectors. 

Graduates of the Protection, Security and Investigation program may also qualify for a Provincial Security Guard License and Private Investigator License, which can be valuable points of entry into the world of work. 

Imagine pursuing your passion in the highly creative profession of visual merchandising. Visual merchandising is 'marketing' and 'branding' - designing and creating visuals to sell a product or service. It is the process of creating an inviting and interactive environment for the consumer utilizing a variety of mediums.

You will study fashion trend forecasting, costume design, colour theory, prop-making, drawing and painting, event planning, mannequin detailing, photography, graphic design, scale modeling, planograms, window display and commercial merchandising. This two-year diploma program focuses on project-based, hands-on learning for the creative problem solver! You will use cutting edge industry software to design three dimensional spaces and planograms.

If you are passionate about design and decorating spaces, you will enjoy learning the latest skills in our state-of-the-art studio complete with a 'retail store' within the space. Use your natural creative talent and experience the many opportunities to design and display your work within the community.

A field placement opportunity is provided to gain industry career experience before graduating, most often leading to full-time positions in the field of visual display and merchandising.
Conestoga is the only college offering Visual Merchandising Arts graduates the opportunity to earn a second two-year diploma in Interior Decorating in just one year! Successful students become even more marketable, capable of designing for both commercial interiors and home interiors!

Design Foundations is an intensive one-year certificate program that is intended for students who are interested in exploring a career in applied design and communications. This foundation year provides an opportunity to create a competitive and individual design portfolio, demonstrating skills in 2D and 3D design, drawing, life drawing, colour theory, idea development, presentation skills, portfolio development, digital production, design history, and written communication. 

Students experience a year of goal-setting, guidance, skill development and refinement through a variety of hands-on projects. Students will plan, implement, and present visual communications in a wide range of media. Completion of this studio-based program will effectively prepare students for acceptance into a variety of programs leading to careers in the design and communication fields.

Business - Marketing is a two-year diploma program designed for people seeking a high-level overview of the marketing industry. The program focuses on the fundamental principles of marketing and gives graduates hands-on skills to gain employment in the marketing industry. The program offers courses in advertising, graphic design, internet, research, sales, events and retail while developing teamwork, communication and general business skills. In addition, students participate in the design and presentation of marketing, advertising and event plans. Conestoga College is an Accredited Partner of the Canadian Professional Sales Association (CPSA). This program is accredited by the CPSA Institute as providing all 35 hours of pre-requisite education toward the Certified Sales Associate designation, the first level of the Graduated Certification Framework. Students successfully completing this program will earn their Sales Certificate from the CPSA Institute. Learn more about the CPSA Institute professional designations here. The program is delivered in four consecutive semesters.

Applied research is designed to answer specific questions aimed at solving practical problems. While fundamental research answers the initial question of how things work, new knowledge acquired from applied research has specific objectives in the form of products, procedures or services. The pace of change in the applied research and information mobilization has never been as fast as today. Whether designing, implementing, and evaluating applied research projects, or targeting and tailoring research evidence for decision-making, people who engage in applied research create meaning and impact across multiple sectors. In this graduate certificate program, you will learn practical research methodologies, data analytics, data visualization, and knowledge mobilization to accelerate the impact of applied research. The second semester allows you to work in interdisciplinary teams to implement your skills in an applied research impact project. In addition to this hands-on experience, you will have the opportunity to expand your real-world practice through an optional co-op term.