Graduate Certificate in Strategic Marketing Communications

at Conestoga College - Doon Campus Canada

Financial Technology
The field of financial technology is evolving as it responds to the challenges facing the 21st century financial sector. This means that professionals employed in the field must be equipped to support diverse client groups such as individuals and company-based financial institutions. If you have a background in the computer industry, finance or other related fields, and are ready to attain in-depth competencies to help consumers and businesses track, manage, and facilitate their finances, this Ontario College Graduate Certificate program will be of interest to you. Through a variety of projects, case studies and interactive learning opportunities, and using current and relevant resources to support the latest trends in financial technology, you will develop the skills needed to help individuals and businesses secure their finances. You will study topics such as applications, emerging market trends, artificial intelligence, entrepreneurship and management. In just eight months, graduates will be job-ready to take the lead in the financial technology industry in various roles such as Business Analyst, Blockchain Business Analyst, Financial Technologist and other roles related to financial technology.

Project Management
Learn how to manage simple to complex projects from start to finish, and become a critical part of an organization’s most exciting achievements. Develop the skills you need to oversee project management activities such as planning, managing scope, costs, time while balancing client expectations. Learn organizational Agility with practices such as Scrum. Establish goals for your project team and lead them to overcome obstacles to achieve success, meeting stakeholders needs. Earn project management education hours towards a variety of certifications: Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM), Project Management Professional (PMP), Agile Scrum Master (ASM), Risk Management Professional (RMP), or Agile Certified Practitioner (ACP) designations. Interested in taking this program on a part-time basis? It's possible to complete this program while still working full-time and fulfilling your other commitments. 

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!

Do you enjoy working with people and helping them achieve their goals? Do you have strong analytical skills you would like to use in combination with your self-motivation and ambition to achieve performance goals? If yes, a career in financial services may be a good fit for you. Financial service providers cultivate strong relationships with clients by understanding their needs, evaluating the risks, and offering custom-designed solutions to meet their financial goals. The Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) – Financial Services degree program provides the opportunity to develop necessary planning competencies, professional skills, and required technical knowledge needed for a career in financial services. This four-year program, delivered at the honours level, offers a clear pathway to many successful and exciting career opportunities in banking, insurance, investment management, and estate and financial planning. You will learn through a combination of active learning approaches, which include group work, major individual case analyses, multiple projects requiring industry engagement, and meetings with industry professionals outside of the college. By the mid-point of this program, the faculty team ensures you will be ready to begin your preferred major – either in financial planning or property and casualty insurance. Whichever major you choose, you will encounter a blend of extensive technical analyses and opportunities to develop your professional ‘soft’ skills. You will apply and further refine your program-related skills and abilities through an 8-month, paid, full-time co-op work-term situated between third and fourth year. The program curriculum is aligned with the body of knowledge and course requirements (in whole or in part) for a number of professional licenses. As a successful graduate of the Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) – Financial Services degree program, you will meet the pre-requisite conditions to challenge professional examinations and/or receive advanced standing into the following licenses/designations:

• Personal Financial Planner (PFP) granted by the Canadian Securities Institute (CSI)
• Qualified Associate Financial Planner (QAFP) granted by Financial Planning Canada (FP Canada)
• FP Canada’s Certified Financial Planner (CFP)
• Chartered Insurance Professional (CIP)
• Additional licenses for insurance and securities

Business Administration - Accounting is one of five business administration programs at Conestoga College. Students in this advanced diploma program acquire the knowledge and skills necessary for careers in an intermediate-level accounting position, along with the fundamentals necessary for advancement to managerial positions. Advanced financial accounting, managerial skills, cost-accounting systems and controls, computerized accounting and income tax knowledge are emphasized. Students learn computer skills in up-to-date labs, gaining familiarity with current versions of accounting software and other business software.

Social service workers play an important role in ensuring the well-being of our society. In this program, students will gain knowledge to enhance relationships and develop skills to work with all segments of the population, individuals, families and community. The program places emphasis on enhancing self-awareness, emotional maturity and respect for diversity and inclusion. Skills in counselling, group work, and community development are developed through role-playing, simulations and meaningful field experiences. Additional studies in family interventions and sustainability of services support graduates to develop a strong foundation for social service practice.

Note:
Successfully completing the Human Services Foundation certificate program prior to applying to the Social Service Worker diploma program is an opportunity to obtain a year of personal growth and education that may contribute to your success in this career-focused program.

To effectively contribute as a leader in today's manufacturing sector, it is important for you to have an understanding of project direction, manufacturing design software, communication, human resources and safety practices. If you are a graduate of an engineering or engineering technology program and want to expand your knowledge, the Applied Manufacturing Management program will bolster your leadership skills aimed for a manufacturing sector. This Ontario College Graduate Certificate will help you launch your leadership career within a Canadian manufacturing environment. In this program you will apply project lifecycle techniques and develop the ability to utilize and integrate complex manufacturing design software. Team management skills will be refined to aid in meeting Canadian industry goals. Through theoretical and practical courses, you will be exposed to real life situations that arise in the workplace. You will work individually and in groups using current software to simulate the management of manufacturing initiatives while incorporating quality assurance, and process and project management techniques. You will focus on meeting challenges in a production environment from both operational and strategic perspectives in this management-tailored program.

If you are interested in working in a fast-paced, customer-oriented and diverse esthetics environment, then the Esthetician program is for you. Geared to individuals interested in working in the dynamic spa industry in a variety of roles, the Esthetician program is offered as an Ontario College Diploma, providing theoretical and practical learning experiences in the areas of personal care, specialized beauty and body treatments, nail care, and customer service. The program includes integrated lab experiences plus a number of field placements which support the development of strong practical skills for specific procedures such as waxing, manicure, pedicure, facial treatments and other skin care procedures, with the opportunity to apply theoretical knowledge gained in class. You will learn the latest techniques from spa industry leaders in a state-of-the-art facility, as well as have placements in local spas that are guided and supervised by industry experts.

Quality Assurance - Manufacturing and Management
Today’s manufacturing sector requires highly skilled individuals with in-depth knowledge of current quality assurance, problem solving, and management practices. If you have the desire to be part of a quality movement, and want hands-on experience with the tools to support your career goals, then this program will be of interest to you. This two-semester Quality Assurance Manufacturing and Management Ontario College Graduate Certificate will provide you with the knowledge and techniques to improve the delivery and quality of goods and services. This program focuses on the use of modern quality improvement and problem solving methods that support the achievement of performance excellence in manufacturing and associated business processes. A combination of theoretical and practical learning opportunities will prepare you for a variety of management and quality focused career opportunities.

Project Management
Learn how to manage simple to complex projects from start to finish, and become a critical part of an organization’s most exciting achievements. Develop the skills you need to oversee project management activities such as planning, managing scope, costs, time while balancing client expectations. Learn organizational Agility with practices such as Scrum. Establish goals for your project team and lead them to overcome obstacles to achieve success, meeting stakeholders needs. Earn project management education hours towards a variety of certifications: Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM), Project Management Professional (PMP), Agile Scrum Master (ASM), Risk Management Professional (RMP), or Agile Certified Practitioner (ACP) designations. Interested in taking this program on a part-time basis? It's possible to complete this program while still working full-time and fulfilling your other commitments.

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.

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.