Advanced Diploma in Business Administration - Accounting (Co-op)

at George Brown College - St. James Campus Canada

The Business Administration – Finance advanced diploma program provides students with the knowledge and skills to work in the financial services sector. The financial services sector continues to grow and adapt to the needs of clients through the use of technology. People with customer service skills and knowledge of financial planning, call centre operations, investments and risk management are needed in this fast-paced environment.

Upon completion of this program, you will be able to help clients take steps to achieve their life goals through an integrated approach to the management of all their financial affairs, including such areas as:

• Financial Management – assess the client’s current and future financial position, based upon their cash flow, budget and net worth.
• Investment Management – assess the nature of the client’s assets based on their risk tolerance, time horizon and expected rates of return
• Retirement Planning – compare the client’s expected lifestyle in retirement to their current retirement assets and planned savings
• Tax Planning – assess the client’s current and future tax obligations and strategies employed to minimize or defer taxation
• Insurance and Risk Management – manage the client's exposure to an unexpected financial loss due to death, health issues, property damage and other risks.
• Estate Planning – assess how the client can meet their objectives upon death in the most efficient and cost-effective manner
• Prepare a comprehensive financial plan for a client situation, integrating and prioritizing the activities listed above.

PROGRAM STANDARDS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES
The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:

• Co-ordinate the processing and maintaining of financial records in compliance with relevant policies, procedures and regulations for individuals and/or organizations.
• Co-ordinate the preparation and the presentation of financial information in compliance with relevant legislation and regulations for individuals and/or organizations.
• Analyze financial reports for individuals and/or organizations by applying financial mathematics and statistics.
• Develop and evaluate a financial plan to meet individuals’ and/or organizations’ needs and objectives.
• Develop, implement, evaluate and co-ordinate marketing strategies to promote financial products and services and to enhance customer service.
• Develop, implement and evaluate strategies to establish and maintain professional networking and business relationships in the finance sector.
• Analyze and evaluate, within a Canadian context, the impact of economic variables, legislation, ethics, technology and the environment on individuals’ and/or organizations’ operations.
• Develop, implement and evaluate ongoing strategies for personal and professional development, highlighting ethics, values and standards in the finance sector.
• Co-ordinate the planning, implementation, management and evaluation of team projects by applying project management principles.

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING

• Work Experience (Co-op or Internship) Required

YOUR FIELD STUDY OPTIONS
Work experience (Co-op and Internship): This program requires the successful completion of two semesters of work experience to graduate. This work experience is either co-op (paid) or internship (unpaid). Either one will give you the practical experience employers value.

George Brown works with employers and industry partners to identify potential work experience opportunities. Students are also strongly encouraged to pursue self-directed industry work experience opportunities they believe will provide the learning experiences they value and meet the learning outcomes of the program.

Graduates of the Project Management graduate certificate program will be prepared to manage project scope and change, provide goal setting, project control, project staffing, risk management, utilize project management tools and perform other functions in careers that incorporate project management or in stand-alone project manager positions.

Graduates will have demonstrated their knowledge, job skills, soft skills and abilities related to business in general and project management in particular.

This learning experience will enable graduates to demonstrate:

• Implementation of Project Management Institute knowledge areas such as processes, lifecycle phases and the embodied concepts, tools and techniques in order to achieve project success
• Adaptation of projects in response to issues that arise internally and externally
• Implementation of general business concepts, practices and tools to facilitate project success
• Application of project management practices to the launch of new programs, initiatives, products, services and events relative to the needs of stakeholders

Program Learning Outcomes
The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:

• Manage the scope, cost, timing, and quality of the project, at all times focused on project success as defined by project stakeholders.
• Align the project to the organization's strategic plans and business justification throughout its lifecycle.
• Identify project goals, constraints, deliverables, performance criteria, control needs, and resource requirements in consultation with stakeholders.
• Implement the PMI project management knowledge areas, processes, lifecycle phases and the embodied concepts, tools and techniques in order to achieve project success.
• Adapt projects in response to issues that arise internally and externally.
• Interact with team and stakeholders in a professional manner, respecting differences, to ensure a collaborative project environment.
• Utilize technology tools for communication, collaboration, information management, and decision support.
• Implement general business concepts, practices, and tools to facilitate project success.
• Reflect on their role and effectiveness as a leader and follower.
• Apply appropriate legal and ethical standards.
• Adapt project management practices to meet the needs of stakeholders from multiple sectors of the economy (i.e., manufacturing, technology, consulting, government, arts, media, and not-for-profit organizations).
• Apply project management practices to the launch of new programs, initiatives, products, services, and events relative to the needs of stakeholders.
• Appraise the role of project management in organizational change.

The Theatre Arts – Performance program at George Brown's School of Media and Performing Arts offers you vigorously concentrated, career-oriented training in the fundamental skills, practicalities, traditions and professionalism needed to work as a professional actor in theatre, television and film.

The conservatory, hands-on training is an integrated curriculum in which almost all subjects are related directly to the acting profession. Five skill courses form the core of our classical approach to training the actor: voice, speech, movement, music and dance. The acting curriculum features improvisation, contact improvisation, storytelling, poetry, text analysis, contemporary and classical scene studies, neutral mask, character mask, clowning, commedia dell’arte, television and film technique, and audition preparation. Further classes include: stage combat, dialectology, theatre history, the business of acting, and the Alexander Technique.

Besides great partnerships with Soulpepper Theatre Company, Tarragon Theatre and Theatre by the Bay, George Brown has run a successful mentorship program for a number of years. In the final year, students will be paired with a successful theatre practitioner. This partnership starts in the students’ final semester and continues for roughly a yearlong period. Mentors will meet with the student at a minimum three times as the student graduates and begins to transition out into the field. This program has been not only a success for the students but mentors have also expressed how great the experience has been and how rewarding it is to be there for the students as they graduate.

Program Learning Outcome

• The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:
  • Perform in a variety of theatrical contexts by applying acting, movement, and voice techniques as required.
  • Develop and present strategies for personal, career and professional development within the performing arts industry.
  • Apply and analyze theatre traditions and current trends from a variety of historical and cultural contexts to enhance personal creativity and theatrical performance.
  • Investigate and articulate personal reasons for pursuing creative work in the theatre.
  • Complete all work in compliance with industry standards and policies and professional ethics.
  • Use entrepreneurial and project planning skills to develop production and administrative aspects of professional theatre.
  • Perform vocal material – solo and choral – and execute staging and choreography as required by a theatrical performance.
  • Create and devise original works of theatre individually and collectively to perform in front of an audience.

The Media Foundation program offers students the chance to explore a variety of media career options while developing the skills necessary to succeed in diploma and advanced diploma media programs. It includes courses in game design and development, photography and image manipulation, storytelling, audio production, interactive media and visual storytelling techniques.

The Portfolio class offered in semester two will help students create a portfolio, which can be used to submit for further studies in Graphic Design, Interaction Design, Game - Art and Video Design & Production and other college and university programs requiring a portfolio for admission.

Program Learning Outcomes
The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:

• Develop creative concepts and ideas through a variety of techniques and in a range of formats.
• Choose appropriate tools, techniques and applications to create media assets and presentations.
• Incorporate researched opinions expressed in mainstream and social media technologies into presentations and reports.
• Utilize current and relevant search strategies and techniques for information fact-finding.
• Apply industry practices to written proposals and print documents, visual storyboards, and interactive presentations.
• Choose visual strategies, historical concepts and precedents in the analysis of past and present trends.
• Create original photographs and videos through a variety of techniques and processes.
• Choose appropriate narrative structures and vocabularies to analyze media and evaluate meaning, coherence, connections and effectiveness.
• Utilize a variety of industry standard audio/video software applications and techniques in the creation of media for a wide range of platforms.
• Use a variety of current industry-standard media tools and techniques to develop self-promotional materials.

The Honours Bachelor of Commerce (Financial Services) is a four-year business degree that was developed with employers to create graduates who can thrive in today's financial services industry. After the first year of studies, students can choose from either the Accounting or Financial Planning specialization.
Whether you are seeking a career as a professional accountant or a financial planner, this program provides the skills, knowledge and real-world experience to help you succeed.

The program includes:

• Work integrated learning experiences that amount to no less than 14 weeks of full-time equivalent work (420 hours), either in one block or in multiple cumulative blocks appropriate to achieving the program learning outcomes
• Accounting, banking management, administration and financial planning theory, as well as the practice of applying concepts in the real word
• A state-of-the-art facility that includes network-ready wireless classrooms and study areas
• Curriculum that is current and has been developed with input from our industry partners, the Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario and the Financial Planners Standards Council.

PROGRAM LEARNING OUTCOMES
The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:

• Communicate information and concepts clearly and concisely using the most appropriate methods for the message, its purpose and its audience.
• Work effectively in teams to achieve desired goals and outcomes by managing projects, resolving conflicts, addressing differing points of view and demonstrating self-awareness, self-confidence and self-management.
• Solve business problems by interpreting data from primary and secondary sources in qualitative and quantitative analyses.
• Evaluate risk, economics, environmental, ethical, legal, political, sociological and technical factors to support strategic decisions.
• Formulate and communicate sound arguments using critical evaluation of research, personal and societal contexts.
• Develop solutions to financial problems using relevant business and statistical models.
• Assess the overall financial performance of an individual or organization and prepare appropriate financial reports.
• Adhere to appropriate professional, legal and ethical codes of conduct and comply with government and industry regulations.
• Use appropriate business software to manage data, analyze financial information, and create business reports.
• Demonstrate awareness of uncertainty, ambiguity and limits of knowledge and how these might influence analysis and decisions.
• Gather and evaluate data, formulate arguments and solve problems using appropriate methods of research and enquiry.

YOUR FIELD STUDY OPTIONS

• Work experience is required as part of this program.

Work Experience
The Honours Bachelor of Commerce (Financial Services) degree includes Co-op experience(s) that amounts to no less than 14 weeks of full-time equivalent work (420 hours), either in one block or in multiple cumulative blocks appropriate to achieving the learning outcomes.

The Co-op experience usually occurs between your sixth and seventh semesters if taken in one block and all 420 hours must be completed before the seventh semester. This work experience provides you with the practical experience employers value. Organizations in the following categories are engaged as field education partners for the Financial Services degree:

• Financial institutions
• Accounting and accounting-related organizations
• Small businesses
• Not-for-profit organizations
• Government offices
• Major corporations

This fast-track program is designed for students with a two-year Hospitality diploma or degree in a related field wishing to pursue a degree in business focusing on hospitality.

Qualified applicants who have completed one of the following diploma programs may be eligible:

• Food and Beverage Management (H132)
• Hospitality – Hotel Operations Management (H133)
• Special Events Management (H131)
• Tourism and Hospitality Management (H130)

Honours Bachelor of Business Administration (Hospitality) (Fast-Track) students will complete a bridging semester from May to August and then go on to complete all outstanding credits toward their degree. This pathway will give students an opportunity to earn a degree credential in two additional years plus the one summer semester, or more, depending on the total transferable credits granted (please see ’How to Qualify and Apply’ section for specific admission requirements).

The program is designed to teach you how to plan and manage complex integrated hospitality operations so that you can become one of the skilled, knowledgeable leaders the hospitality sector is pursuing. The employment prospects in this sector are outstanding. In Canada, the hospitality industry employs more than 1.2 million people, representing over 7 per cent of all employment In the Greater Toronto Area alone, the hospitality sector accounts for almost 329,000 jobs.

A Comprehensive Curriculum:-
The curriculum has been developed to prepare students for management, supervisory and administrative careers through training in analysis and problem-solving, critical thinking, integrated operations, customer management and international applications. Students will become technically proficient in the major components of a hospitality business, including operational processes, finance, human resources, facilities, risk management, research, sustainability and corporate social responsibility.

In addition, the curriculum is designed to:-

• Provide flexible student learning- Courses are offered in online and in-class hybrid format throughout the program to accommodate the paid work placements. Semester 7 is delivered completely online.
• Integrate knowledge and practical applications developed through projects and experiential learning in two paid work placements.
• Build strong management abilities, with every student working on projects individually and with team members.

Applied Learning – Benefit from Hands-on Training:-
Co-operative education is an important component of this degree program. Students spend two paid summer terms working full-time in industry, giving them a chance to apply the knowledge they have acquired in a real-life, hands-on situation. Students obtain practical experience and further develop their skills – an asset for our graduates and their future employers. Students also establish valuable contacts with potential employers, and many graduates find full-time employment with their co-op employer.

The American Sign Language and Deaf Studies program is open to both Deaf and non-deaf students and provides intensive preparation in:

• American Sign Language (ASL) and English
• an orientation to Deaf culture
• current social issues affecting Deaf people
• The curriculum combines:

Opportunities to learn and practice ASL

• Classroom teaching about the structure and features of ASL
• Students will have the opportunity to:

Learn, understand and participate in basic conversations in ASL

• Develop stronger skills in spoken and written English
• Develop a basic understanding of the role of the ASL-English Interpreter

PROGRAM STANDARDS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES
The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:

• Communicate effectively in oral and written English.
• Express and receive messages accurately in routine conversations using American Sign Language.
• Apply basic knowledge of Deaf culture, the Deaf community, and the interpreter profession.

Interaction Design is an interdisciplinary field merging design skills such as user experience, interface development and graphic design with programming to create meaningful experiences between the user, digital and physical platforms, such as websites, wearables and mobile devices.

Modified by the psychological, social, economic and cultural factors that shape our present and future world, this ever-evolving field envisions new ways of human-computer interaction within systems, services, products and spaces across multiple industries.

Throughout the Interaction Design program, students will be expected to address such topics as mixed realities, immersive environments, usability, spatial relations and human factors. An emphasis on usability testing, research, collaboration and real-world projects distinguish this program.

Program Learning Outcomes

• The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:
  • Collaborate in a team environment with various stakeholders to design multi-disciplinary products and services.
  • Apply the appropriate tools that allow for designing, building, visualizing, and programming digital interactive experiences.
  • Assess the requirements of a complex interactive media project.
  • Plan the development and execution of an interaction design project in response to resource and budgetary requirements.
  • Design a complex media project (interface, navigation, graphics, text treatment) using best practice design and development principles, and applying conceptual and theoretical frameworks.
  • Make interactive products, environments, systems and services using appropriate technologies, materials, and manufacturing methods.
  • Perform all work in compliance with regulations, legislation, security policies, industry standards and codes of ethics.
  • Use research skills to assess and inform optimal digital user experience within interactive interfaces.
  • Apply creative and innovative thinking techniques to manage change and solve design problems.
  • Make recommendations based on human computer interaction design guidelines to improve user experiences with interaction design.
  • Design an interactive product or service that delivers a usable interactive experience.
  • Contribute to a variety of interactive platforms and environments, incorporating the principles and elements of design.
  • Create a design solution in accordance with strategies, recommendations and state of the art methodologies.

The George Brown College Financial Planning graduate certificate program provides students with the knowledge and skills to work in the field of financial services.

Upon completion of this program, you will be able to:

• Help clients take steps to achieve their life goals through an integrated approach to the management of all their financial affairs, including such areas as:
• Financial Management – assess the client’s current and future financial position, based upon their cash flow, budget and net worth.
• Investment Management – assess the nature of the client’s assets based on their risk tolerance, time horizon and expected rates of return
• Retirement Planning – compare the client’s expected lifestyle in retirement to their current retirement assets and planned savings
• Tax Planning – assess the client’s current and future tax obligations and strategies employed to minimize or defer taxation
• Insurance and Risk Management – manage the client's exposure to an unexpected financial loss due to death, health issues, property damage and other risks
• Estate Planning – assess how the client can meet their objectives upon death in the most efficient and cost-effective manner
• Prepare a comprehensive financial plan for a complex client situation, integrating and prioritizing the activities listed above

Program Learning Outcomes

• The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:
  • Integrate ethical decision-making processes into all aspects of the financial planning profession.
  • Apply recognized financial planning principles and industry standards to the systematic analysis of financial position and requirements.
  • Prepare accurate and relevant financial plans manually and electronically.
  • Integrate economic and personal information necessary for effective financial planning decisions.
  • Compare, contrast, and select, from appropriate financial products and services, investment planning and counselling services for the public according to industry standards, including taxation counselling.
  • Effectively market financial products through the development of an inventory of prospective clients, following up with individual sales strategies in pursuit of new and renewal business.
  • Recognize potential tax and legal implications within a financial planning situation.
  • Identify and apply written and verbal client-focused communication styles and strategies.
  • Research market opportunities and implement a business plan in support of client needs, as well as student career choices.
  • Qualify to challenge the Certified Financial Planner (CFP™) and to be fully licensed with the IIROC/MFDA.
  • Provide recommendations and options to the public for managing risk involving life and health insurance products.

The Pre-Business program provides academic strengthening and exposure to a broad cross-section of business fields. This unique program offers a strong foundation in business, marketing, accounting, math and English. Many credits earned through this program can be used toward diploma-level programs at the college. Upon graduation, you are given advanced standing in the Centre for Business diploma programs. Graduates are well-prepared to continue on to further education in the Centre for Business or to pursue other career paths.