Bachelor of Community Development (Honours)

at Humber College - Lakeshore Campus Canada

Humber’s Professional Writing and Communications graduate certificate program supports you as you learn and practise the craft of writing while building a professional portfolio. This unique program provides you with the core transferrable skills you need to build a successful career in a variety of communications roles. Building on foundational skills such as storytelling, drafting, editing, pitching, interviewing and research, you will build proficiency in areas such as media writing, social media management, project management and design.

With a focus on writing for different audiences and purposes, as well as using current technologies to maximize the impact of your message, you will be well-positioned to enter the workplace with the knowledge and skills needed to succeed as a professional writer/communications specialist across a variety of sectors. You will also learn how to think strategically in preparation for taking on leadership positions within communications departments or starting your own freelance writing business.

The program will create a community of writers and support collaboration, networking, professional development and publication.

Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the program, a graduate will:

• Analyze the elements of storytelling in texts and choose appropriate narrative techniques and forms for a variety of writing projects.
• Create documents suitable for a diversity of audiences and purposes using advanced linguistic and rhetorical skills.
• Create documents that adhere to standards of structure/formatting for standard print and electronic forms such as informational articles, reports, blog posts, and web site copy, and strategically repurpose content across these forms.
• Integrate new communications technologies into an existing media toolkit.
• Manage a multifaceted editorial project or communications campaign from the planning stages through completion, using a team-oriented, collaborative leadership style.
• Adapt a consistent, unique writing voice to different platforms and genres.
• Assess the needs of complex communications campaigns and then select and deploy appropriate strategies to meet those needs, using knowledge of communications theory and audience analysis.
• Produce and/or edit error-free publications for both print and on-line environments, through the use of grammar and mechanical rules, correct and relevant editorial terminology, and copy-writing and style guides.
• Analyze the structure and mechanics of a variety of document forms, both electronic and print, and apply substantive, line-level, and copyediting revisions as appropriate.
• Analyze the media landscape and the range of communications fields to plan ways to navigate the industry and market oneself.
• Create an online portfolio and social media profile to market writing skills to potential employers and freelance clients.
• Select suitable and credible research sources for strategic applications to a range of advanced communication challenges.

Humber’s Introduction to Commercial Jazz Music certificate is a performance-based program designed to help you assess and strengthen your skills. It solidifies your knowledge of the fundamentals of western music and develops your current performance skills through the jazz-specific areas of improvisation, repertoire development and small group ensemble performance. You will emerge from the program with a clearer understanding of the field and your own career potential within it, and as a stronger candidate for entry into postsecondary music degree and diploma programs. All courses have a particular focus on the commercial/jazz field.

Learning Outcomes

• Upon successful completion of the program, a graduate will:
  • Recognize & identify common styles of music.
  • Describe the commercial/jazz field in terms of tradition, artists, & styles.
  • Explain the contribution of various artists to the development of particular styles & idioms.
  • Analyze the components & performance differences of recorded selections.
  • Play a repertoire of memorized materials that are considered standards in the commercial/jazz field & reflect the various styles inherent in this music.
  • Write diatonic melodies in various styles demonstrating knowledge of relevant harmonic & melodic concepts & structures of form.
  • Perform in an ensemble demonstrating basic ensemble skills such as intonation, tuning, time, feel, balance & dynamics.
  • Identify their own musical strengths & weaknesses in terms of a performance career in the commercial/jazz field.
  • Implement strategies & plans for on-going personal & professional growth & development.
  • Establish a practice of critical self-assessment & professional goal setting.

Humber’s Business Administration Co-op advanced diploma program allows you to develop extensive knowledge on how businesses work and become competent in the full range of skills needed to facilitate business operations. Courses in operations management, accounting, human resources management, marketing research and much more will give you the opportunity to cultivate key business skills such as communication, teamwork, project management and strategic business analysis. This program allows you to develop your leadership skills. You’ll learn to strategize, negotiate, set priorities, manage time and solve problems effectively. This program is built on a common platform of a solid business education – principles of management, marketing, business law, finance mathematics and microeconomics. The platform is shared with other business diploma programs in year one and is expanded on in year two. Students will then shift their focus and begin working towards their specialization in the third year.

Work placement

With support from an employment placement advisor, you are responsible for finding suitable paid co-op placements. Co-op work placements take place after Semesters 2 and 4. Each placement is 15 weeks (12 weeks mandatory).

Our graduates have the benefit of a high quality, broad-based business education with a strong foundation in accounting, finance, human resources administration, management, operations, business systems and marketing. Upon graduation, you’ll be well equipped to take on a wide variety of positions in areas including customer service, marketing, marketing research and sales, purchasing, HR administration, product and account management, event planning, accounting and financial planning, and budget analysis.

Humber’s Business Management – Entrepreneurial Enterprise graduate certificate program provides the practical skills and knowledge you’ll need to take on a wide variety of leadership roles in innovative entrepreneurial enterprises.

This program covers every area of entrepreneurship from the fundamentals of developing and refining ideas to launching, growing and managing the enterprise. You will be prepared to take on key management roles in entrepreneurial enterprises including operations, marketing and sales, finance, human resources and strategic planning. Plus, you will learn all you need to start and manage your own new enterprise.

Students in this program can participate in Humber’s Business funding competitions for a chance to obtain seed funding for their new enterprise and other contests and progams sponsored by Humber's Centre for Entrepreneurship. Students in this program automatically become members of Humber’s Centre for Entrepreneurship which gives them access to mentorship, coaching, networking events, seminars, workshops, and entrepreneurial facilities and workspaces.

Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the program, a graduate will:

• Develop and implement a comprehensive business plan for a new business enterprise.
• Present an executive summary of a comprehensive business plan to potential financial backers.
• Set up and operate a basic bookkeeping and accounting system for a new enterprise that will enable effective financial management.
• Construct, interpret and analyze key financial statements.
• Devise marketing plans encompassing development, implementation, performance monitoring and adjustment using appropriate tools, techniques and applications.
• Execute leadership strategies by modelling ethical practices and corporate social responsibility to enhance a firm’s competitive position and sustainability.
• Comply with legal and regulatory requirements, tax and other financial requirements, and non-financial compliance requirements and controls systems.
• Apply various selling structures, methods and techniques to generate revenue and effectively manage client relationships.
• Develop and implement an effective human resource management plan to support new ventures and ongoing business operations.
• Build and manage relationships using communication, networking, teamwork and leadership skills.
• Use evidence-based analysis and decision-making in all functional business areas.
• Analyze and realign business strategies to contribute to the operational sustainability of new or ongoing small or medium size enterprise.

Humber’s Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) graduate certificate program builds confident and knowledgeable teachers who have a full understanding of best practices in teaching English as a second language (ESL). Our innovative curriculum is based on the latest ESL teaching approaches, methods and assessment systems including the Canadian Language Benchmarks and the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). You will be exposed to a wide range of theoretical issues including adult second language acquisition, learning theories, linguistics, the emerging field of teaching with technology, and portfolio-based assessment. More importantly, you will have the opportunity to immediately apply this learning through classroom observations and practice teaching.

Faculty members are highly respected, dedicated professionals with graduate credentials in the field and bring extensive ESL teaching and teacher training experience.

Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the program, a graduate will:

• Plan syllabi, modules, lessons, activities, and assessment that support all learners in achieving their learning goals, drawing on knowledge of language, curriculum, instructional context, while addressing learners' needs and interests.
• Explain the central concepts and conventions of the English language, including linguistic systems, language skills (listening, speaking, read, & writing), organizational patterns, pragmatics, and strategic competence in order to plan effective learning experiences.
• Select from a wide range of teaching resources (print, digital, and realia) and technological tools to best meet learners' needs and enhance learners' engagement and motivation.
• Adapt various curricular models within a given teaching context, in order to determine most appropriate teaching approaches, and/or frameworks, supporting documents and resources.
• Deliver clear, engaging language instruction- face to face, online, or blended- that applies context- appropriate teaching approaches, strategies, techniques, and digital tools and draws on knowledge of language and second language learning processes.
• Reflect on ongoing professional development needs, through collegial discussion, action research, and dynamic interaction with learners in order to self-assess and challenge developing practice.
• Implement context-appropriate methods of assessment to monitor learner progress and to guide both instructors and learner's decision-making.
• Interact with colleagues and students in ways that show respect for their diverse background and experiences.
• Apply the principles and theories of second language acquisition and adult education, which also include linguistic, psychological, and soci-cultural factors affecting language acquisition, to pedagogical decisions in ELT contexts.
• Communicate clearly, concisely and correctly, in the written, spoken and visual form in ways that fulfill the purpose and meet the needs of the students, employers, and peers.
• Seek and incorporate feedback, advice, and professional learning to continuously improve teaching practice.
• Curate a collection of professional artifacts reflecting a dynamic and evolving philosophy of language teaching and learning.

Work Placement
Students will complete a 50-hour graduated teaching practicum. Unlike many other institutions, our practicum is fully arranged and supervised, giving student teachers the time to focus on their learning and preparation. Students fulfill their practicum requirements in a variety of settings which may include:

• Humber’s English Language Centre in the English for Academic Purposes program
• Humber’s Continuing Education department, enhanced language training (ELT)-related programs
• Humber’s Writing Centre
• Adult ESL and Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) classes in the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board and community agencies

The truth-telling role of journalism has never been more important than it is today. Humber’s Bachelor of Journalism degree program helps you develop all of the skills you will need to report on the biggest and most compelling stories in your community and around the world. Journalism is the perfect field for students with a desire to inform and engage the public. In addition to traditional skills like critical thinking, researching, reporting and interviewing, you will also learn how to use audio, text, video, and photos to create compelling online stories for a wide range of digital platforms.

You will study both the theoretical and practical aspects of journalism, and you’ll do it using the latest industry-standard hardware and software in Humber’s Newsroom. You will have access to and learn from instructors with deep and varied journalism experience. You will have the chance to pursue your interests with journalism classes that will teach you to cover sports, arts, politics, lifestyle and more. Breadth education electives will help you expand your knowledge in a variety of areas.

Our program has been designed with input from journalists and media professionals ensuring that it provides the skills required for a wide variety of journalism careers.

Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the program, a graduate will:

• Write and edit content for a variety of story forms and web-based applications.
• Interview contacts and sources for a variety of media applications.
• Examine and apply various journalistic and academic research methods assessing the credibility of international sources.
• Analyze media theory and the role of the media in society.
• Adhere to professional and ethical codes of conduct, guidelines and legal requirements.
• Produce images and content for web-based applications.
• Demonstrate critical and creative thinking skills.
• Analyze society’s fundamental systems (political, legal, social diversity) and their connections to the journalistic world.
• Analyze media law and journalistic responsibility.
• Critique and analyze media practices and products.
• Develop entrepreneurial skills related to the business of journalism.
• Develop a portfolio of journalistic projects for work search purposes.
• Establish a professional media identity based on an analysis of personal interests, opportunities, benefits, risks, marketing, strategies and audience.
• Demonstrate conflict management strategies and negotiation skills required in journalistic work.
• Work effectively and assertively in teams to achieve desired goals and resolve differing or opposing ideas and points of view.

Work Placement

• You will complete a 14-week work placement in the summer between years three and four. This placement provides an opportunity to gain experience in your chosen field and to meet professionals in journalism and digital communications settings. Many of the placements are offered in the Greater Toronto Area, a hub for Canada’s media industry. The work settings and the work itself support your professional development and will provide you with both the knowledge and skills required to enter the profession, as well as the confidence to perform the work required.

The Content Strategy graduate certificate program is designed to prepare students for the emerging and expanding field of content strategy. Content strategists help organizations and agencies establish and maintain credible, viable and trustworthy content - content that has value, content that is inherently inclusive and content that is purposeful. Content strategies are unified visions of digital and analog interactive systems and communications in a platform-agnostic system.

Content strategists oversee the publishing of content by providing advice and direction to improve brand awareness, internal communications, public relations and user experience. Strategists engage with all aspects of the content development lifecycle, from ideating and curating content to creating artifacts and deliverables that allow organizations to analyze content and make holistic, strategic recommendations for the development of content based on thorough analysis.

Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the program, a graduate will:

• Develop carefully considered, holistic strategies and tactics for the establishment of a credible, viable and trustworthy online presence for an organization or agency in order to optimize web-based business assets.
• Conduct a qualitative and quantitative audit of existing content inventory in order to assess it for accuracy, currency, usefulness, usability and findability.
• Analyze internal and external factors and trends that impact the creation, delivery and governance of an organizations’ content in order to maintain relevancy, currency and alignment with business goals.
• Present clear recommendations for content creation, delivery and governance that meet business goals and user needs for current and relevant information, advice and direction, procedures to follow, and relationship building.
• Design and manage a workflow that defines the people, processes and timelines required for effective content creation, delivery and governance.
• Help online readers to find information, solve problems and complete tasks by publishing effectively written original content and sourcing relevant curated material.
• Deliver quality accessible, branded content consistently across selected digital channels that is appropriate for the target audience.
• Develop policies, standards and guidelines for the maintenance of content accuracy, consistent brand messaging and user engagement that complies with relevant law, industry standards and business best practices.
• Conduct a retrospective review using qualitative data and evidence from web analytics to measure the impact of a content strategy on business outcomes.
• Identify and address the implicit and explicit biases of self, team members and audience in order to curate socially, culturally and environmentally sensitive content that strengthens brand equity.

Work Placement - Students will participate in a mandatory work placement in their final semester of study.

Humber’s Community and Justice Services diploma program focuses on both the community and the institutional sectors of the justice system. Our curriculum combines theory and applied skills, giving you the breadth of knowledge and experience needed to meet the demands of an entry-level position in this field. You’ll be prepared for occupations where you will work with offenders and other high-risk client groups and will explore the development of community programs, restorative justice initiatives and preventative measures. In addition, we practise inclusivity from a broad anti-oppressive perspective and place a strong emphasis on the practice of interpersonal, problem-solving and assessment skills.

Our faculty are skilled, committed, and have direct work experience within community and institutional correctional services. As a result, our program boasts strong community links. Additionally, experts also deliver further specialized community justice training. Our advisory committee regularly reviews our curriculum, ensuring our program is always on the cutting edge of developments in the field. 

You will have an opportunity to practise your skills during a supervised, comprehensive work placement in an institutional or community setting in Semesters 3 and 4, two days per week.

Our program allows you to help contribute towards creating safe and healthy communities. You may be involved in a variety of roles within the community such as:

• Community justice worker
• Provincial or federal adult correctional officer
• Provincial youth service officer
• Open custody youth worker
• Community crime prevention worker
• Victim services worker
• Residential worker
• Law enforcement officer

Gain the competitive edge that will qualify you for positions in a variety of settings such as:

• Community-based advocacy agencies
• Institutional or community correctional settings
• Law enforcement departments
• Courts

Humber’s Introduction to Commercial Jazz Music certificate is a performance-based program designed to help you assess and strengthen your skills. It solidifies your knowledge of the fundamentals of western music and develops your current performance skills through the jazz-specific areas of improvisation, repertoire development and small group ensemble performance. You will emerge from the program with a clearer understanding of the field and your own career potential within it, and as a stronger candidate for entry into postsecondary music degree and diploma programs. All courses have a particular focus on the commercial jazz field.

Learning Outcomes

• Upon successful completion of the program, a graduate will:
  • Recognize & identify common styles of music.
  • Describe the commercial/jazz field in terms of tradition, artists, & styles.
  • Explain the contribution of various artists to the development of particular styles & idioms.
  • Analyze the components & performance differences of recorded selections.
  • Play a repertoire of memorized materials that are considered standards in the commercial/jazz field & reflect the various styles inherent in this music.
  • Write diatonic melodies in various styles demonstrating knowledge of relevant harmonic & melodic concepts & structures of form.
  • Perform in an ensemble demonstrating basic ensemble skills such as intonation, tuning, time, feel, balance & dynamics.
  • Identify their own musical strengths & weaknesses in terms of a performance career in the commercial/jazz field.
  • Implement strategies & plans for on-going personal & professional growth & development.
  • Establish a practice of critical self-assessment & professional goal setting.

Humber’s Advertising and Marketing Communications diploma program will equip you with promotional writing, presentation and organizational skills, as well as introductory design, basic production and supplier management skills. Courses in advertising, marketing communications, public relations and project co-ordination will give you a keen awareness of the breadth of your employment opportunities.

This program focuses on providing you with skills that enable you to work with advertising creatives including copywriters, graphic and interactive designers, art directors, and suppliers with an emphasis on media planning. Opportunities to work with Humber’s in-house agency, BuildingF, will allow you to start building a professional network while working with peers on real-world briefs.

Your first semester is shared with the Advertising and Graphic Design, Journalism, Public Relations, and Media Communications diploma programs, giving you the freedom to change the direction of your studies in the second semester.

Work Placement
Gain hands-on experience with a work placement in the industry. Here, you will have the opportunity to apply what you’ve learned in the classroom to a real-world business environment. With our support, you’ll find your placement at any number of local, national or international advertising, marketing and /or media-related agencies, companies or brands in the Greater Toronto Area