Graduate Certificate in Public Administration

at Humber College - Lakeshore Campus Canada

Humber’s Public Relations graduate certificate program is recognized by industry as one of Canada’s leading training grounds for public relations professionals. This intensive program is focused on preparing you to launch your degree and getting you ready for your first day of your work placement. You will learn how to plan, develop and execute effective public relations strategies. You will build critical skills in event planning, public speaking and presentation.

Experienced professors will help you develop writing skills, public relations strategies, research and planning abilities, and a high degree of social and traditional media literacy. Practical public relations courses in PR theory, marketing communications, public affairs, media relations, corporate social responsibility, sustainability and change management will provide you with a valuable and useful introduction to the field. Your teamwork, collaborative, and leadership skills will be honed through group assignments.

Work Placement
Many students choose our program because of our outstanding work placement program. After successfully completing two academic semesters, students will complete a mandatory work placement. This experience will allow you to gain valuable job skills and industry knowledge while building your network. Historically, students find work placements in PR agencies, corporations, entertainment organizations, and not-for-profits including arts organizations, hospitals, associations and government. While many placements are located within the GTA, students may also find placements outside the city, province or country.

Humber’s Advertising - Account Management graduate certificate program will prepare you to effectively manage the creative process for the benefit of clients at an advertising agency or within a client’s marketing department. You will develop a greater understanding of the world of creative advertising, media buying and client-agency relationships, and prepare to be part of a team driving strong communication to their target audiences. This program is primarily directed at advertising agency account manager roles but is adaptable to other communication or design-based companies in need of skilful client management.

This unique, writing-intensive program prepares account managers for the advertising industry by exploring a balance of skills from the advertising and creative side of the communication process. An underpinning of the course work investigates how digital marketing and social media impact advertising today. Speakers from the industry, combined with current case studies, enable you to confidently present effective and efficient solutions. Building on your strong writing skills, you will develop other presentation and communication skills in order to better liaise with creative and commercial forces. By incorporating people skills and critical thinking skills, you will acquire the essential knowledge required to thrive in the fast-paced, creative world of advertising.

Graduates will be an asset in three key areas - client relationships, creativity and process management.
You will learn about the link between successful creative and client success criteria including return on investment (ROI) and revenue goals, and how to develop briefs that inspire grounded, effective and exciting work. Digital storytelling and new media are integrated throughout the program. An in-depth understanding of integrated marketing communications and its relationship to other aspects of the business will help you succeed in a complex and challenging field.

Work Placement
Students will gain practical, hands-on experience in the industry by completing a mandatory work placement following their final semester of study.

Humber’s Bachelor of Social Science - Addictions and Mental Health program provides you with degree level education, knowledge and skills required to work in this field. The program is firmly grounded in the theory and application of counselling, policy, governance, social science and research while exploring psychological and sociological influences. In addition, the program focuses on the analysis of social, historical, economic and political issues while exploring the effects these systems have on mental health and opportunities for prevention and harm reduction. The program encourages students to analyze broad issues and develop and apply skills in case management, counselling and grant writing.   

Courses in the first year are part of the common platform with other degrees at Humber offered in the field of social science. In the second year of study, students immerse themselves in the field of addictions and mental health in courses including equity and inclusion, assessment, and counselling. This solid foundation of theory and application is followed by two years of further in-depth study in ethics, advanced counselling, contemporary issues, inter-professional collaboration and research. Overall, the program emphasizes critical thinking, analytical skills, leadership/management and professional practice. 

Learning Outcomes

• Upon successful completion of the program, a graduate will:
  • Analyze historical and contemporary approaches, theories, values and methods in addictions and mental health studies.  
  • Situate theories, practices and policies in mental health and addictions within the broad context and traditions of the social sciences.  
  • Determine appropriate practices based on critical reading of published research and traditional indigenous knowledge in mental health literature and case studies.  
  • Conduct secondary research in order to write scholarly articles, which summarize the current issues in the field of addiction and mental health. 
  • Advocate for community supports and services for individuals, families and the community with respect to addictions and mental health. 
  • Provide non-biased and culturally competent guidance/assistance to a range of clients with issues relating to addictions and mental health, from diverse populations and backgrounds, and their supports as they are identified by the primary client.
  • Develop, implement and evaluate treatment plans with clients and families with respect to addictions and mental health. 
  • Provide professional services within inter-professional teams providing ethical, legal, effective, timely, and coordinated services within the scope of practice.  
  • Counsel clients and groups effectively in order to empower the individual’s and/or the group’s capacity for self-efficacy. 
  • Describe the limits of the explanatory power of theoretical constructs in order to retain appropriate measures of flexibility and responsiveness in working with clients. 
  • Plan for longevity and wellness in a demanding field, including considerations for self-care, reflective practice, use of constructive feedback, and ongoing professional development. 

Work Placement
In the third year, students will enhance their theoretical and applied studies with a work- integrated learning placement totalling 420 hours in a community setting. Students will have the option of completing placement hours on a full-time (summer) or part-time basis (over the fall and winter semesters) based on their individual situations. During this time, they will be able to practise the skills and apply the knowledge that they have acquired before embarking on their senior course work.

Humber’s Music Business graduate certificate program starts in May and is a condensed summer program with two semesters rolled into one (May - August), followed by a third semester work placement in the fall. This program prepares you to work in any number of areas in the music industry. It offers a unique combination of theoretical and practical knowledge of the music industry, as well as entrepreneurial, business and project management skills. You will study the structure of the Canadian music industry, artist and venue management, manufacturing, contracts, licensing and copyright, national and international distribution, marketing, promotion, and sales. You will develop foundational music business expertise including communication and interpersonal skills in order to respond to industry demands for professionals who can interact with diverse teams and audiences. Opportunities for applied work and industry connections are important components of the program.

Learning Outcomes

• Upon successful completion of the program, a graduate will:
  • Situate music business decisions within key historical and current contexts of the music industry.
  • Articulate the unique responsibilities of key personnel in the music industry.
  • Analyze the marketplace and trends in the music industry and use the analysis for decision making in the music business environment.
  • Develop and implement a viable and realistic business plan for a professional musician or musical company.
  • Develop and implement a music marketing plan that includes sonic branding.
  • Collaborate with a team to market an artist or new music.
  • Adhere to legal principles, government legislation and regulations, copyright and contract requirements, and professional and industry codes of conduct.
  • Assess existing and emerging market entry options for music products or services and implement the optimal market entry strategy.
  • Apply negotiation, effective interpersonal communication, and human resource management skills to establish and maintain effective working relations.
  • Prepare and interpret financial statements to inform music business decisions and/or practices.
  • Identify and access public and private sources of capital to support music business plans.

Work Placement

• Students are required to complete an industry work placement totalling 300 hours. Humber staff will assist in placing the student - however, the ultimate responsibility for finding the placement is the student's.

Humber’s Developmental Services Worker (DSW) diploma program teaches you skills to effectively promote the physical, mental and emotional health of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Our faculty team consists of developmental services professionals who are active in the field, and our small class sizes allow for individualized attention. Our curriculum is designed with input from developmental services field experts, ensuring courses are current and relevant.

Your studies begin by learning the stages of human development, the types of developmental disabilities and the range of available community support services for this population. Next, you’ll learn intervention techniques, person-centered planning, abnormal psychology/dual diagnosis, basic pharmacology, supporting people with autism and other complex needs, augmentative forms of communication, and effective responses to people who have been abused. Finally, you’ll develop skills in building interpersonal relationships and counselling. 

You’ll also build your expertise in our counselling labs which provide an ideal setting to develop competencies for working with individuals with limited verbal skills.

Work Placement
Our program offers a rich diversity of innovative and traditional work-integrated learning opportunities. You will complete 568 hours of experiential education with three separate community partners over the duration of the program.

After consulting with you regarding your interests and preferences, your field placement co-ordinator will refer you to specific agencies for these unpaid work experiences.

Field placements run for 14 weeks in Semester 2 of the first year. Students are required to complete 168 hours in this time. Placements are two days per week. Internships take place during fourth semester of second year. Students are required to complete 400 hours with two different employers, four days per week for 14 weeks.

Humber’s Television Writing and Producing graduate certificate program prepares you to work as a television writer and producer, and to work in the production offices and on sets of current major television shows.

You will learn how to write, as well as create and produce, all genres of television shows from half-hour situation comedy, animation, children’s, one-hour episodic, reality and lifestyle to late night comedies, short films and screenplays. You will work with award-winning writers; producers; directors; set designers; editors; directors of photography; and development and network executives from Toronto, Vancouver and Los Angeles to learn the lucrative and creative business of television and film. Learn from well-known guests, lecturers and faculty how to create, write, develop, pitch and sell the ideas that may one day lead to successful employment in writers’ rooms, production offices and on sets of major network television shows.

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

• Outline the requirements for various scripts including Movies of the Week, Variety Television, Children’s Programming and Dramatic Series.
• Create “spec” scripts of types including Movies of the Week, Variety Television, Children’s Programming and Dramatic Series.
• Calculate profit and sales figures for given productions.
• Summarize trends in television sales, production and markets.
• Prepare strategies for pitching and packaging new products.
• Provide a critical summary of all the technical requirements associated with television production and give examples of the problems and challenges encountered in production areas such as sound, lighting, space, sets, animation needs, camera operation, make up, costume design and music.
• Perform the duties of a director or a director’s assistant.
• Demonstrate the skills of a story analyst, reader production assistant and writer’s assistant.
• Demonstrate the responsibilities and functions of a theatrical agent.
• Outline the entrepreneurial skills needed by script writers.
• Network with well-known television writers and producers.
• Exhibit team building and communication skills and profit from exercises that encourage self-understanding, peer respect and professional behaviours.

Humber’s Event Management graduate certificate program is one of the most comprehensive event management programs available. We provide you with essential skills such as venue selection, timing, approvals, professional etiquette, staging, selection of food and beverage, budgeting, staffing, and evaluation. You will learn to design, develop, co-ordinate and manage a broad range of events such as corporate meeting planning; film, documentary and music festivals; not-for-profit experiential events and galas; brand experience; consumer events; and trade shows, to name a few. Additionally, you will gain transferable, practical knowledge and skills in management practices such as planning, design, marketing, human resource and volunteer management, sponsorship, catering management, budgeting, risk management, and event evaluation. Faculty are chosen for their expertise and experience in the event management field and many continue to work in the industry.

Work Placement
Gain hands-on experience in the industry with a 160-hour (minimum) work placement that will give you the opportunity to apply in a real business what you have learned in the classroom. Students initiate the placement with the aid of faculty, targeting companies in the Greater Toronto Area.

Placements can be completed on a part-time basis throughout the academic year or full time once classes finish.

The Humber Experience
Whether it is a connection with music festivals, corporate meeting planning, fundraising or not for profit experiential marketing, students in this program come into classroom and find like-minded people who love to plan, organize, create, execute, manage and excel in the world of events. It is a dynamic fast paced, adrenalin-based career that when done right makes the work look effortless. Taught by industry experts who have the credentials to deliver content at the postgraduate level, this comprehensive program curriculum is layered with industry-focused assignments that give the experience necessary to work in this growing field.

Humber’s Bachelor of Commerce – Healthcare Management degree program gives you the optimal mix of core business and health-care specific skills to launch your career in one of Canada’s most exciting and fastest growing sectors.

In our program, you will begin by acquiring fundamental business skills in accounting and financial management, economics, law, operations management, organizational behaviour, statistics and quantitative methods. Then, you will focus on developing health-care specific skills that are highly valued and sought by employers. Our health-care specialization courses include health informatics, heath data and analysis, health services organization and management, health-care financial management, population health, and policy and evaluation.

Our program was designed in consultation with practising industry leaders to ensure that you will learn and practise the skills you need to succeed in today’s complex health-care environment. While in the program, you will also gain valuable experience through project work that is directly connected to industry, professional work experience, and a curriculum that focuses on real world and contemporary issues in health-care management.

When you finish the program, you will be well prepared and qualified for entry-level positions in health-care management in several sectors, including government, hospitals, agencies, private sector providers and consulting.

Work Placement
The program requires that you complete 14 weeks/420 hours of paid work in the summer between your sixth and seventh semesters. This gives you the hands-on, real-world experience that employers value. Your placement will give you the opportunity to explore the field you’d like to work in when you graduate. We will work with employers and our industry partners to help you identify opportunities to pursue.

If you define yourself as creative but can’t draw, Advertising Copywriting may be the right program for you. Not only that, you love to pursue creative writing and conceptual thinking, enjoy working in a high-intensity environment and are energized by collaborating with other creative minds.

Humber’s Advertising Copywriting graduate certificate program teaches the specialized skills necessary to create powerful and effective copy for all forms of printed advertising, radio and television commercials, web, mobile, and social media. Over two intense semesters, you will develop a wide variety of strategic, conceptual and practical skills. You will learn fundamental production, design and presentation skills, how to generate ideas in pictures and in words and how to focus your creativity using industry-standard techniques. You’ll also learn how to strategically engage with target audiences. 

You will create portfolio samples with industry-standard software such as Adobe Photoshop, InDesign and Illustrator. Acquired skills will be demonstrated in a comprehensive portfolio of work which will be exhibited at a portfolio show at the end of the second semester. 

You will hone your already excellent editing and proofreading skills and apply them not only to your own copywriting but eventually to that of your corporate clients. 

Work Placement
Students will gain practical, hands-on experience in the industry by completing a mandatory work placement following their final semester of study

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.