Certificate in General Business Studies

at Kwantlen Polytechnic University - Langley Campus Canada

The program is recognized by The British Columbia College of Nursing Professionals (BCCNP).

The purpose of the program is to educate nurses to work with individuals, families, groups and communities from a health promotion perspective and with an ethic of caring.

The program will assist students to develop sensitivity to people's experiences with health and healing across the lifespan in a variety of settings. Students will learn to work as partners with clients and with other health care providers. Through their understanding of and participation in the changing health care system, graduates will be active participants in creating health for all.

Students complete the Health Foundations Certificate and six (6) additional academic semesters. Graduates will be eligible to apply to write national examinations to obtain registration to practice as registered nurses in British Columbia.

The curriculum of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program is based on the concepts of caring and health promotion and has been developed in consultation with nursing practitioners, theorists, professional associations, and various government ministries. The program includes non-nursing courses that complement nursing theory and practice. The curriculum considers the changing health care needs of our society.

A health promotion and constructivist perspective has been used to organize the curriculum. Pedagogy and teaching methodologies encourage the development of critical thinking and the discovery of personal meaning. There is an emphasis on practice experiences as the foundation of nursing and the recognition that nurses' work requires thoughtful, reflective action.

The program curriculum and the success of KPU's diploma graduates have established the Horticulture Technology Diploma with or without specialization as a highly valued credential in the workplace. The Diploma program combines theory and technique with best horticulture practice. Students learn how to use the tools and technologies that are an everyday part of industry workplace. The program also provides students with a foundation in horticulture science. Students develop an understanding of the environmental requirements for optimum plant growth. Best practice and sustainability are key learning outcomes.

All students must undertake a minimum 455 hours of 'Work Experience', typically completed between first and second year. This provides opportunity for students to apply their new skills and identify where their careers may lie after graduating.

Specialization Options
The Diploma in Horticulture Technology can be completed without specialization or by choosing one of three specializations:

• Landscape Horticulture Systems
• Sustainable Production Horticulture
• Turf Management

Advanced VFX (Virtual Production) is a full-time, two-year, cohort program focused on the fundamentals of Visual Effects and the integration of Virtual Production workflows and pipelines. Students will study numerous specializations in VFX, such as modeling, sculpting, texturing/surfacing, lighting, compositing, and FX. The program also integrates virtual production workflows into these departments and courses by introducing the Unreal Engine. Unreal and other virtual production software and tools are used in the preparation, modification, and filming of VFX assets, in-camera. By replicating real-world fundamentals of virtual production and its fast-paced work environment of real-time rendering, artists are trained to be equipped both artistically and technically in the realm of quick problem solving, teamwork and collaboration. The fundamentals of cinematography, data acquisition, matchmove, photography and real-world lighting are also explored before they are taken into the 3D, virtual space. In advanced studies, 3D matte painting is introduced as a hybrid of 2D and 3D images for set extensions, for use in both traditional VFX and VFX for virtual production. Basic scripting is used in various software packages, such as Unreal, Nuke, Houdini and other industry leading software to optimize artists’ workflows. The program also teaches students the fundamentals of pre- and post-production, critical analysis and review, realistic production schedules, team work and soft skills. It also teaches students how to interact with other VFX departments, both on set and in studio.

A wide range of industry standard software and tools, processes, and workflows are taught to the students for both traditional VFX and VFX for virtual production. Students will create a portfolio of VFX shots in the form of a demo reel. Demo reel shots may be solely the student’s own creations, or the result of a collaborative group project(s).

The Advanced VFX (Virtual Production) program is best suited for students that display an artistic or creative background. A foundation in technical and or software skills is also beneficial. These artistic, creative and technical skills serve as a foundation for challenging roles in the VFX and game development industries.

The Bachelor of Journalism program is unique in B.C., featuring multimedia storytelling experience utilizing the most current technologies. Students use industry-standard software to produce journalism that draws on the full range of multimedia storytelling possibilities, including animation, interactivity, audio, and video. Students participate in academic studies and practical training through seminars, labs, and off-campus work experiences. The Journalism program prepares graduates for such positions as multi-media journalists, editors, researchers, and freelance writers. Our grads also work as communications professionals in such fields as media relations, corporate communications, and public relations. The Bachelor of Journalism gives students valuable transferable skills that can be put to use in many fields of endeavour, including working in a multimedia environment, using social media and journalistic research skills in professional settings, and understanding the many facets of the collection and dissemination of information via the media.

Communication Studies courses are also an important part of the program, including exploration of such issues as media law and ethics, media and diversity, and media and social change.
Faculty members in KPU's Journalism department include award-winning journalists with career experience and academic credentials. Many faculty members continue to work as journalists.

Turf management students participate in provincial and national industry conferences, establishing valuable networks of industry and alumni contacts that will continue to support their career development long after they graduate. On campus, students play a role in the management of the sports turf field lab with golf greens, tees, fairways, home lawns, and park-style lawn areas.

Graduates are managing golf courses in all parts of the province. Many have successful careers with municipal parks departments managing sports fields. In addition to turf management, the program includes tree care (arboriculture) and a number of turf management graduates are successful arborists.

The Diploma in Brewing and Brewery Operations is a two-year diploma where students study the science, production and business of brewing craft beer. The program combines building a solid foundation in brewing science with hands-on practical learning in our state-of-the-art 2 hectoliter pilot brewery located on the Langley campus. The curriculum was developed in consultation with the BC Craft Brewers Guild and an Advisory Committee consisting on local brewmasters, brewery owners and industry experts.

Who Studies Brewing?

• Brewing applicants come from diverse backgrounds and prove to have more than just a passion for craft beer. They demonstrate interest in areas such as biology, chemistry, engineering, business, technology, and food.
• Brewing is a physically demanding, hands-on career; Brewing students are expected to wear appropriate protective clothing and safety gear at all times inside the brewery and science labs.  They should expect to work on their feet for 6 to 8 hours in what may be a hot or cold, wet, noisy environment and should be capable or lifting 25kg or moving 75kg.

All prospective music students apply to enter the Bachelor of Music in Musical Arts Degree. Those students who wish to graduate with a Diploma in Music may apply after completing one of six concentrations.

The Diplomas in Music are two-year, four-semester programs. Each concentration is designed to help students develop their abilities in both academic and applied studies. All students receive four semesters of private instruction on their chosen instrument and participate in a large ensemble each semester. The core curriculum is augmented by electives chosen by the student in consultation with a faculty advisor.

The facilities at the Langley Campus have been designed to accommodate music instruction in solo performance, orchestral, band, choral, and chamber music.

Intake occurs once a year in September for full-time program students. It is expected that most students will enroll in a full-time program, but part-time participation will be allowed subject to seat availability and the fulfillment of the course prerequisites.

Credit for courses completed at other institutions may be transferred subject to the approval of the Music Chair. As well, first time registration for some courses may be allowed in January subject to the approval of the Music Chair and fulfillment of any course prerequisites.

Diploma Concentrations

• There are six concentrations within the Diploma program:
  • Comprehensive Studies
  • Guitar Performance
  • Orchestral Instrument Performance
  • Piano Performance
  • Vocal Performance
  • General Studies

The one-year General Business Studies Certificate Program is designed to provide students with a broad range of fundamental business skills and an understanding of the business environment. Many classes are offered in the evening to accommodate part-time students.  The Certificate program requires completion of 10 courses and emphasizes real world business applications in key functional areas.

Students may select their elective courses according to the following guidelines for specialization in Business Management or Marketing and have the specialization documented on their transcript.

Courses in the certificate program may also be applied towards the Business Management Diploma program at KPU.

The Bachelor of Arts Major in Sociology provides students with critical, practical and transformative studies that aim to prepare them for life and work in a diverse and globalized world. It is a flexible and well-rounded program, offering academic rigor and a solid grounding in sociology theory and research methods, and the study of societies in local and global contexts. Opportunities for engaging in applied, experiential and community-based learning are provided throughout the program.

Students may choose to gain a broad understanding of the discipline by taking courses in a wide range of sub-fields in sociology or streamline their programs by concentrating on particular subjects of interest to them such as gender and sexuality, racialized and ethnic minority groups, Indigenous studies, media and cultural studies, education, global social problems and social justice. In their final year, students may opt to hone their research skills by taking courses in Canadian and global studies with a primary research component. Or they may choose to take one of the community services courses to gain practical work experience by volunteering in an organization within the local community or participating in a field-school overseas in a developing nation. 

The Associate Degree is designed to provide an education experience that prepares students for work, citizenship, and an enriched life as an educated person, and to lay a solid foundation for further study in the field of Political Science.