The Bachelor of Business Administration (Trades Management) (Honours) is a fully online degree-completion program where the knowledge and skills gained through apprenticeship/journeyperson training, or trade-related diploma programs, provide the basis for advanced standing towards a degree. Complete this credential in a shorter amount of time leveraging prior learning and training.
The focus of this Degree is on business competencies including:
- administration
- managerial accounting
- project management
- leadership
- communication
- applied research
These competencies are needed by people working in or with the skilled trades to grow their own businesses, take on greater responsibilities in their current work environments, and/or pursue management careers in medium to large organizations. For those graduates who want to pursue further academic credentials, this program will facilitate a pathway into graduate studies in both business administration and management programs.
The program’s fully online delivery format is responsive to the current and growing need of students to continue to work while taking a postsecondary program to develop the business management skills that support career advancement. This format is truly student-centered and facilitates an interdisciplinary approach to integrating business knowledge.
Graduates possess a unique blend of practical knowledge and abilities supported by firm underpinnings of the methodologies and theories relating to the trades-business sectors. Graduates seeking employment in today’s rapidly changing global environment are well positioned to start their own business, to manage a small to medium-sized trades-related business, or use their newly developed skills and knowledge to improve an existing business. Employment opportunities may also exist in both the private and public sectors where strong leadership, management and entrepreneurship skills and the ability to adapt to change are highly desired.
The program is delivered by three colleges located across Ontario: Mohawk, Algonquin College and George Brown Colleges. Each college has expertise in business management and trades programming, as well as possesses the institutional capacity and supports required for fully online program delivery. The colleges are sharing their academic and industry expertise to deliver an innovative program that also aligns with the technological shifts in the sector.
This program is well-suited for students who:
- Enjoy taking leadership roles;
- Adapt well to change;
- Have an entrepreneurial spirit;
- Are interested in integrating current skillset with business management;
- Are confident in an online learning environment.
The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:
- Support business objectives by leveraging the interdependencies of functional business units including human resources, marketing, finance and accounting.
- Conduct research to support strategic and operational decisions.
- Deploy strategic planning techniques to ensure competitive advantage in the Trades industry.
- Apply relevant project and risk management principles and tools to the management of trade businesses.
- Identify opportunities and address challenges in trades’ businesses using creative and innovative approaches.
- Apply principles of management to the operation of trade’s business ventures.
- Plan, implement and manage marketing of trades-related products or services to foster business growth.
- Comply with relevant laws, regulations, policies, ethical principles, and industry practices and standards.
- Select and use appropriate software and other technologies to meet business goals.
- Interpret financial information using management accounting concepts and apply to strategic decision-making.
- Identify and apply discipline specific practices that contribute to the local and global community through cultural diversity, social responsibility, economic commitment and environmental stewardship.
Graduates of this program may elect self-employment as a small business owner or find leadership roles in the trades-related fields as:
- Business Managers,
- Project Managers,
- Quality Control Managers,
- Maintenance and Trades Managers, and
- Service-related Managers.
Requirements for Direct Entry
- None – there is no direct entry into this program
Requirements for Advanced Standing
Options for advanced standing and credit recognition are available to students with well-established policies available to detail procedures and eligibility requirements respecting the guidelines set by the Postsecondary Education Quality Assessment Board.
The degree completion arrangements proposed outlined below are based on existing programs. Additional pathways and articulations may be explored and created, as appropriate, throughout the period of consent of Bachelor of Business Administration (Trades Management) (Honours).
Degree completion arrangements have been developed for four (4) Ontario college credentials in a related field and that have program-level outcomes that ladder reasonably into the proposed degree-level learning outcomes. The following provides the relevant admission information for those entering the proposed Bachelor of Business Administration (Trades Management) (Honours) degree through one of the four (4) degree completion arrangements.
Graduates from Building Renovation Technology Ontario College Advanced Diploma program will:
- Take four bridging courses: Microeconomics; Macroeconomics; Statistics; Principles of Management and Research (Modules 8-14)
- Enter in Year 2 (Semester 4)
- Be eligible for additional exemptions based on any prior credentials received.
Graduates from Business -Trades Ontario College Diploma program will:
- Take five bridging courses: Microeconomics; Macroeconomics; Statistics; Financial Accounting; Principles of Management and Research (Modules 8-14)
- Enter in Year 2 (Semester 4)
- Take 1 additional breadth course as part of the program of study
- Be eligible for additional exemptions based on any prior credentials received.
Graduates from Motive Power Technician Ontario College Diploma program will:
- Take five bridging courses: Microeconomics; Macroeconomics; Statistics; Financial Accounting; Principles of Management and Research
- Enter in Year 2 (Semester 4)
- Take 3 additional breadth courses as part of the program of study
- Be eligible for additional exemptions based on any prior credentials received.
Graduates from Electrician Ontario College Trades Certificate of Qualification program will:
- Take five bridging courses: Microeconomics; Macroeconomics; Statistics; Financial Accounting; Principles of Management and Research
- Enter in Year 2 (Semester 4)
- Take 5 additional breadth courses as part of the program of study
- Be eligible for additional exemptions based on any prior credentials received.
The program is delivered fully online, allowing students to continue to work and complete their studies part-time. There’s also a work-integrated learning component where students spend a total of 420 hours gaining practical, hands-on experience in their field.