Faculties/Programs - Bachelor of Commerce, General Studies

Tourism Management

The developed world demographic is a driver for the growing interest in Tourism Management. This program begins with a broad definition of the subject and related forms and examines numbers, category profiles, and targets in the industry. From there tourism services are identified and delivery methods and patterns investigated. The influence of stakeholders, how they impact policy development and shape plans, is evaluated from a number of perspectives, including governments.

Education and training models are discussed within a framework of socio-economic impact, which includes environmental stewardship issues at the local, national and international level. A more micro investigation considers the characteristics of tourists, tourist motivation, destination image and choice.

This concentration will cover the following subjects: the tourism industry, hotel management, eco-tourism, events management, parks management, clubs and gaming, security, promotion, training, new product development, theme parks, extreme tourism, government relations, public-private partnerships, and international tourism.

Strategic Leadership

This directed studies degree emphasises the implications of leadership within a corporate vision and environmental challenges. Key success factors are assessed to determine resource gaps and to develop strategies to overcome them so as to achieve corporate goals. The leader as a dream broker anchors this investigation into understanding the changing environment of political, economic, societal and technological factors.

International Business

This directed studies degree evaluates corporate success on a global basis. The influence of international business on economic and political decision makers is investigated within a changing environment of market and cultural influences. Competitive strategies are assessed and evaluated to counteract international forces such as government policies and structural changes that create a dynamically evolving, and challenging economic condition.

E-Business

The growth in e-Business has been fueled by a combination of improving technology, decreasing cost structures, and the trending service industries in developed countries. On the other hand, these very elements are allowing some developing countries to leapfrog the transitional cycle from so-called bricks, to clicks, avoiding the intermediate brick and click model. The significance of this shortened sequence will underpin the investigation of the topic.

This degree concentration will look at the growing presence of e-commerce in the consumer, and Business-to-Business arena, with a cursory look at e-government. Building on a simple definition of “conducting Business through transaction by electronic means”, the very ephemeral and fluid nature of this approach means that a combination of core principles will be enhanced with timely inputs that reflect the dynamically changing environment that is the context of this subject matter.

This course investigates the dynamics of human behavior within the context of organizations. Three levels of analysis are focused upon; individual, group and organization. The goal is to develop analytical skill to decrease the number of unintended consequences occurring because of the interface between human nature and organization rules; and structures, implicit and explicit.

This course introduces students to the capitalist marketplace and the boundaries of the many interest groups that influence the outcome of economic activity. Included are Business and society issues, government policies, financial markets, ethics, and global factors. The related dynamics and their effect on enterprise is the foundation of investigation.

This course provides an overview of the five"Ps" of marketing; price, place, promotion, product, and people. Included will be a discussion of push versus pull strategies to determine and satisfy customer needs. Advertising principles will be evaluated and the influence of the Internet will be presented.. Development of a marketing plan will be an important element.

This course examines the fundamentals of advertising including the sociology and psychology of advertising; related legal, ethical, and moral considerations incumbent in a business context; and, the economics of advertising. The course will examine the importance of matching message and methods of promotion to target audience, product and corporate branding. The course will provide an opportunity to learn to generate fresh ideas, and write effective ads. The costs of various advertising media will be considered and some consideration will be given to the use of press releases and saving money through co-op ads. Consideration will be given to the evaluation of the effectiveness of advertising.

This course will develop an understanding of the dynamics of managing locally while operating globally. Investigation of the unique characteristics of global competition including the macro-economic environment, marketplace interaction, international financial institutions, Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and government policy will be undertaken.

This course introduces the "language of Business" by way of accounting principles. Generally accepted accounting methods are presented and discussed. Techniques of accumulating and reporting financial data are investigated, as are formulas to evaluate the economic health of a company. Focus however is on financial systems rather than on diagnostic evaluation.

This course will investigate intervention theory surrounding the dynamics of change. Included will be methods of aligning organizational structures with strategy within environmental vagaries. Change agent models will be discussed and data collection, content analysis and feedback mechanisms will be outlined to assist the organization achieve risk reduction through harnessing creative, proactive response.

The course is an introduction to the world of tourism management. It examines the elements that make up the largest industry in the world, including destinations, infrastructure, intermediaries and travel services with examination of the role of the Internet in delivering a virtual service. The course incorporates the managerial functions that direct the tourism processes with an emphasis on marketing, human resources, financial aspects and the need for sustainability and environmental responsibility. It presents a variety of models that will assist the student to understand the industry and a manager's role within a global tourism. Broad ranging topics will include industry initiatives, government regulation, and research factors such as demographics, transportation, niches such as eco-tourism, the hospitality industry, new directions, and other relevant elements that drive consumer behaviour.

This course highlights the growing business model using the Internet as a basis of commerce. Issues of website design, transaction effectiveness and financial security are evaluated within the context of the business models used by corporations. The so-called "brick and click" value proposition is compared with pure Internet plays. Legal and intellectual property questions are also discussed.

This course's goal is to give students an appreciation of statistical thinking for Business applications. The need for an understanding of statistical methods increases as data-based decisions strengthen and the amount and availability of data increases. Students will be provided a statistical toolkit. The decision making process under uncertainty is largely based on application of statistics for probability assessment of uncontrollable events (or factors). Other applications focus on risk assessment of decisions.

This course will introduce concepts of financial techniques necessary to assist the organization obtain capital and manage it effectively. Models of evaluating various returns will be based on accounting inputs. Underlying most analysis will be net present value theory. Critical to the course will be decision-making in relation to the cost and availability of funds, and maximizing economic returns.

This course investigates the use of accounting information in the decisions made by management during the process of planning and controlling. Included is an understanding of the systems in place to measure the cost and profitability of products and services, and the related implications of change in investment and cost reduction strategies. Examinations of financial reporting guidelines, both formal and informal requirements, are evaluated within the context of how they affect managerial judgment. In particular, the focus will be on internal control mechanisms. This will include the implication of changes in accounting policy on investing, operating and financing choices.

This course investigates the development and administration of activities that are involved in transforming financial, human, physical, and natural resources into products and services. Quality and productivity are critical outcomes of logistical operating systems. Methods of integrating efficient processes, both technical and human, underscore this system-wide task.

The goal of this course is to expose the best practices of innovation and new Business/ product/service development. These are rooted in the future of competition: co-creating unique value with customers. The discussion looks at the fundamental transformation of the value creation process already underway in our business system.

An examination of different forms of business organization along with consideration of contract law, employment law, intellectual property rights, fiduciary obligations, issues of business negligence, and the regulatory environment. The intent is to investigate a number of legal principles that affect businesses and other organizations (e.g., nonprofit organizations).

The many types of investments, and their respective risks, historical yields, and regularion: Stocks, bonds, options, annuities, insurance, foreign exchange, precious metals, real estate and other avenues are considered. Advantages and disadvantages of domestic vs international markets. Review of the major alternative approaches for selecting specific investment instruments.

This course will outline the characteristics of entrepreneurial environments, including individual personality and corporate culture. Emphasis will be placed on new venture creation, and development of related business plans. Intrepreneurship will be discussed as a method to operate more creatively within the typical bureaucratic environment. The implications of government policy and programs will be assessed.

The course focuses on what business leaders can do to direct an organization toward a commonly shared mission and purpose. This course begins with understanding how to define the mission and core values of an organization. This course also covers the formulation and implementation of guiding principles and policies that establish clear direction and purpose along with strategic plans. Themes include analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to company success. Models of analysis will include scanning the environment to assess the political, economic, societal, and technological influences on corporate achievement. Related resource gaps will be determined and tactics developed to achieve corporate goals. The goal is to study what leaders can do to marshal the resources of the organization in a proactive way so as to exploit perceived opportunities that are consistent with the defined goals, while mitigating threats.

The course will examine a broad spectrum of current global issues that affect business. Consideration will focus on the importance of scanning the global environment to identify emerging issues, including an analysis of items in the news and how they affect business decision making for businesses choosing to operate internationally. Emerging issues in international business; international trade; global monetary systems; ethics of international finance, accounting and taxation; corporate social responsibility; and international human resource management will be examined.

The course will examine research methodologies appropriate for business research. Topics examined include attributes of a good research topic, critical literature reviews, formulating the research design, primary vs. secondary data, negotiating access to data, research ethics, selecting samples, data collection methods, writing and presenting results. The intended outcome of this course is for the student to pick a topic for study, produce a written research proposal and prepare and submit a UCW Research Ethics Proposal within one month following completion of the course period, in preparation for CDS 410/411 Directed Research Project.

The major religious, philosophical, historical and economic underpinnings of modern cultural and political systems will be evaluated in this course. The dynamics of religion and culture will be reviewed in the context of contemporary problems in diplomacy, including terrorism and military responses to current problems.

This course will investigate broad issues such as evolution, relativity, geomics, plate techtonics, earth systems, digital technologies and leading edge discoveries and how they interact within a modern society.

The ecology and interaction of natural and human ecosystems, including energy systems and global climate change, world fisheries, rain forests, deserts and their implication for economic sustainable development.

GRES 400/401 is an original essay on an approved topic related to the student’s degree program. It will be of a standard format, described at the beginning of the class. Normally, the essay will be 8,000 to 10,000 words long and, upon completion, will be presented live by the student towards the end of the term during a finishing residency experience.