North Island College's school of business celebrated the North Island’s next generation of business leaders with an informal event for its bachelor of business administration degree graduates last week.
The degree, with a major in accounting, was established in 2006 to meet the needs of North Island students and communities. The marketing and general management majors were added in 2009.
NIC bachelor of business degree alumni Tree Murdock and Marlene Leach facilitate projects and accounting for ECODynamic Solutions Inc., a Comox Valley environmental consulting company.
Alumni work in marketing, real estate, accounting, construction and property management, environmental project management, local media and other businesses across the North Island.
“They’re all working in the community and applying their skills,” said NIC instructor and school of business department chair Bill Parkinson. “It’s great to see what graduates are doing and how they are contributing to our communities.”
Leach graduated in 2011 with an accounting major and is now working at ECODynamic Solutions Inc., a Courtenay-based company. She intends to pursue her accounting designation.
“NIC's business administration degree enabled me to find a career I truly enjoy, working for the past three years as a business administrator,” she said. “The knowledge and skills I gained from NIC instructors and students are invaluable.”
NIC now offers six degrees in business, nursing, fine arts and liberal studies at its Comox Valley campus. The business programs make up the college’s only stand-alone degrees, developed in consultation with local business owners, organizations and advisory groups.
Throughout the program, students connect with businesses in class projects and paid work experience. They can also earn degree credit in Europe, Mexico, the United States, and Asia through international exchange programs.
The college recently added post degree diplomas, giving local and international students with undergraduate degrees new opportunities to specialize their skills in global business management, business administration, international and general management, marketing, human resource management and accounting.
This year, the college’s first-year business certificate became available online to all residents of the North Island, in addition to face-to-face classes at the Comox Valley campus. The certificate feeds into the business administration diploma and degree programs and allows students outside the Comox Valley to complete the first year of their degree in their home communities.
“NIC’s school of business offers a real diversity of programs with plenty of entry and exit points for students who want to earn their certificate or diploma, work, come back for a degree,” Parkinson said.
Students can also enter the degree through the Tourism and Hospitality Management or Business Administration diploma. Both programs offer paid work experiences and employer connections through Co-op Education.
For more information on NIC’s business programs, visit www.nic.bc.ca/business or contact the Student Services office at your nearest NIC campus.