The Undergraduate Certificate in Business English and Professional Communications will enable students to navigate the Canadian professional landscape, gain experience with commonly-used business communications genres and public speaking, embrace the intercultural communication competencies vital for our increasingly globalized society and economy, and communicate—in writing, orally, and multimodally—with professionalism. Students will apply their knowledge to diverse “real world” contexts and challenges, engage in experiential, collaborative projects, and develop a professional portfolio as they get ready to embark upon their careers.
Students already enrolled in a degree program offered by the Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies at UBC Okanagan are eligible to receive the Undergraduate Certificate in Business English and Professional Communications upon successful completion of the Certificate requirements.
Upon completion of the Undergraduate Certificate in Business English and Professional Communications, graduates are expected to be able to:
- Develop their understanding of business English and intercultural communications in Canadian contexts;
- Strengthen oral, written, and multimodal communication to present their work—and themselves—with polish and professionalism;
- Acquire conversational and interpersonal skills essential to professional success;
- Understand business-specific grammar and style;
- Analyze and practice genres of written and oral communication frequently used in professional contexts in Canadian and international workplaces;
- Generate global thinking, intercultural awareness, and Indigenous insights in Canada in preparation for a global market and diverse workforce;
- Engage in collaborations, communications situations, hands-on learning, and multi-modal communication skills directly applicable to “real world” communications and professions; and
- Reflect on communications goals and identify objectives and pathways for the future to achieve professional success.
Admission Requirements
Current UBC degree and diploma students are eligible for admission to the certificate with permission of the program in which they are registered. Other applicants may be admitted directly to the certificate program at the discretion of the Faculty provided that they have satisfied the University’s English Language Admission Standard.
Certificate Requirements
15-credits as follows:
- CORH_O 100 Introduction to Business English and Communications1;
- WRLD_O 150 Introduction to Intercultural Communications;
- CORH_O 200 Professional Communications2;
- WRLD_O 305 Intercultural Communication, Context, and Business: East Asia OR CORH_O 304 Persuasive Rhetoric, Public Speaking, and Advocacy OR CULT_O 230 / ENGL_O 224 Foundations: Reading Across Borders
- CORH_O 400 Special Topics in Communication: Business English Capstone
1 Any 100-level ENGL may be counted towards the certificate instead of CORH_O 100.
2 MGMT_O 240 or COMM_O 396 may be counted towards the certificate instead of CORH_O 200.