Management Studies Diploma Program

CREE 100B Cree Language and Culture

(3 credits)
This course will be a general introduction to Plains Cree (Y dialect) grammar and vocabulary with practice in speaking and working in the language laboratory. No prior knowledge of Cree is assumed.

NTST 101 Native Issues

(3 credits)
This is an introductory course, which will introduce students to key social, religious, cultural, economic, and political issues which have emerged as a result of a relationship between the Canadian federal government and Native people. From a historical perspective, this course examines Euro-Canadians' perception of the Indian culture and attempts mounted by the federal government to undermine and destroy the Indian culture through its oppressive policy of Indian assimilation.

ACCT 100 Introductory Accounting

(3 credits)
This course will concentrate on an introduction to accounting concepts and the environment of accounting. The areas that will be reviewed: are the objective of accounting, users of accounting information, the accounting profession/accounting organizations, forms of business organizations, kinds of business activities, basic concepts/principles, - financial accounting and financial statements.

ACCT 200 Advanced Accounting

(3 credits)
This course is an introductory course in managerial accounting. Managerial Accounting parallels the shift in today's business world, focusing not just "on the numbers", but on the functions of management: planning, decision making, controlling, and performance evaluation.

ADMN 400 Business Practices

(3 credits)
This course focuses on management at the micro-level. It is designed to give First Nations Management students practical approaches to deal with the tasks and issues faced on a day-to-day basis in managing or supervising offices. Assignments will have a practical focus, so those students will learn to do many of the kinds of things they will do or supervise in an office. Three areas considered are work environments, dealing with people, and managing the office.

COMM 100 Effective Human Communication

(3 credits)
This course is designed to help students become more effective in communicating with others and to assist them in understanding the theory and principles underlying effective human communications. Students discover the barriers to effective communications and learn ways of overcoming these blocks. Particular emphasis on the course will be on intercultural barriers that exist between Natives and other cultures and how to overcome these barriers. Students will be encouraged to develop their own lists and understanding of the communications characteristics that are unique to Native peoples.

COMM 300 Conflict Resolution and Mediation

(3 credits)
The purpose of this course is to teach students methods of conflict resolution that can be applied to issues of community development. Exercises in the course will be related to potential areas of conflict in first nation administration, as well as common conflicts that occur in primary and secondary contacts (family and community). The course emphasizes an understanding of the nature of conflict, resolution modes (their strengths and weaknesses), models of mediating with basic practice in mediation process. The course will focus on aboriginal content so that case studies and practices reflect the cultural values and traditions of First Nation peoples.

ECON 100 Microeconomics

(3 credits)
The objective of this course is to provide students with an introductory understanding of economic theory and how the economy works. This course focuses on how prices are determined; the behavior of consumers and businesses and how they interact with each other and with government; the different types of market structures that exist in our economy today; and how government intervention affects economic and business activity. The uniqueness of this course is that, for the first time, it attempts to supplement the various theories and issues with a First Nations perspective, where possible.

ECON 200 Macroeconomics

(3 credits)
The objective of this course is to provide students with an introductory understanding of economic theory and how the economy works. It is designed to introduce students to the basic concepts and techniques of macroeconomics analysis in a Canadian context. Major topics include various measures of national income, Keynes and Classical approaches to macroeconomics, monetary policy and the Canadian banking system, inflation and unemployment, government fiscal and monetary policy, international trade and the foreign exchange market. The uniqueness of this course is it attempts to supplement the various theories and issues with a First Nations perspective, where possible.

FNCE 300 Personal Financial Management

(3 credits)
This course introduces the student to a wide variety of issues related to personal financial management including an understanding how to prepare a system for setting objectives, designing a plan, and structuring and managing personal finances. This course incorporates information from a number of different disciplines including economics, corporate finance, business mathematics, and investment strategy and will provide students with a sound base upon which advanced topics in the area of finance, accounting, insurance and risk management and management of human resources may build.

ISMB 200 Introduction to Computers

(3 credits)
This entry level course will focus on the development of basic skills in the use of computer systems and applications, and foster an understanding of the opportunities those systems and applications provide for managers.

ISMB 300 Integrated Business Systems and Applications

(3 credits)
This is an intermediate level course focusing on the application of Integrated Business Software in Aboriginal administrations and businesses, with special emphasis on opportunities and threats associated with computer communications and global networking.

LAW 100 Introduction to Contract Law

(3 credits)
The course is an introduction to the law of Contract in Canada. The topics and the main text have been selected on the assumption that the student has not previously taken a course in contract law or any other branch of law. For this reason, a unit describing the legal system in Canada has been incorporated into the course. As the course is intended to be applied towards a "First Nations Management Program" the curriculum attempts to focus on the law of contracts as it relates to business administration. To this end the final unit is dedicated to the analysis of the law relating to contracts for the sale of goods as this a form of contract that a manager would frequently encounter.

LAW 300 Indigenous Governance and Legal Issues

(3 credits)
Indigenous governance and legal issues introduces students to the interdisciplinary study of Indigenous governments, governance issues and legal issues. Course materials and topics are drawn from history, sociology, geography, legal materials, politics and case studies. The purpose of the course is to introduce students to the area related to governance. If the students are going to work in the area of administration and administrative policies, they should be familiar with the types of agreements which Indigenous governments are expected to negotiate and administer. To this end, an administrator should be able to identify goals and objectives of the community and translate those aspirations into an agreement, which will meet those objectives. Finally, the course is designed to assist the student identifying areas of concern, which might come up with such an agreement. The course is designed to aid the student in being able to grasp issues, which might need further legal assistance, and redrafting.

MGST 100 Introduction to Management

(3 credits)
This course is designed to help students become more familiar with the role of the manager in organizations and how the manager can make organizations, whether private or public sector, more responsive to client and market needs. Through case studies, students learn to make organizational decisions and to become better managers. Particular emphasis will be on Native-run businesses and organizations. Students will prepare a case study about a Native organization or manager.

MRKT 301 Marketing and Society

(3 credits)
This course introduces marketing concepts, functions, and institutions in Canadian society. It examines the influence of marketing at the macro-level in the Canadian economy and, to a lesser extent, internationally; however, marketing issues will also be analyzed with the needs and wants of Aboriginal businesses in mind at the micro-level. The focus of this course is on marketing as a central process of the entire business or service organization. Thus, marketing will include all of the various actions of the organization that are aimed at getting a superior value to the customers. Case studies provide real-life examples of marketing problems.

MATH 100B Business Mathematics

(3 credits)
The aim of this course is to provide a basic understanding of the practical aspects of business math. Students, after finishing this course, will have knowledge and skill to handle the practical financial and mathematical problems that are routinely tackled by the business community. The course will also address issues like inadequacy, attitude and confidence in mathematics.

PRAC 100 Field Placement

(3 credits)
This course is intended to provide students with an opportunity to obtain experience working in a management-related capacity within a First Nation organization. This course is divided into two parts. The first of these is the class time during employment preparation seminars. The second of these is the work experience time spent with an employer of client. Both must be satisfactorily completed in order to obtain credit for the course.

PRAC 200 Field Placement

(3 credits)
This course is an extension of PRAC 100. The students will be placed within a First Nation organization and will gain more responsibility and experience. The course is divided into two parts. The first of these is the class time during employment preparation seminars. The second is the work experience time spent with an employer or client. Both must be satisfactorily completed in order to obtain credit for the course.

ORGB 264 Organizational Behavior

(3 credits)
This course provides an introduction to the findings of the behavioral sciences as they apply to organizations. People problems are among the most important faced by any manager and are often impediments to a career. All managers must learn to utilize human resources effectively. This course is directed to increase competency and skill in using available human resources. Special attention will be given to native organizations.

ORGB 286 Human Resources Management

(3 credits)
This course provides an introduction to the study of human resources. Human resources are the people who work in an organization, the personnel. The management of people, including their problems and their potential, is one of the most challenging tasks facing any organization. If human resources are managed effectively, the reservoir of competency and skill will increase, the well being of the work force will improve, and the effectiveness of the organization will increase. Some major topics included in the course are dealing with diversity, staffing, employee development, compensation, and governance issues such as discipline and workplace safety. Wherever possible, emphasis will be placed on native organizations.

SMDE 430 Entrepreneurial Development and Small Business Management

(3 credits)
With the current restructuring of the national and global economy, thousands of workers are not only losing their jobs, but also their livelihood. Increasingly, individuals are creating their own jobs through entrepreneurship. This is an introductory course focussing on the practical aspects of entrepreneurship and small business ventures and better management of existing small businesses. Students will identify market niches for small businesses or non-profit organizations in the public and/or private sectors that best suit their personal values and interests. The importance of the cultural and social contexts of entrepreneurship and small business development is highlighted. Students will develop a financial statement and business plan for a new or existing business, whether aboriginal or mainstream.

ENG 100B Business English I

(3 credits)
This course is a college/university composition and communications course designed to review grammar and rhetoric, and introduce business administration students to the forms of writing essential to functioning in management and commerce both in the public and private spheres. This course teaches basic reading and writing skills as a foundation for the mastery of the analysis and interpretation of business and technical materials. It covers basic grammar, vocabulary development, spelling and mechanics, the paragraph and essay, and initiates students into the primary business writing forms of the letter, memo, report and proposal.

ENG 200B Business English II

(3 credits)
This course is a second year composition and communications course designed to review grammar and basic elements of rhetoric, and to enable business administration students to master the forms of business writing essential to functioning in management both in the public and private spheres. First Nations content is integrated into the study of business writing and the course attempts to be particularly sensitive to the needs of First Nations learners and the communities they will be serving.

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