hi aska! i’m on my gap year working while also aiming to get a gr 12 calc credit via TVO ILC. since i’m doing an online course right now, i’m wondering if completing a program from uoft’s school of continuing studies is a good idea. i also saw that SCS bootcamp stuff too. i got accepted to uoftsg for humanities/social sciences, and the plan was to get the business fundamentals certificate too. i’m still looking into the continuing studies programs, and the finance/marketing programs have me curious. then again, i’m unsure if it’s worth pursuing since i fear it might not be as valid on my resume compared to having a BBA. plus, juggling online courses w/ IRL courses, events, etc.
at the time i applied for undergrad, i didn’t try to get into rotman or schulich since i didn’t have the required math courses at the time of applying (or the required interest in business school lol).
i like what i’m about to pursue for undergrad but i keep thinking about getting some business stuff under my belt to increase chances of employability, and i’m becoming more interested in business and marketing. this has me wondering if i should try getting business qualifications via online programs or go to business school post-grad. what do you think? i’m thinking doing a business certificate in undergrad and then business school post-grad. thank you so much for everything you do 🙂
hey there,
no because you’re so real for this. every now and then i spiral about my program choices and think that i should get a business certificate to get those qualifications under my belt, for employability reasons. #capitalismisdestroyingmydreams
so kudos to you for taking initiative during your gap year and looking into all this stuff!
in terms of the school of continuing studies programs, it looks to me like they can be really valuable for developing marketing and finance skills. they offer so many courses and programs, and everything i see here looks great. they do also offer online finance courses, so it wouldn’t have to be in-person if you’re worried about that time commitment.
now, it’s true that getting a BBA for undergrad would weigh a whole lot more than getting certificates. however, it wouldn’t be simple or easy to switch into a BBA once you’ve been accepted into U of T. the rotman school of business says they “very rarely” take in students switching in from the faculty of arts and sciences, which you’re in right now. this would be what is called an “internal transfer” into rotman and it’s quite difficult, from what i’ve heard.
so honestly, your idea of getting the business fundamentals certificate while pursuing your humanities/social sciences degree in undergrad seems like a good middle ground. especially because you like the program that you’re currently in for undergrad and want to stay in it. that way, if you’re still feeling like you want to pursue business later, you can always pursue business school post-grad. plenty of people go that route after working for a bit.
although i am not an employer (duh), i think that getting a certificate in business fundamentals would give you a boost in employability, especially when combined with your undergrad degree. and the fact that you would have certificates + a degree from U of T, a very reputable school, will give you another huge boost.
it’s also quite strategic to combine a humanities/social sciences undergrad degree with business qualifications. that way you’ll have a more diverse set of skills, making you more well-rounded and versatile in the job world? i think.
keep in mind though, that an mba and bba serve different purposes for both your career and employability. so i’d encourage you to look into which one would fit your pursuits/needs better.
through all this, my advice to you would be to not stack too many things on yourself while pursuing your undergrad degree. if you want to take those bootcamp or continuing studies course during your gap year, great! if you wanted to do those while being a full time undergrad student, i would say perhaps don’t? especially bootcamps — those are pretty intense and just balancing your courses as an undergrad student is already a LOT. ie. make sure you can commit to what you signed up for 😀
overall, i fully support you in your business pursuits, you’re doing amazing. i hope my thoughts on the matter helped in some way. best of luck to you and your decisions! (and thanks for your patience).
over and out,
aska