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Bachelor of Commerce, Indigenous Business Major

Regulations effective September 1, 2023.

This program is designed for students seeking a rigorous, technically based business degree comparable in content to most Bachelor of Commerce degrees in Canada. Courses in all core business areas are required, including marketing, statistics, financial accounting, management accounting, finance, economics, information systems, strategic management, organization behaviour, and commercial law.

All students in the Bachelor of Commerce program will complete a common set of core courses in Years 1, 2, 3, and 4. The core courses are the same for the general Bachelor of Commerce degree and the six majors: Accounting, Business Technology Management, Finance, Human Resources Management, Indigenous Business, and Marketing.

The Bachelor of Commerce degree is offered by Athabasca University’s Faculty of Business. For more information, phone 1-800-468-6531 or email.

Indigenous Business Major

The Bachelor of Commerce, Indigenous Business Major is designed in response to a need for Indigenous business-related education.

This new and unique business program, offered only at Athabasca University, will enable you to focus on principles of Indigenous business and governance. This major blends cultural relevance into the core management curriculum.

The program also acknowledges and develops the role of traditional knowledge in academic institutions. It will prepare you to meet the needs of the kind of community that you may service when you graduate.

If you have career interests in Indigenous (Aboriginal) business, this program will provide you with the opportunity to concentrate your studies in areas such as leadership, management, community development, and negotiation.

Planning your program

Our online program plans can assist you in selecting the courses needed to fulfill your program requirements.

Athabasca University has also developed program learning outcomes that describe the career options that may be available to you upon graduating.

Enrolment restriction

Students will not be accepted into the Bachelor of Commerce program if they have:

  • a degree in administration, business, commerce or management;
  • a degree with a major or concentration in administration, business, commerce, or management; or
  • any equivalency programs from Athabasca University or another university.

Students are not permitted to obtain a second undergraduate degree in the same field or related field as their first undergraduate degree. Those students who hold an international undergraduate degree who wish to obtain a Canadian credential, or those students who wish to obtain another Bachelor’s degree in a major different than their first undergraduate degree, will be permitted in consultation with the Program Director and reviewed by the Office of the Registrar.

Regulations governing all Bachelor of Commerce students

Students complete the program regulations in effect at the time of their enrolment.

Students must have a weighted average of at least 1.7 (C-) across all courses taken at Athabasca University towards a Bachelor of Commerce degree in order to graduate.

The degree conversion provision is available to Athabasca University students who have been awarded a three-year AU degree and wish to convert to a four-year degree. Students with a three-year AU degree may convert that degree into the four-year Bachelor of Commerce program. For more information about this regulation, please review the Undergraduate Degree Conversion from Three- to Four-Year Program Policy.

Transfer credit will not be accepted if course(s) completed more than:

  • 10 years ago in the Business and Administrative Studies area of study at the senior (300/400) level;
  • 5 years ago in CMIS (all levels);
  • 10 years ago in Statistics (all levels).

If you are currently working in the field and provide evidence of work being completed, this restriction may be waived. Transfer credit being used to satisfy options other than those in the Business and Administrative Studies area will not be restricted.

Students who hold a recognized first degree in a field outside of business or management and who wish to obtain an AU undergraduate degree in a different subject area, must apply under the second undergraduate degree regulations. These students will receive up to 60 credits of block transfer award toward the first two years of the Bachelor of Commerce.

A passing grade is required in ACCT 250 or ACCT 253, CMIS 245, ADMN 233 or ENGL or COMM at the junior level or higher (3 credits), ECON 247, ECON 248, and MGSC 301 (or their equivalencies) in order to meet degree requirements. If no equivalents are found, the credits remaining to complete the degree may increase. View the program plans for help in planning your degree.

Applied and technology degrees are not considered to be a basis of admission for second undergraduate degree programs. Applicants presenting applied or technology degrees from recognized colleges or technical institutes will be considered for admission in the post-diploma regulations of the program.

Transfer credit awarded may be increased up to residency limits for additional course work taken outside the first credential that applies. Preparatory (100 level) credits cannot be used to fulfill the requirements of a second undergraduate degree.

Exceptions to these regulations may be permitted to allow a course-by-course assessment in consultation with the Program Director in order to maximize transfer credit so as to best advantage the student.

Residency requirement must still be maintained.

Program structure

program structure
Total credits in the program 120
Required courses (Years 1 and 2) 39
Options 21
Required courses (Years 3 and 4) 30
Indigenous Business major core courses 24
Options 6
A minimum of 12 Business and Administrative Studies credits must be at the 400 level (including ADMN 405). 12
Residency requirement: A minimum of 30 credits must be obtained through Athabasca University in senior (300 or 400) level courses. These 30 credits must include ADMN 405 (3 credits) plus 12 credits from the list of required courses for Years 3 and 4. 30
Graduation with Distinction or Great Distinction. At least 24 credits must be obtained through Athabasca University in order to be considered.
 24
Maximum Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition credits 21

Bachelor of Commerce, years 1 and 2 (60 credits)

Required courses

(39 credits)

years 1-2 required courses
ACCT 250 – Accounting for Managers (3) 
or
ACCT 253 – Introductory Financial Accounting*
 *Students who are planning to pursue a professional accounting designation or further courses in Finance are advised to take ACCT 253.
ADMN 232 – Introduction to Management
(3)
or
ADMN 201 – Introduction to Business Studies
ADMN 233 – Writing in Organizations (3)
COMM 243 – Interpersonal Communication (3)
or
COMM 277 – Group Communication
CMIS 245 – Microcomputer Applications in Business (Windows) (3)
ECON 247 – Microeconomics (3)
ECON 248 – Macroeconomics (3)
LGST 369 – Commercial Law (3)
MKTG 396 – Introduction to Marketing (3)
MATH 244 – Business Mathematics
(3) 
or
MATH 260 – Calculus for Social Sciences and Economics**
or
MATH 265 – Introduction to Calculus I
or
MATH 270 – Linear Algebra I
 **Recommended for students in the Finance major.
MGSC 301 – Statistics for Business and Economics I (3)
PHIL 252 – Critical Thinking (3)
PHIL 333 – Professional Ethics (3)
or
PHIL 337 – Business Ethics

Options*

(21 credits)

year 1-2 options
  1. Business and Administrative Studies credits at the junior (200) or senior (300 or 400) level
 (3)
  1. Non "Business and Administrative Studies" credits at the junior (200) level (an English course is recommended)
 (6)
*A maximum of 3 credits in any area of study at the preparatory (100) level can be taken in the above 9 credits.  
  1. Non "Business and Administrative Studies" credits at the senior (300 or 400) level)
 (12)

Indigenous Business Major, years 3 and 4 (60 credits)

Required courses

(30 credits)

required courses
ACCT 355 – Cost Analysis (3)
ADMN 417 – International Business Management
 (3)
or
ECON 401 – The Changing Global Economy
CMIS 351 – Management Information Systems (3)
FNCE/ECON 300 – Financial Economics
 (3)
or
FNCE 370 – Overview of Corporate Finance
MGSC 312 – Statistics for Business and Economics II (3)
MGSC 368 – Introduction to Production and Operations Management
 (3)
or
MGSC 369 – Service Operations Management
ORGB 364 – Organizational Behaviour (3)
HRMT 386 – Introduction to Human Resource Management (3)
ADMN 404 – Capstone I: Strategic Management
(3)
ADMN 405 – Capstone II: Application and Integration of Contemporary Business Topics* (3)
* ADMN 405 must be taken with AU. Transfer credit will not be awarded. It should be taken as the last course in the program.

Indigenous Business Major core courses

(24 credits)†

major required core courses
INBU 201 – Introduction to Indigenous Business (3)
INBU 250 – Financial & Management Accounting for Indigenous Institutions and Organizations (3)
INBU 330 – Public Administration & Law in Indigenous Business (3)
INBU 350 – Indigenous Marketing and Data Collection and Analysis (3)
INBU 386 – Introduction to Indigenous Human Relations (3)
INBU 461 – Indigenous Community Planning & Economic Development I (3)
INBU 462 – Indigenous Community Planning & Economic Development II (3)
INBU 490 – Applied Research in Indigenous Business (3)

Options

(6 credits)

options
Junior/Senior (200/300/400) level Non "Business and Administrative Studies" credits. (3)
Senior (300/400) level Non "Business and Administrative Studies" credits. (3)
† If you have completed a course that refers to Indigenous peoples’ perspectives with learning outcomes similar to the learning outcomes of an Athabasca University course, you are encouraged to apply for a transfer credit.
Information effective Sept. 1, 2023 to Aug. 31, 2024.

Updated July 29, 2024 by Office of the Registrar (calendar@athabascau.ca)

https://www.athabascau.ca/calendar/ 12a7d1500a2a5543024b56667ad8c0ad