Business Administration Training Puts You Ahead of the Competition

Areas such as personnel management, general administration, sales, purchasing, accounting and finance, general and public administration and small business or franchise management all require professionals who have taken business administration training at a post-secondary institution. These business administration diploma holders have a variety of positions that involve organizing and directing people, resources and activities.

One popular option in the business administration field is to become a personnel manager. This is a term describing any number of jobs that manage the hiring and developing of employees in an organization, including human resources manager, compensation and benefits manager, training and development manager, and human resources generalist. For example, in general administration, professionals may be responsible for allocating office space, supporting services and staff, overseeing office maintenance duties and purchasing supplies and equipment. Some also prepare and negotiate contracts with supply and material vendors. Meanwhile, training and development managers handle workshops and other educational development opportunities for employees while compensation and benefits managers may administer the company’s health and retirement plans. If a smaller company employs a business administration diploma holder as a human resources generalist, he or she may handle all of these responsibilities.

Before getting into the field, one must attend business administration training at a college such as Centennial College, which offers a three-year Business Administration program. The undertaking is aimed at those whose ultimate goal it is to become front-line managers in business across any type of industry. To apply, students are expected to possess at minimum an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalent or be 19 years of age or older. They are also required to have the compulsory English 12C or U credit or skills assessment, or equivalent and the Math 11C, M or U, or 12C or U credit or skills assessment, or equivalent.

Theory, hands-on training, extensive case analyses, rigorous problem solving, business presentations and directed research are all ways in which this business administration training provides its students with the skills they need for the field. Specific understanding that students obtain through the program includes: the macro-environment of business, the economics and contexts of particular industries and the range of tasks in managerial practices across all areas of business. This is achieved through courses such as: Strategies for Business Success (designed to help students achieve mastery of college-level learning skills, attitudes and strategies that they will need to be successful in their academic, professional/business careers and personal life), Developing a Business Plan (familiarizes students with small business ownership as a career option), Organizational Behaviour (studying the behaviour of individuals and groups as part of the social and technical system in the workplace), and more.

Another real-life aspect of this program is the exposure students get to the management practices of leading companies in the world. This ensures that they are comfortable if hired by one of these companies upon graduation. In order to graduate with a business administration diploma, students must achieve a minimum C grade average and 2.0 GPA.