Changing the Way We Do Business

UPDATED: October 13, 2021

Not Business As Usual

Big changes are coming in 2022, and we expect this will be an exciting new chapter for the school's bachelor of commerce (BCom) program.

On October 1, 2021, the BCom program began accepting applications to its first cohort of direct entry students from high school. Instead of completing a pre-professional year in another faculty or institution, incoming students will enrol in what the school has dubbed the 'foundational year.'

“We believe this will allow us to develop a better cohort system and create better learning and research environments for our students.” said dean Kyle Murray. “This change is the first of many exciting things on the horizon for the BCom program and we look forward to sharing more as the school continues to evolve and innovate our programs and offerings.”

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On October 7, 2020, the University of Alberta’s Academic Planning Committee (APC) approved the School of Business’ proposal to introduce direct high school entry to the Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) Degree Program starting in Fall 2022.

Currently, the School of Business does not accept students directly from high school. All applicants must complete one year of pre-professional studies at a recognized post-secondary institution and complete all of the admission requirements prior to entering the BCom program (a 1 + 3-year program). With the change in Fall 2022, students will be able to enter the BCom program directly from high school (a 4-year program).

“We are delighted that our proposal for direct admission was approved by APC,” said Joseph Doucet, Dean of the Alberta School of Business, “And that it received such warm support from other faculties across campus.”

“Direct admission will allow the School of Business to more effectively compete with other top-ranked undergraduate business programs—most of whom already offer direct-from-high school admissions—and allow us to more purposely fulfill our mission of developing and inspiring entrepreneurial leaders from Alberta for the world.”

Surveys conducted by the School have shown that a vast majority of students and alumni prefer direct admission to a pre-professional year. Students want to reduce the uncertainty about their admission to business school, and will choose programs that expedite this process.

“Allowing students to enter the BCom program directly from high school will eliminate some of the uncertainty for prospective students”, said Leo Wong, Associate Dean of Undergraduate Programs. “Our recruitment strategies will be more targeted, and therefore more effective, letting us offer admissions to a really talented group of eager candidates.”

Wong notes that direct admission will also allow faculty and staff to interact and support students earlier in their academic career, from course completion to mental health support to career counselling and experiential learning opportunities through the School’s Careers and Work Integrated Learning and Co-op programs.

“Having business students in the Business program from day one is really important to us,” says Wong, “especially given the School’s commitment to equity, diversity and inclusivity, and our understanding of how critical it is to retention and academic success to build an early relationship with students from historically underrepresented groups, such as Indigenous, Black, and LGBTQ communities.”