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B C B U S I N E S S . C A
A P R I L
2 0 24 To p a n d c e n t r e : U C W
or the individual courses that comprise
them—like they would if they were starting
a degree or diploma. "People who want to
take courses can just go to the website, sign
up for a student number and register for
the course," Talman points out.
TA IL OR M A DE
Most B.C. institutions have streamlined
their enrolment procedures for micro-
credentials and other non-credit programs
in a similar fashion, making this type of
in-demand post-secondary course more
accessible for prospective students.
And educators can be more agile when
designing them, because they don't need
to pass the same provincial regulatory
hurdles as they would when creating new
degrees. University Canada West offers
micro-credentials in quickly moving busi-
ness and technology fields like digital mar-
keting and e-commerce. Its vice-president
"
We assess
the market
to identify
in-demand
skills and
competencies,
analyzing
industry trends
and employer
feedback to
find gaps the
university can
address."
—Maureen Mancuso,
vice-president of academics,
University Canada West
"
People do these
for themselves, to
create an impact
for themselves and
their organization.
There isn't an exam
at the end of it.
You're doing it to
essentially plug
that gap in your
knowledge that you
currently have."
—Priya Mistry, director of open
and executive programs,
UBC Sauder School of Business
of academics, Maureen Mancuso, says her
school is always looking to identify new
areas and specializations where its faculty
members' expertise is needed: "We assess
the market to identify in-demand skills and
competencies, analyzing industry trends
and employer feedback to find gaps the
university can address."
Of course, students don't leave non-
credit classrooms with the same recogni-
tion a degree or diploma confers. But these
programs are meant to prioritize learn-
ing over earning credentials. "People do
these for themselves, to create an impact
for themselves and their organization,"
explains Priya Mistry, Sauder's director of
open and executive programs. "There isn't
an exam at the end of it. You're doing it to
essentially plug that gap in your knowledge
that you currently have."
Reuhman, the triple graduate, concurs:
"I didn't want exams. I've done seven or
WESTERN
PROMISES
University Canada
West helps students
adapt to fast-changing
fields like e-commerce
