Reducing barriers, connecting to Manitoba

In 2023 the Asper School of Business launched a completely revamped Bachelor of Commerce curriculum designed to meet the needs of Manitoba business, industries around the world, society and most importantly, students.

With core courses in sustainability and Indigenous business relations, the curriculum is designed for the future of business—one that is invested in EDI, sustainability and Truth & Reconciliation.

As the School continues to expand the possibilities of business for Manitoba, Asper’s leadership works to ensure that the knowledge, experience and career path of business is accessible for more students with key program developments.

Robert Biscontri, associate dean of undergraduate and international programs, shares some exciting updates, including new and refreshed articulation agreements with post-secondary institutions across the province, more flexibility for Asper students choosing an academic minor, a new winter intake and a dedicated direct entry pathway for Northern Indigenous students.

Reducing barriers with a direct entry pathway for Northern Indigenous students

Biscontri highlights the new direct entry pathway, open to Northern Indigenous applicants who likely would not have had access to the program’s required high school pre-calculus requirement in their local high schools.

“In my first meeting with then-director of Indigenous Business Education Partners, Zach Unrau [BComm(Hons)/17], he flagged the pre-cal requirement as a potential barrier for Northern Indigenous students. We got to work right away creating a solution that would not just reduce this barrier, but also ensure that these students are supported in completing their math credit when they join the Asper School of Business,” he says.

The new pathway offers support, requiring that students be registered with the School’s Indigenous Business Education Partners (IBEP), and flexibility based on student need.

Biscontri notes that the relationship-building involved in the memorandum of understanding between the Asper School of Business, Norway House Cree Nation and Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak offered valuable consultation and insight throughout the process.

Connecting to Manitoba with new and renewed articulation agreements

Via articulation agreements, the Asper School of Business once again offers entry pathways to students who have completed academic credits at Red River College Polytechnic and University College of the North and is also now offering pathways to students who have completed academic work at Assiniboine College and L’École technique et professionelle.

“Many students living outside of Winnipeg may not have the means to come to the city to study right out of high school,” Biscontri explains.

These agreements allow students to begin their studies closer to home in many cases and have their credits count towards their BComm, reinforcing the Asper School’s commitment to offer exceptional business in Manitoba, for Manitoba.

Encouraging interdisciplinary study with more flexible academic minors

Asper School of Business students, who already have the option to graduate with two majors, can now pursue their minor in any faculty at UM.

For Biscontri, this update does more than simply allow students to pursue an additional academic interest.

“Management exists in every discipline—from film and the arts to law, sciences and engineering. This new policy allows our students to create their own niche, to design a BComm that carries all the prestige and value that the Asper School of Business has offered for decades, and is also suited to their individual career goals, interests and aspirations.

“It means that students who begin in one discipline and discover a love of business can have more credits recognized when they enroll, allowing them to apply for experiential learning opportunities like international exchange and co-op without having to make up additional credits that they’ve already completed in another faculty,” he says.

Offering more opportunity for the Asper experience with winter intake

The Asper School of Business now offers a winter admissions intake, allowing advanced entry students to apply by October 1, 2024. For this winter intake, all requirements must have been completed by the end of April 2024.

—

From business competition teams and student leadership opportunities to international exchanges and work-integrated learning, the Asper School of Business has something for everyone, for Manitoba.

Ready to start creating your future? Learn more about Asper School of Business programs today.

Emily Wilson