New JMSB program helps grads counter recession

Starting in September 2009, the John Molson School of Business (JMSB) will be offering non-business students a chance to get an edge in an increasingly chaotic job market.
Two years in the making, the new program, called a graduate diploma in business administration (GDBA), will allow graduating undergraduate students to obtain a 30-credit graduate diploma. Aimed at students with no business background, the course teaches the fundamentals of accounting, statistics, marketing and ethics, among other topics.
“It’s really business 101,” said Karim Boulos, JMSB’s executive director of external affairs. “If you want a job where you can interface [ . . . ] they’ll want someone with that edge, with that set of skills.”
Boulous says the program is particularly beneficial to those students entering a job market just hitting a recession. “You and 2,000 other people are going to be vying for the same job. You need that extra something on your CV,” he said.
JMSB co-op student and marketing intern for the program Heather Gagnon says the course can be beneficial to all students despite their educational background. “It’s not going to be an easy walk in the park,” she said, “[but it’s worth it] just to have a better understanding of everything that goes on in a corporation.”