New curriculum FAQ

Students admitted to Asper before September 2023 are not required to complete the new curriculum. Students are grandfathered with their current curriculum and can continue with the degree requirements of that curriculum.

Yes, students admitted to Asper before 2023 can opt into the new curriculum. Students must fill out a form declaring their intention to switch. Note that once a student switches from the old curriculum to the new curriculum, you cannot reverse this decision. Students interested in opting into the new curriculum must contact the Asper Undergraduate Program Office to go over their credits and understand the implications of a switch. 

Students in the old curriculum are welcome to take any of the newly created Asper courses as long as they fit within their program. It is highly recommended that students consult with an Asper Program Advisor to ensure that these new courses can fit within their degree program. 

Courses like MIS 2000 and FIN 2200 are being deleted or gradually phased out. If a course like this is outstanding in a student's degree requirements, there will be substitution courses available. 

Here are some examples:

-MIS 2000 core course requirement will be replaced with IDM 2020

-FIN 2200 can be replaced by FIN 2010 alone if not majoring in Finance or

-FIN 2010 (take as a core course) and FIN 2420 (take as a business option) if majoring in Finance in the old curriculum. To graduate with a finance major a minimum grade of C+ is required in the prerequisite courses FIN 2010 and FIN 2420

-INTB 2200 has been renamed to SGMT 2200

It is recommended that if students have any concerns about courses required for their degree in the old curriculum to reach out to an Asper Academic Advisor for assistance.

Students enrolled in the old curriculum, regardless of when they declare their major, must complete the major requirements of the old curriculum. The new major requirements in the new curriculum are only to be completed by students who are enrolled in the new curriculum. 

Students can declare MIS, Leadership, or International Business as their major up until August 2023. As of September 2023, these majors will not longer be available to declare. Students will still be able to complete these majors within the old curriculum. If a major required course is no longer available, substitution courses will be offered so students can still complete the degree requirements. 

These majors are not being eliminated because of their usefulness in the professional world. On the contrary, these three majors are being reincorporated into our two newest majors: Business Analytics and Strategy and Global Management. 

Yes, as the new majors are a part of the new curriculum, if students want to declare either Business Analytics or Strategy and Global Management as their major, they will have to switch to the new curriculum and complete the degree requirements of the new curriculum.

For any other existing majors: if students choose to stay in the old curriculum, they must complete the major requirements as they exist in the old curriculum. If students choose to switch to the new curriculum, they must complete the major requirements as they exist in the new curriculum.

You should continue to follow your planned schedule for your co-op work term(s). After you secure your co-op job and inform the Co-op Office to process your registration in IDM 2982/3982/4982 in Aurora, the Undergraduate Program Office will automatically waive the IDM 1010 pre-requisite.  However, as a required course in the new curriculum, you will still be required to complete IDM 1010 before graduation.

With the transition to the new curriculum, MIS 2000 will no longer be offered, and instead has been replaced with the new course IDM 2020 Business Analytics.  Students admitted to Asper prior to September 2023, who have not yet taken MIS 2000, will take IDM 2020 Business Analytics instead, to fulfill their core course requirements.

IDM 2020 Business Analytics has two prerequisites:

• STAT 1000 or STAT 1150 with a minimum grade of “C” (which all Asper students need to complete); and
• IDM 1020 Data Software for Business (1.5 credit hours) (core course for students newly admitted to Asper in September 2023)

If you were admitted to Asper prior to September 2023, the prerequisite course IDM 1020 Data Software for Business is not a required core course in your program.  Therefore, the Asper School will not require you to take IDM 1020 Data Software for Business as a prerequisite for IDM 2020 Business Analytics.  Therefore, as long as you have already completed STAT 1000 or STAT 1150 with a minimum grade of “C”, a prerequisite waiver will be added to your Aurora Student record, so that you may register for IDM 2020 Business Analytics in Fall 2023 or Winter 2024, pending space availability.  (Please note that students who are closer to graduation have higher priority for space in courses than students who are further away from graduation.)

If you do not take IDM 2020 Business Analytics in either Fall 2023 or Winter 2024, that is fine.  You may take IDM 2020 Business Analytics in a future term and receive a prerequisite override at that time to take IDM 2020.

Yes, you are permitted to take IDM 1020 Data Software for Business (1.5 credit hours), even though you are completing the old curriculum.    In fact, if you need to take IDM 2020 as a substitute for MIS 2000, then you are encouraged to also take IDM 1020, if possible, because you will study concepts that will help you as you later study IDM 2020 Business Analytics.  IDM 1020 Data Software for Business is 1.5 credit hours, so in order to have it count for credit in the BComm(Hons) program, you would also need to take one of the following 1.5 credit hour courses, for a total of 3 credit hours: 

• IDM 1010 Communication for Career Management (1.5 credit hours)

• SCM 1000 Introduction to Project Management (1.5 credit hours)

Note:  Even though your Business Options must usually be at the 2000+ level, these 3 credit hours (1.5 credit hours plus 1.5 credit hours) at the 1000 level can count as 3 credit hours of Business Options in your BComm(Hons) program, if you still have room for 3 credit hours of Business Options in your program

Alternatively, if you wish, you may just take IDM 1020 Data Software for Business (1.5 credit hours), and not take another course that is 1.5 credit hours.  In this situation, IDM 1020 Data Software for Business (1.5 credit hours) would be an “extra” course, in addition to the 120 credit hours required for your BComm(Hons) program.

Business Analytics refers to: Taking in and processing historical business data. Analyzing that data to identify trends, patterns, and root causes and making data-driven business decisions based on those insights. 

Although there is overlap between Management Information Systems and Business Analytics, Business Analytics focuses more heavily on databases and the different tools used to collect, organize, analyze and evaluate data in a variety of organizational contexts. 

Organizations rely on data to make decisions. Individuals who can work with data are becoming increasingly valuable to drive organizational decision making. The Business Analytics major will provide students with the knowledge and skillset to collect, analyze and evaluate data in a variety of organizational contexts. 

The Business Analytics major requires 15 credit hours from the following courses: 

1.     MIS 3020 Programming for Business Analytics Prerequisite: IDM 2020 (C+) or the former MIS 2000 (C+) or MIS 2001 (C+). 

2.     MIS 3500 Database Management Systems Prerequisite: IDM 2020 (C+) or [MIS 3510 (D) and COMP 1010 (C)] or the former MIS 2000 (C+) or MIS 2001 (C+). 

3.     9 credit hours from the following 

a.     ACC 3010 Data Analytics in Accounting Prerequisites: (ACC 1110 (D) or ACC 1111 (D)) ; and IDM 2020 or (the former MIS 2000 or MIS 2001). 

b.     MIS 3510 System Analysis and Design Prerequisites: IDM 2020 (C+) or the former MIS 2000 (C+) or MIS 2001 (C+). 

c.      MKT 4010 Marketing Analytics Prerequisites: (MKT 2210 (D) or MKT 2211 (D)) and (STAT 1000 (D) or STAT 1001 (D) or STAT 1150 (D)). 

d.     SCM 3220 Introduction to Business Process Management Prerequisites: IDM 2020 (D) and one of [SCM 2240 (D), SCM 2160 (D), SCM 2161 (D), OPM 2601 (D), the former OPM 2600 (D), MSCI 2150 (D), MSCI 2151 (D), SCM 2230 (D)] or consent of the department. 

e.     SCM 3240 Supply Chain Analytics Prerequisites: IDM 2020 (D) and one of [SCM 2160 (D), SCM 2161 (D), OPM 2601 (D), the former OPM 2600 (D), MSCI 2150 (D), MSCI 2151 (D)] or consent of the department. 

Students will be required to take the following courses as prerequisite courses for the Business Analytics Major: 

1.     IDM 1020 Data Software for Business (1.5 credit hours) 

2.     IDM 2020 Introduction to Business Analytics (3 credit hours) Prerequisites: (STAT 1000 or STAT 1001 or STAT 1150) and IDM 1020 

Not all courses required for the major will always be offered in each term. Please refer to the Class Schedule within Aurora for class schedules by term. Courses required for the major should be taken throughout years 3 and 4 of the degree. IDM 1020 and IDM 2020 are recommended in year 2.

The strategy and global management major is for students with an interest in firm strategy in the international competitive landscape.  It includes training in international business, business strategy, and in the interpersonal and organizational factors critical to strategic execution. It is suitable as a standalone major, or in combination with other majors for students interested in the international dimensions of their other major. 

Organizations are interested in graduates who have a cross-functional outlook, who understand the complexities of the global marketplace, and who can lead and drive organizational change at their level of responsibility.  The courses in this major are designed to build these skills, and prepare them for careers in strategy, planning, consulting, change management, international business development, and global management.  Given the cross-functional nature of this major and the focus on strategic thinking, graduates from this major will find themselves easily understanding and adapting to organizational vision and working very well with other units in the organization.

No. The new Strategy and Global Management major combines elements of these previous majors, and adds content not present in those former programs. It contains strategy and IB content that was not required in the L&O major, and both strategy and leadership/management content that goes beyond what was covered in the IB major.  This major is developed in response to the growing convergence and integration of these areas as senior managers navigate through increased challenges of making strategic decisions in a global market, while middle managers face greater expectation of strategic thinking in management and collaboration.

15 credit hours are required from the following:

1.     LEAD 4010 Leading Change Prerequisites: [GMGT 1010 (D) or GMGT 1011 (D)] and [GMGT 2070 (D) or GMGT 2071 (D)].

2.     SGMT 3060 Strategic Thinking and Cross-Functional Management (NEW course) Prerequisite: GMGT 1010 (D) or GMGT 1011 (D).

3.     SGMT 3070 Current Issues in Strategy and Global Management (NEW course) Prerequisite: A grade of D or better in SGMT 2200 or the former INTB 2200 or INTB 2201

4.     One of the following:

      a.     GMGT 3010 Management Decision Making Prerequisites: GMGT 2070 (D).

      b.     GMGT 4210 Seminar in Management and Capitalism Prerequisite: GMGT 1010 (D) or GMGT 2120 (D)

      c.      LEAD 3010 Negotiation and Conflict Management

      d.     LEAD 3020 Team Building and Diversity Prerequisites: (GMGT 1010 (D) or GMGT 1011 (D)) and (GMGT 2070 (D) or GMGT 2071 (D))

5.     One of the following:

      a.     FIN 3450 International Finance Prerequisite: FIN 2200 (C+) or FIN 2201 (C+) or FIN 2420 (C+).

      b.     MKT 3300 International Marketing Prerequisite: MKT 2210 (D)

      c.      SCM 3230 Global Supply Chains Prerequisite: MSCI 2150 (D), MSCI 2151 (D), SCM 2160 (D), the former OPM 2600 (D), OPM 2601 (D), SCM 2230 (D), or SCM 3360 (D), or consent of instructor

      d.     HRIR 4250 Comparative IR and HRM Students are encouraged, but not required, to complete HRIR 3450 (D) prior to taking this course

Not all courses required for the major will always be offered in each term. Please refer to the Class Schedule within Aurora for class schedules by term. Courses required for the major should be taken throughout years 3 and 4 of the degree. GMGT 1010 is recommended in year 1 while SGMT 2200 and GMGT 2070 are recommended in year 2.

Currently, there is not an option to use an exchange course to fulfill one of the major requirement courses directly. The Asper School of Business is currently working with the Exchange Coordinator to structure some options. The Department of Business Administration, the unit hosting this major, will process requests of using an Exchange course toward major course on a case-by-case basis.

Students interested in the international dimension of their first major would often benefit from a double major: For example, students with an interest in international finance might pair Finance and SGMT majors.  Students interested in new market development and international marketing might major in both Marketing and SGMT.  Students interested in global supplier networks and international logistics, for instance, might benefit from pairing SCM and SGMT.