This text is part of the special section Higher Education
UQAM’s School of Management Sciences (ESG UQAM) is launching some twenty new microprograms in management this winter. This formula would better meet the needs of part of the population than traditional programs.
Short programs are not in themselves a novelty at UQAM, which began to offer them in the mid-1980s. But the most recent version brings the current number to 88, a 33% increase compared to the ‘last year.
“We want to offer people, especially those who already have a job, the opportunity to improve or requalify without necessarily having to commit to a certificate, bachelor’s degree or master’s degree,” explains Jean-Christian Pleau, vice-rector to the academic life of UQAM.
Accessible courses
Accessibility was a major goal in the creation of firmware. Most courses do not require any prerequisites. Firmware enrollment of 2e cycle on financial technologies (fintech) is a bit different. It requires a bachelor’s degree or the equivalent, with a cumulative average of at least 3.2 out of 4.3 in administration sciences, economics, accounting sciences, actuarial sciences or mathematics. But certain work experiences or training can make it possible to circumvent this request.
The possibility of taking these courses in the evening, but also in hybrid or distance learning mode, could also help make them more attractive for those whose schedule is already full. “Accessibility has been at the heart of our university’s mission since its creation in 1969,” recalls Jean-Christian Pleau. In the beginning, it was a lot through evening classes and certificates, but today microprograms and online education represent other tools to achieve this goal. »
Microprogram students will take courses that already exist in ESG UQAM programs, along with students enrolled in these programs. Thus, a student who would like to continue his studies later could be credited with the courses of the microprogram within the framework of a certificate or a bachelor’s degree. “These firmwares can therefore become new gateways to longer programs”, specifies the vice-rector.
A varied offer
The 22 microprograms all include between three and six courses. None are subject to a quota, and they can all be taken on a part-time basis. The courses have been selected to respond to concerns currently found in management, but also to provide tools related to technology, entrepreneurship and innovation.
The management of UQAM also wanted to offer more influence to certain courses, which it considered too little visible in a bachelor’s degree. This is the case, for example, of the program on the managerial challenges of SMEs, or those on marketing, accounting and the international development of SMEs.
Some programs focus on specific sectors, such as tourism in Quebec, fashion management, the environment or the social economy and community organizations. Entrepreneurship is also in the spotlight with a micro-program of four courses on the creation of international start-ups and another of three courses on the world of business creation, which aims in particular to support entrepreneurs in the development of their business plan and the start of their project.
critical thinking
Finance is of course not left out. In addition to the program of 2e cycle on the fintech, ESG UQAM offers a micro-program on market finance and another on personal finance. These training sessions are timely in a context where discount brokerage platforms make it very easy for anyone to improvise as an independent investor.
Managers facing labor shortages and new forms of work organization will also find what they’re looking for with micro-programs on talent acquisition and management, worker development and mobilization, management in the context of innovation and the management of occupational health and safety prevention.
In addition, UQAM is keeping on track with its mission to develop critical thinking with a three-course microprogram entitled Economics, Philosophy and Politics. This introduction to the major currents of thought in political economy addresses topics such as the role of money and wealth, justice and equality of exchange, the inevitability of poverty and the relevance of the concept of growth.
“Microprograms are really interesting tools for promoting lifelong learning, while taking into account the constraints that people experience in their daily lives,” says Jean-Christian Pleau.
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