Co-op program details

Bachelor of Business Administration (Honours) - International Business Management

Program details

Credential: 4-Year Bachelor of Business Administration (Honours)

This four-year, full-time, co-op program prepares graduates to handle managerial issues in Human Resources, Marketing and Supply Chain/Operations Management requiring contextual knowledge of international business practices. The goal is to provide graduates with the ability to bring people, processes and technology together to achieve improved performance in business, whether that business operates in the domestic or international arena.

Graduates of this four-year co-op program will possess a blend of applied business skills that will enable them to function as flexible and versatile business generalists in an international context. Specific focus is given to issues requiring cross-functional integration of activities. With optional specializations in Human Resources, Marketing, and Supply Chain, students may also delve deeply into one of these fields. The program meets the needs of typical entry-level positions and allows the graduate to eventually move into supervisory or managerial roles within either domestic or international business environments.

Student availability & wage data

Conestoga College facilitates recruitment on an ongoing basis - there are no hard deadlines. Typical time frames for work terms are listed below.

Postings are accepted beginning four months before the start of a term until all students have secured employment provided the minimum 12 consecutive weeks of full-time work is met.

Work/Study Sequence

Year Fall (Sept - Dec) Winter (Jan - Apr) Spring (May - Aug)
Year 1 Classes Classes
Year 2 Classes Classes Work Term 1: $17-24
Year 3 Classes Classes Classes
Year 4 Work Term 2: $18-25 Work Term 3: $18.50-28 Classes

*Notes: 1) The program design has changed: Students are available for work term in the winter semester beginning in 2024. 2) Students with a new specialization in Sustainable Business will be available beginning with fall 2023 for their work term 2.

Conestoga College collects data on hourly wages of co-operative education students and offers suggested ranges as a service to employers for the purpose of establishing fair and competitive compensation.

Our experience has been that employers increase wages as skills increase, particularly when employing students for more advanced work terms. The Co-operative Education Office can provide assistance to employers in establishing appropriate wage rates.

Work term capabilities

Specific skills and abilities that students are typically capable of performing during a given work term are listed below.

Work term 1

Operations Management
  • Use forecasting techniques to predict demand and shipments
  • Analyze product costs, contribution margins, and process quality
  • Apply project management techniques using Microsoft Project, Excel and Access
  • Database design & management using MS Access
  • Inventory classification & analysis
  • Analyze problems to identify root causes
Human Resources Management
  • Process and maintain hourly employee payroll
  • Develop and maintain employee files
  • Research and create an HR manual
  • Posting job ads, tracking applications, setting up interviews, completing new hire paperwork
  • Planning for training sessions such as scheduling, event planning, sending out training materials, tracking registrations
  • Tracking HR administrative requirements such as training completion, professional development, performance appraisal completion, health and safety records, etc.
  • Analyze problems to identify root causes
Marketing
  • Handle general inquiries for Marketing department
  • Maintain and process online leads and assist with mailings
  • Assist with preparation of e-newsletters and campaigns
  • Assist with marketing collateral requests from other departments as needed
  • Assist with in-house events, fundraising and volunteer opportunities
  • Assist with processing and reporting for Member benefits
  • Contact Members to update contact information
  • Departmental filing for Marketing departments
  • Analyze problems to identify root causes

Work terms 2 and 3

Marketing and Business Development
  • Conduct market research using primary and secondary research methods
  • Identify and evaluate new potential markets
  • Prepare research reports and presentations
  • Liaise with the Marketing and Sales teams to identify and create regional and customer specific
    marketing programs that will effectively drive sales, and profit
  • Design and implement an effective social media strategy to enhance the company image on
    an active basis; track and update Social Media content as required
  • Assist new product launch by creating product collateral (brochures, presentations, newsletters)
  • Create product collateral, manage info through on-line tools and software
  • Strategize and create marketing initiatives that support the continued growth of product offerings, and program compliance
  • Support integrated marketing programs to meet customer, sales force, and business development needs and drive sales and customer growth
  • Analyze problems to identify root causes, brainstorm for alternatives, and develop recommendations
Supply Chain/Operations Management
  • Apply Materials Requirement Planning
  • Perform production scheduling, inventory control and materials planning functions
  • Initiate vendor surveys and qualify vendors
  • Handle purchase requisitions, purchase orders, quotations and other associated purchasing and materials paperwork
  • Apply logistics optimization techniques to various trucking and material movement enterprises
  • Evaluate capacity and purpose improvements
  • Apply Lean & JIT concepts for continuous process improvement
  • Apply quality management decision tools to improve processes
  • Analyze stability & capability of processes through statistical process control techniques
  • Analyze problems to identify root causes, brainstorm for alternatives, and develop recommendations
Human Resources Management
  • Use Human Resources Information Systems
  • Recruit and select applicants, including development of selection processes
  • Design training, orientation and development programs
  • Develop job descriptions and specifications
  • Design and conduct surveys related to topics of interest to Human Resources
  • Recommend improvements to health and safety programs
  • Recommend strategies for effective change management
  • Analyze problems to identify root causes, brainstorm for alternatives, and develop recommendations

Sample job titles

  • Business Process Coordinator
  • Inventory Specialist
  • Operations Assistant
  • Production Analyst
  • Materials Coordinator
  • Purchasing and Supply Officer Trainee
  • Project Coordinator
  • Material Planning Assistant
  • Logistics Coordinator
  • Business Analyst
  • HR Coordinator
  • Junior Recruiter
  • Marketing Coordinator
  • Business Development Intern
  • Assistant Manager
  • ITS Admin Coordinator
  • Business Administrator
  • Customer Service Rep
  • Administrative Assistant

Program courses

To see a typical course list for this program, see the current program course information.

Post a co-op job now

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Contact information

Do you need help developing a recruitment plan or job posting, accessing wage information, or connecting with a talented co-op student? Contact:

Teresa Lee
Employer Relations Consultant
Tlee@conestogac.on.ca
519-748-5220 ext. 3678