Enhance your graduate degree with business and entrepreneurship (BE) courses
Business and entrepreneurship courses provide Waterloo Engineering graduate students with solid skills and knowledge to help them succeed in the employment marketplace. Graduate students who successfully complete three BE courses are eligible to receive a Certificate in Business and Entrepreneurship from the Conrad School.
Certificate in Business and Entrepreneurship
Waterloo Engineering graduate students can take three BE courses to receive a Certificate in Business and Entrepreneurship from the Conrad School.
Students must fill out the BE Certificate of Completion (PDF) and send it to the Conrad School Graduate Office by the end of each month to receive the certificate.
BE Certificate of Completion forms will be reviewed and processed at the end of each month. If you meet the requirements, you can expect your certificate in 3-4 weeks.
Note: Credits may be applied to receive the Certificate or the GDip, but not both.
Winter 2023 course offerings
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BE 600 Management and Leadership
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BE 601 Introduction to Financial and Managerial Accounting
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BE 604 Marketing Management
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BE 660 Business Negotiations
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BE 680 Consulting
Course offerings by semester are based on current plans. Semester schedules are subject to change.
Course descriptions
BE 600 Management and Leadership (0.50)
This course provides students with the opportunity to develop a range of soft skills and the business acumen necessary to maximize the likelihood of business success. Topics include communication and interpersonal skills, leadership, and negotiation skills. A range of applied approaches are used, including integrated cases, simulations, and interaction with the local business community. MEng and GDip students only.
Offered: F, W, S
BE 601 Introduction to Financial and Managerial Accounting (0.50)
The course introduces students to the core elements of financial and managerial accounting. Specifically, the course objectives are to 1) assist managers to become proficient at interpreting numbers in financial statements and assessing their usefulness for business decisions, and 2) assist managers to understand the vital role that internal accounting information, or management accounting, plays in making better planning, organizing, controlling, improvement and compensation decisions. MEng and GDip students only.
Offered: F, W, S
BE 602 Data Analysis and Management (0.50)
Introduces students to the basic tools in using data to make informed management decisions. Coverage includes introductory probability, decision analysis, basic statistics, regression, simulation and linear optimization. Computer spreadsheet exercises, cases and examples will be drawn from marketing, finance, operations management and other management functions. MEng and GDip students only.
Offered: F
BE 603 Operations and Supply Chain Management (0.50)
BE 604 Marketing Management (0.50)
BE 680 Consulting (0.50)
This course is useful for anyone considering working as a consultant, either for a consulting firm or as an internal consultant. Some of the competencies of an experienced consultant include understanding business needs from a holistic perspective, developing innovative ideas, expert people skills, influence, and change management.
This is a practical and in-depth course that addresses the overall profession of management consulting, including
- how consulting firms are organized and managed,
- consulting firm economics and professional rate setting,
- how consultants compete and secure clients, the types of services consultants provide,
- service delivery methods and practices,
- engagement management and progress reporting,
- deliverable development and content, value-added consulting services,
- managing client relations and expectations,
- and specialized consulting situations such as strategy, operational improvement, acquisitions and turnarounds.
This course also addresses ethical and professional responsibility in consulting, key stages in the consulting process, issue diagnosis, difficult clients, consulting frameworks, analytical approaches to solving complex problems, building a consulting toolset, change management processes, and advanced presentation techniques.
In addition, there will be guest speakers who work/ have worked with major consultancy companies such as McKinsey or Deloitte. They will provide you with industry insights and a chance to find out more about the day-to-day reality of being a consultant.
Offered: F, W, S
Please visit the Graduate Studies Academic Calendar for further details.