Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies (First Year Entry)

at Royal Roads University Canada

• The Master of Global Management will prepare you to manage international complexities in business.
• You'll learn about the nuances of leading a business with global reach.
• You'll leverage your cultural knowledge to develop a global mindset that helps you navigate business functions across borders.
• You'll use an international lens in your approach to leadership, change management and ethics.
• And, you'll study how cultural complexities, like political geography and international economics, inform business practices.
• As a graduate of the Master of Global Management, you'll be prepared to perform with agility and sensitivity in the global workplace.

Who it's for
The MGM is designed for professionals who are:

• Seeking a global business perspective to complement existing skills
• Motivated to develop competencies in international business
• Curious about the world
• Interested in education that complements industry affiliations, e.g., FITT, PMI, and CMC 
• Interested in leveraging their multicultural background

Program completion options
You'll choose one of four program completion options in your Royal Roads MGM:

• Global management project
• Internship research project

You can choose the option that works best for your goals.

Option 1: Global management project
In the global management project, you'll examine a global management issue in the industry of your choice.

You can complete the project in one of two ways:

1. an applied research project on a topic or organization that you choose, for example, an issue you've encountered in your career
2. a consulting project, in which you'll work with an organization to explore an issue

If you choose the consulting project, you can use it to qualify for a Certified Management Consultant (CMC) designation, offered by the Canadian Association of Management Consultants.

The global management project is a good fit for students with previous business experience. You'll be able to select an issue you've faced in your career and explore it in depth using the skills, knowledge, and competencies you’ve learned in the MGM program.

Option 2: Internship research project

• In the internship research project, you'll spend 420 hours with an organization and draft a report to help with a management issue.
• You'll start your internship after you've completed the MGM's 12 months of coursework. After spending a minimum of 12 weeks with the client, you'll have 11 weeks to work on the written component of your project.
• The internship research project is a good fit for students looking for practical experience in Canada and abroad. It's a great way to try out a new industry.
• We'll help you through the process of finding an internship in your preferred industry. You'll attend workshops for career development and work search skills. Learn more about our internship support.

In an unknown global climate, we need leaders in tourism and hospitality to spearhead change, adapt the way we understand business and develop innovative processes to be successful and sustainable in the industry.

During the Master of Arts in Tourism Management (MATM) program, you’ll learn firsthand from industry experts and experienced faculty members how to address the challenges facing today’s tourism and hospitality organizations.

As part of your program, you’ll analyze innovative approaches to sustainable tourism, learn how to develop effective strategies for destination marketing and development, learn contingency planning and disaster management, practice corporate leadership skills, understand policy planning, explore the heritage and culture of tourism destinations and more. Choose from two new specialization options: Social Entrepreneurship or Disaster and Emergency Management to focus on your desired research area and complete your degree.
The global tourism industry demands passionate entrepreneurs and leaders with advanced, industry-specific training. The Master of Arts in Tourism Management (MATM) program is designed to help you fulfill that demand by empowering you to lead and adapt to change.

If you have a passion for travel, sustainability, community development, culture or any other facet of the tourism industry, the MATM program can help you acquire the skills and experience to thrive in any number of exciting and highly rewarding career paths.

With the support of industry experts, the MATM program equips you with leadership skills, advanced knowledge specific to tourism research, and immersive opportunities. Together these learnings help you to better understand and navigate current tourism trends. Together with your cohort, you’ll develop individual resiliency and strong collaboration within your learning community.

The MATM program is built around three central themes: leadership, sustainable community development, and global understanding of travel and culture. The course content expands upon a conceptual foundation in the social sciences and business. These areas of academia help to enhance your personal development and provide unique insights into tourism, both as an adaptive economic engine and a global social instrument for change. A variety of engaging elective courses and specializations allow you to customize your educational journey and align it with your desired research interest and future career path.

Learn the skills you need to respond, pivot quickly and lead change. You’ll examine real-life case studies that showcase different approaches to sustainable tourism development, engage with knowledgeable, highly experienced faculty and learn how to address workplace challenges within tourism and hospitality organizations. Our field-study invites you to apply your theoretical and applied learnings from your program in global communities. In addition, our internship option offers you the opportunity to build valuable industry experience both domestically and internationally.

The MATM program is offered in two delivery models: on-campus or blended delivery that combines online learning with two one-week residencies on our stunning Victoria campus.
If you’re unsure about committing to a master’s level program, Royal Roads also offers a Graduate Certificate in Tourism Management that fully ladders into the MATM program.
Key Features
The Master of Arts in Tourism Management is a 36-credit program that covers a wide array of topics integral to your success in the highest levels of the tourism industry. The program, which combines team-based work and online learning, consists of six required courses, a range of electives courses, field studies, semester abroad opportunities, an optional internship, two optional specializations and three completion options.

FIELD STUDY
The MATM on-campus program includes a field study to a world-renowned destination. During this trip, you’ll conduct field research on a topic of your choice while connecting with local agencies and experiencing the destination from a tourist’s perspective. This week-long trip includes both group activities and individual time to explore on your own. The field study is an optional component for our students in the blended MATM delivery. Please note, there’s an additional field trip cost associated with the field study.

INTERNSHIP
As part of the MATM program, you’ll have the chance to develop valuable industry connections and experience during an optional 420-hour internship. Your internship is an opportunity to intimately explore a specific career path - either in Canada or abroad. Students are required to seek out their own internship positions however RRU staff and faculty support the search process through career learning and development workshops, community networking events and skill building.
Learn how our Career Learning and Development office supports Royal Roads students.

SPECIALIZATIONS
The MATM has two specialization options: Social Entrepreneurship or Disaster and Emergency Management. Selected due to areas of high demand in the market, these specializations allow you to personalize your learning experience, customize your program, and gain the knowledge and practical experiences in areas that interest you most. Learn more…

COMPLETION OPTIONS
You’ll be able to choose from three different program completion options: course-based, major research project (MRP) or thesis option. Both the major research project and thesis options are recommended if you’re considering pursuing a doctorate in the future.

The BA in Professional Communication can be completed as a 4-year degree program or an intensive degree-completion program (12 month on-campus or 2 year online) which enables you to complete your third and fourth years of study with cutting-edge program content that balances academic education, professional experience, creativity and practical skills. The program combines a comprehensive overview of communications as an academic field with courses in digital communication, professional writing, public persuasion, visual communication, multimedia storytelling, global communication, media and cultural studies, sustainability communication, crisis communication management, Indigenous contexts, and much more.

As a BAPC student, you will have the opportunity to benefit from a perspective-shifting experience by studying a semester abroad at any of our partner universities in Korea, India, Austria, Germany, Chile, or Vietnam. This program component will provide you with customizable study option to expand your international experience and cultural relevancy.

In an unknown climate, we need leaders in tourism and hospitality able to spearhead change and innovate the way we do business. Not everything can be planned for. This program will expose you to the opportunities, trends and issues in the global tourism and hospitality industry, and will equip you with the tools and knowledge to succeed within it. You will learn the entrepreneurship, leadership, and management skills to contribute to community resilience and business development. And if the idea of working internationally excites you, then our Bachelor of Arts in Global Tourism Management will help you go far.
The Bachelor of Arts in Global Tourism Management (BAGTM) program ­focuses on global tourism opportunities, trends and issues that will ensure you’ll have the tools and knowledge to advance your career in tourism and hospitality anywhere in the world. You will not only learn to use entrepreneurship, leadership, and management skills to contribute to community and business development, you will come away with a distinct competitive advantage. Now more than ever, the world needs leaders spearheading changing, building resilience and innovating the way we do business. 

Not everything can be planned for. Learn the skills you need to respond, pivot quickly and lead change. Experiential learning is an important component of this program; you will be taken out of the classroom and exposed to actual tourism operations and situations through a 1-week field trip course. Here you will explore some of the best that Vancouver Island has to offer, including the beaches of Tofino and slopes of Mount Washington. You will meet tourism entrepreneurs and professionals to better understand the issues and realities faced by the tourism industry. You will learn the practical aspects of travel management and tour operations while travelling to different destinations on Vancouver Island.  At the same time, you will be given the opportunity to participate in a variety of activities including skiing, snowboarding, whale watching, surfing and stand-up paddleboarding.

As a BAGTM student, you will have the opportunity to benefit from a perspective-shifting experience by studying a semester abroad (when conditions permit) at any of our partner universities in Korea, India, Austria, Germany, Chile, or Vietnam. This program component will provide you with customizable study option to expand your international experience and cultural relevancy.

A key aspect of our program is the internship. Cap your education by applying and expanding your tourism knowledge in a three-month professional work placement.  You will be mentored by a supervisor and guided by an RRU advisor as you learn about your chosen career in the tourism and hospitality industry.  Internships can be completed anywhere in the world, and will provide you with an opportunity to expand your network and turn your internship position into a profession.  Previous internships have occurred in organizations across Canada and internationally (e.g. China, Korea), in areas such as music festival coordinators, management trainees, front-line workers, and tour leaders.

In the BBA in Innovation and Sustainability, you'll earn a solid business education that will sharpen your vision for social and environmental change.

You’ll learn skills to make you a valuable — and valued — employee: problem-solving, decision-making, critical thinking, collaboration, adaptability and digital literacy.

And, throughout this degree-completion program, you'll channel your passion for sustainability into project-based experiences as you work with clients in the community and build a portfolio of work that showcases your creativity, work ethic and potential.

Whether you dream of starting your own venture or leading change at a global company, you'll be ready to advance business solutions that are as good for the bottom line as they are for the planet.

Who it's for
This program is right for you if you:

• Want to impact the local and global community through social innovation
• Are committed to enterprises that are financially, socially, environmentally sustainable
• Believe in responsible management practices
• Wish to create value for stakeholders
• Are looking for ways to discover, challenge, and maximize your personal potential
• Are curious about the relationships between individuals, organizations, society and the environment
• Want to develop career-ready knowledge, skills and a portfolio of hands-on experience

The Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science program complements your existing knowledge in environmental science with courses in environmental management, economics, law, community relations, communications skills and sustainable development. This program will help you gain the problem solving skills necessary to assume leadership positions in business and government.

This is a degree completion program, encompassing years three and four of a four-year undergraduate degree. The Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science is an intensive 12-month program that allows students with at least two years of post-secondary education to complete an interdisciplinary environmental science bachelor’s degree in one year. The program begins each September, with a small cohort of students who work together throughout the year. All students are involved with a major project team that spends nine months working to solve a current environmental issue for a business, government or community group.

Throughout the Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in Innovation and Sustainability program, you’ll work with a variety of stakeholders on specially selected client projects. This hands-on experience will help you to develop practical skills in real time, while tackling important issues facing organizations and society. It will also inspire you as a changemaker, giving you a deeper understanding of the complexity and far-reaching impact of social and environmental issues.

Royal Roads BBA offers you project-based learning that lets you earn a degree and make a difference in the community at the same time. In this program, you will:

• Gain contemporary business knowledge and job-relevant competency within core business subjects
• Develop leadership, adaptability, and collaboration skills to help you work and communicate effectively with a variety of stakeholders
• Apply creative approaches and hone your critical thinking skills through complex problem solving
• Contribute to context- and community-responsive projects focused on social and environmental sustainability
• Foster a unique sense of purpose and vision that will make you career-ready, position you to make meaningful changes in society, and enhance your personal fulfillment
• Build a deep portfolio of project work to showcase your learning, skill development, and contribution to the community while you were in the program
• Pursue a capstone or internship option that helps you integrate and polish your skills

How is the program designed and delivered?
The Royal Roads BBA in Innovation and Sustainability is designed to give you the solid business knowledge base you expect from a BBA degree. But beyond this, we know you need opportunities to directly apply that knowledge to develop practical career-ready skills and context-specific awareness.

Working on a variety of projects throughout the program will help you to recognize real opportunities for business and social innovation. You’ll also be equipped to meet the 21st-century career demands for adaptability, complex problem-solving, decision-making under uncertainty, collaboration, and digital and technological literacy.

For each project, you will work with real clients and use modern tools and technologies. Project facilitators, who will take the place of more traditional lecture-oriented instructors, will provide you with coaching and support through every project. Learn more about the program design.

Life doesn’t stop when school starts. The Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies offers a program tailored to your unique interests and schedule. Professional communication, environmental practice, justice studies, business – whatever the emphasis, we’re committed to your academic goals.

Don’t be dissuaded by distance. The BA in Interdisciplinary Studies is attainable online or through a combination of online learning and on-campus sessions – enabling professional transformations as well as personal ones. Don’t interrupt your life to fulfill your goals. Obligations don’t have to be an obstacle to a real-world education. 

This program is offered as a 4-year undergraduate degree for students typically entering from high school (or equivalent). A degree completion option, comprising years three and four, is also offered for eligible students.

The Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies program offers a BA with an emphasis on professional communication, environmental practice, justice studies, or business – or a combination thereof. You personalize your education by complementing these RRU courses with courses selected from other post-secondary institutions.

Plotting Your Success
Foundation courses introduce interdisciplinary core concepts
Academic focus immerses you in your area of interest
Professional focus provides real-world, individualized career emphasis
Opportunity to address current issues through applied learning and research
Requiring two to four years of study, this degree program allows you to combine Royal Roads courses with credits earned at other institutions. Depending on your course selections, you may complete all of your work online, or come to campus for a residency or course. Depending on your level of professional experience, you will complete an internship to deepen your skills.

Leverage Your Learning
The BA in Interdisciplinary Studies enables you to take an active role in the design of your education. With a program that builds on professional experience, prior academic experience and career goals, you will achieve competency in five knowledge domains: leadership and teamwork; communication; knowledge; critical thinking and global awareness. In addition, your course selections and academic work will demonstrate critical engagement with core concepts in your area of interest, such as Indigenous education, at-risk youth mentoring, alternative health care models, community leadership, social justice, the environment or corporate social responsibility. You determine your focus; we help you build a program to achieve it. 

Achieving Balance
The real world doesn’t run on a one-size-fits-all schedule. That’s why Royal Roads provides post-secondary education that balances individual needs with academic goals through a combination of applied research, online learning and flexible programs. The practical demands of life don’t have to be an obstacle to a relevant education; we can move you closer to your goal of creating positive change in your life, and the lives of those around you.

The MA in Global Leadership (MAGL) is a 36-credit program to build and enhance globally minded leadership and management capabilities.

Specific topics covered in the program include:

• The competencies of global leadership as foundational knowledge for all professionals and business executives working in an international context or having global purposes, 
• Drivers of global change and how to respond to them
• Socio-political and economic analysis in the global context, 
• Social purpose organizational dynamics and performance, 
• Models of community development in a global context,
• Program evaluation theory and practice in a global context,
• How to manage conflict and tensions across multi-cultural contexts, 
• Strategic analysis and decision making,
• Intercultural communication and skill-building , personal resiliency and adaptability. 
• Project management and evaluation, 
• Stakeholder analysis and authentic collaboration.

The program courses specifically support the development of core knowledge, aptitudes, and skills of global leadership at the personal, community, and organizational levels. Elective courses will further support students to explore topics of interest and/or relevance in specific sectors of practice. Elective offerings also include an international field trip* to embed experiential practice with theory.

MAGL graduates will develop the competencies to lead and manage change processes, build collaborative teams, create effective interagency partnerships, design and evaluate programs, foster innovation and creativity, communicate results and work effectively and respectfully across cultures, generations, and contexts.

• Deepen your strategic knowledge of business practices to broaden your influence in the workplace. Build leadership, analytical and management skills.
• The MBA in Executive Management at Royal Roads University gives you the professional advantage to move your career forward.
• You can continue working while you study and get the education — and credential — you need for professional advancement.
• You'll be well positioned to move ahead in your organization. Or change your career path. Or start your own business. Or envision something entirely new.

Getting down to business
We've been delivering the MBA for more than two decades.

• In our MBA, you'll study all the core business subjects you'd expect — accounting, leadership, finance, human resources, operations and change management.
• And, you'll take these courses alongside professionals with years of experience who are your classmates and thought-partners.
• You'll learn from instructors who are business professionals with decades of experience they bring into the classroom.
• You'll engage with company executives who present their business situations to you, and you'll analyze their cases and make recommendations.
• You'll be able to immediately apply the knowledge and insight you gain right away in your workplace.