Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Tourism

at Thompson Rivers University - Kamloops Campus Canada

Bachelor of Arts, Major in Communication
This four-year degree allows you to choose between two streams:

• Communication and New Media Studies
• Communication and Public Relations

Although there is some overlap in core courses, the two streams have different lower and upper level requirements.

Communication and New Media Studies
This stream covers the aesthetic, narrative and theoretical aspects of technology, as well as computer-mediated communication. If you have an interest in the ways technology, design and business interact, this program is for you.

Taking this stream will help you understand how "new" media fit in with forms and practices that are a part of "old" media. You will be able to anticipate developments in new media, and the genres and other patterns that they manifest — such as story and play in computer games; community, conversation and interpersonal communication with smartphones and social software; the way charisma, character and identity are communicated across a range of media.

Opportunities within the community
Three 3700 CMNS students tried their hand at deep mapping the Kamloops Art Gallery (KAG). Each played a different role on the team — social media/blogging, mapping and videography. Their objective was to deploy deep mapping as a strategy for TRU students and the Kamloops Art Gallery to co-placemake, to move away from just the consumption of the cultural products in the KAG to the creation of a community of producers and consumers where the distinction between the two is a little more blurred. One of KAG’s mandates is to create community, and one of TRU’s mandates is to connect with the community, so this worked well on so many levels. Please visit their website below. They were guided in their studies by their professor, Dr. Kathleen Scherf, employees and members of the KAG and by TRU webmaster Robline Forsythe.

Communication and Public Relations
This stream covers the practical and commercial application of communication. If you have business, tourism, entrepreneurial and public service ambitions, this program will show you how communication can enhance your business practices. Close ties with the Tourism and Business faculties offer the benefit of preparing you for a wide variety of business and event planning situations. No other such program exists in the Kamloops region.

This program offers graduates a background in communication history and theory, a wide reservoir of meaning-making skills (image-based, language-based, etc.), marketing knowledge and event planning. The communication courses offer training in strategies of communication design and the application of theory through pragmatic application. Public relations graduates should be well-rounded professional communicators who are prepared to enter the public or private sectors.

The Supply Chain Management Major is all about doing things “right.” Students learn to provide consumers with the right product, at the right place and time, and at the right level of value. A supply chain has three primary functions. Procurement is sourcing of the materials, supplies and services needed by an organization. Operations deals with using these inputs to manufacture goods and provide services. Transportation and logistics involves delivering products to consumers. The goal in all these areas is to maximize customer satisfaction and corporate profitability. These efforts have led to many business innovations such as single and global sourcing, design for manufacturing, agile and lean manufacturing, advanced analytics, 3-D printing, and green supply chains.

Increasingly, companies are outsourcing different supply chain management tasks to external partners to benefit from their expertise and to focus more on their own core competencies. This trend has reduced corporate investments in inventory and infrastructure and resulted in more flexible supply chains, but it is making supply chains increasingly interdependent and complex especially in today’s global business environment. Students with strong quantitative and computing skills and an array of multi-cultural and entrepreneurship experiences will become valued supply chain management professionals.

The Economics Major introduces students to the core body of knowledge in the discipline. In addition, students improve their abilities to conduct pricing, cost-benefit and program analysis, forecasting and industry analysis. They learn how economies interact which aids in all facets of business decision making. Finally, they learn to analyze the economics of the regulatory process and the reaction of businesses to the regulatory environment. Emphasis is placed on the application of basic economic tools to policy areas.

Learning objectives

• Upon completion of this program, students will be able to:
  • Discuss the theories and principles of microeconomics including trade and comparative advantage, the functioning of markets, consumer theory, uncertainty and risk, production and costs, market structure under varying competitive conditions, price theory, public good provisions, externalities and other market failures, environmental protection, taxation and welfare economics.
  • Discuss the theories and principles of macroeconomics including economic fluctuations, growth and development; unemployment; inflation, interest rates, deficits and debt, balance of payments and exchange rates, fiscal, monetary and various other polices using economic growth models, aggregate demand and supply as well as other applicable models.
  • Collect, analyze and interpret relevant economic information from multiple sources.
  • Demonstrate how quantitative/statistical methods and software packages can be used to examine economic data.
  • Describe the role of government and institutions in the economy including taxation, spending, regulation and production.
  • Integrate ethical concerns including efficiency, fairness, equity and individual freedom in policy development.
  • Analyze the behaviour of individuals, businesses and industries in market-based systems; social issues; and the challenges of developing economies using different microeconomic and macroeconomic theories and principles.
  • Assess and revise public policies addressing both market and non-market issues.
  • Apply economic theories and principles in a professional setting.

Tourism Management Faculty strive to deliver education experiences that blend theory with practice to ensure our graduates are confident in both applying the knowledge they gain, and challenging the theories that guide tourism management practice, both essential for leaders of tomorrow.

We are dedicated to preparing graduates with the skills to provide quality tourist experiences, develop and manage tourism businesses with entrepreneurial spirit, and contribute to community development in a manner that is environmentally, socially and economically sustainable.

The Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies is a two-year degree program which students generally enter after two years, or 60 credits, of undergraduate study. The program allows you to design your own customized curriculum.

Students who want a more flexible and varied learning experience in their university degree program, and those who are not yet sure of a career path, can complete a wide range of courses during their first two years of study before entering the BIS degree. This allows students to explore their interests, passions and potential career options without having to plan a specific major within an arts, science or business degree program.

The BIS degree is also designed to build on two-year diplomas and associate degrees offered across British Columbia and throughout Canada, and can normally be completed in four semesters of full-time study.

The practical side of the program focuses on writing, editing, interviewing, taking photographs, and working with new technology to produce print and online publications. The theory side emphasizes media law, journalistic ethics, decision-making, and critical thinking.

Become a specialist in employee relations, managing employee planning, recruitment, compensation, training and development, health and safety, and evaluation. Also learn to take the lead in union contract negotiations, grievance handling, including mediation and arbitration, and all other employee-related legal matters such as wrongful dismal, or personal harassment.

Combines rigorous training in the ideas and concepts of the physical world with practical experience in electronics, computing, data acquisition, optics and other fundamental topics. A strong base for the students to expand their expertise in applied science and technology fields.

Psychology is the scientific study of thoughts, feelings, actions, perceptions, physiological and neurological responses, and other behaviours in animals and humans. As both a scientific discipline and a profession, psychology relates to virtually every aspect of people's lives. Through research, psychology plays an integral role in understanding and predicting human behaviour. Through clinical practice, psychology strives to help people live more productive and fulfilling lives.

The Department of Psychology offers a variety of courses and the option of obtaining a (Major, Minor or Honours) in psychology as part of the Bachelor of Arts degree.

Why take psychology at TRU
Experience small class sizes and engaging opportunities! To better understand the fascinating field of psychology, first year students participate in research studies conducted by upper-year students and faculty. Upper year students have the opportunitiy to conduct research in the Honours program, by taking Directed studies courses or getting involved in faculty reserach, as research assistants and volunteers. Our students enjoy intimate classroom settings with dedicated, knowledgable, caring professors who have an exciting range of research interest. 

Earn a professional teaching certificate from the BC Teacher Certification Branch, qualifying you to teach in an elementary school setting—public, independent, private, religious, and First Nations—as well as secondary school. An extensive teaching practicum at selected elementary schools in the BC Interior enhances your studies.