Bachelor of Commerce (Digital Marketing) - Postsecondary ...

marketing landscape is changing very quickly and the technical and management skills needed for many
forms of digital marketing are quite different from the skills used by traditional marketers.
Employers reported to Academica researchers that the applied nature of Fanshawe’s proposed program
will also set it apart from the university programs, with a mandatory co‐op work term often cited as an
important enhancement and key differentiator. Digital marketing skills and techniques are definitely
delivered in an applied manner. Fanshawe College is well established with co‐operative education and
other forms of applied/experiential learning, and will build on that expertise with this proposed
Bachelor of Commerce (Digital Marketing) program.
Following the Academica research, the College engaged an External Focus Group of employers and
industry professionals to advise whether the College should develop a digital marketing degree program,
and to offer some direction about the focus of such a program. Following that, the College assembled a
second external group, the Program Advisory Committee, to develop further details about the program
focus and curriculum. With the strong endorsement from these external groups, and a program
framework in place, the College committed to develop the full proposal for submission to PEQAB.
Fanshawe College’s strategic plans were updated and adopted by the Board of Governors in April 2012
(Appendix B), and affirm the College’s commitment to delivering applied degrees, especially this cluster
of Bachelor of Commerce programs, and to assemble the resources necessary to deliver these programs
in a manner that meets the College’s standards for delivery.
The Bachelor of Commerce (Digital Marketing) program is an honours‐level program comprised of nine
breadth courses, twenty foundational commerce courses, and thirteen specialized marketing and digital
marketing courses. The Bachelor of Commerce credential is the most recognized nomenclature for
business/commerce degrees in Canada, widely understood by students, employers and professional
bodies as a broadly based post‐secondary degree. The Canadian Institute of Marketing (CIM) provides a
standard framework for post‐secondary institutions to follow to satisfy accreditation requirements so
graduates can be granted professional status. Fanshawe’s proposed program, which is comprised of 129
credit hours, of which 21% are non‐core credits, will receive CIM accreditation.
It is critical that Fanshawe diploma program graduates are able to transfer into this degree program, and
graduates from other colleges are able to enter through advance standing. Gap analysis, degree
completion pathways and entrance requirements are provided in this submission for graduates from
several program areas. The table below lists the entrance requirements and level of entrance.
For entrants from Business or Business Administration diploma programs without a marketing
specialization, credits will be granted according to the program of origin.
Because Fanshawe’s Business Administration – Marketing program contains a significant amount of
digital marketing content, graduates from this program will be admitted to Level 6, whereas graduates
from other Business Administration – Marketing programs will be admitted to Level 5 in order to enroll
in the various digital marketing related courses. Applicants for advanced standing will be assessed on an
individual basis, according to the curriculum content of the program of origin, and credits granted
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Bachelor of Commerce (Digital Marketing)