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

7. Credential Recognition
The Bachelor of Commerce credential is widely recognized by employers and professional associations,
and the Bachelor of Commerce (Digital Marketing) program, delivered at the honours level and with a
mandatory co‐op work term, will clearly put graduates in a position of strength when presenting to
employers to begin their careers. This broad base of skills, knowledge and problem‐solving abilities will
be recognized by graduates and employers alike. Digital Marketing is a rapidly growing and recognizable
form of marketing, with several sub‐specialties. Although the sub‐specialty areas emerge quickly and
may fade as well, the term “Digital Marketing” is broad enough that it will remain a recognizable and
current term within the marketing industry. Applicants also understand and can relate to this term.
The Bachelor of Commerce credential is also widely recognized by institutions that offer graduate
studies programs in several business‐related disciplines, including Master of Business and Master of
Business Administration. Endorsement letters from several university partners to Fanshawe College are
included in Appendix F.
7.1 Employer Recognition of Credential
The Bachelor of Commerce credential is widely recognized by employers, and Fanshawe’s research with
employers confirms that a Fanshawe Bachelor of Commerce (Digital Marketing) degree will be
recognized and readily accepted by employers. Employers have been clear throughout the research and
development stages for this new program: they strongly support the mix of theoretical and applied
learning to be delivered in this Bachelor of Commerce program.
Fanshawe undertook extensive primary research of 55 employers, through the independent research
firm Academica Group Inc. (Appendix A), to discover employer attitudes and intentions regarding the
Lawrence Kinlin School of Business’ proposed Bachelor of Commerce offerings.
Approximately two‐thirds of employers said they would not give preference to a university candidate
over a college candidate when making hiring decisions. A common theme expressed by employers was
the focus on hands‐on experience obtained during the college’s applied degree education. The majority
of employers believed that college business degree graduates would bring a different set of skills,
training and knowledge to the workforce than graduates of university business programs, with several
employers singling out co‐op experience as the key differentiator (Appendix A, p. 17).
The employers consulted in the External Focus Group session (minutes Section 4.1) and in the Program
Advisory Committee (minutes Section 4.2) confirmed the findings by the Academica Group research.
Employers are eager to support the Lawrence Kinlin School of Business to develop and deliver this
proposed degree program, to provide co‐op work opportunities, and to continue to hire Fanshawe
graduates.
The Lawrence Kinlin School of Business has a well‐established and strong reputation with employers,
built through delivery of its Business diploma programs and the reach of its faculty and graduates into
the business community.
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