August 29, 2012
Attention: Assignment & Photo Editors
McMaster and Mohawk launching joint certificate in Social Sciences
Hamilton, Ont. August 29, 2012—Building on their reputation for innovative teaching and learning, McMaster University and Mohawk College are proud to announce a new affiliated certificate partnership.
The unique program will allow students in McMaster’s Faculty of Social Sciences to pursue a Mohawk College certificate while simultaneously completing a university degree. Each class offered through the Hamilton college will also be recognized as a McMaster elective – alleviating the need to take extra classes after-hours.
“The beauty of this program is that the quality of an undergraduate education is not diminished in any way,” says Lori Campbell, associate dean of McMaster’s Faculty of Social Sciences. “It’s an integration of both applied and theoretical learning.”
Participants can choose between Business Studies and Leadership and Management in the Not-For-Profit Sector, while a third certificate titled Introduction to Autism is currently in development. Six half-year classes are required to complete each certificate, and all courses will be held at the University’s main campus. Upon graduation from McMaster, students will receive an official certificate from Mohawk College to complement their degree.
“Students in the Social Sciences will benefit immensely from this new partnership,” says McMaster President and Vice-Chancellor Patrick Deane. “We’re pleased to be working with Mohawk College on this exciting endeavour, and I know students will find the material to be challenging, engaging and rewarding.”
Mohawk College President Rob MacIsaac agrees. “Mohawk and McMaster have a history of developing groundbreaking collaborative programs that give students the best of both a college and university education. The joint Social Sciences certificate program builds on these successes and strengthens the spirit of collaboration between our two schools.”
Depending on the stream, class subjects will include Board & Staff Responsibilities, Human Resources Management, Financial & Managerial Accounting, Introduction to Marketing and Personal Financial Management, among other topics.
“It’s important that students feel academically confident as they prepare to enter the job market,” says Campbell. “We spent a great deal of time analyzing how to structure the program, and these classes will offer a whole new set of tangible skills.”
A pilot program involving the first of the Business Studies courses began last year, but the official launch party will take place Wednesday, Sept. 5 at Convocation Hall (Room 213) from 12-2 p.m. Hamilton Mayor Bob Bratina, Ward 1 Councillor Brian McHattie, Patrick Deane and Rob MacIsaac are among the list of confirmed speakers. Local folk-rockers Of Gentleman and Cowards are also slated to perform. The McMaster student band recently won a contest to perform live on the Late Show with David Letterman.
For more information on the affiliated certificate program, please visit: http://www.socialsciences.mcmaster.ca/mohawk-mcmaster-affiliated-certificates
McMaster University, one of four Canadian universities listed among the Top 100 universities in the world, is renowned for its innovation in both learning and discovery. It has a student population of 23,000, and more than 156,000 alumni in 140 countries.
Rated number one in overall student satisfaction among all colleges in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area, Mohawk College delivers a quality education and hands-on learning to more than 16,000 full-time and apprenticeship students and 30,000 continuing education registrants.
-30-
For more information, please contact:
Andrew Baulcomb
Office of Public Relations
McMaster University
905-525-9140, ext. 23585
Jay Robb
Director of Communications
Mohawk College
905.575.1212, ext. 3965
905.979.8893 (Cell)