Online Q&A: Courses & Careers

Having trouble deciding which college or university to attend? We have experts on hand ready to answer your questions.

Sharron and Mike McIntyre, authors of  University Matters, are this week's experts. Submit your questions to them now, and check back later for their responses.

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Q: Hi my name is Dennis and I am currently in my grade 12 year of high school. I am interested in pursuing a post secondary degree in business but am stumped in regards to what school to attend. I've narrowed my options to Schulich, Ivey, Queens and Laurier. I understand that some schools are better known in certain areas of business, like accounting. What advice can you give me as to what school might be best for a student that is looking for a more broad business education?

A: All of the schools you name will give you a broad business education as well as the opportunity to concentrate in particular areas of business by taking more courses in one area than another.

One important area in which business schools vary is in their approach to acceptance to a commerce program. Some admit students directly from Grade 12, while others ask you to complete one or more (two in the case of Ivey) years of an undergraduate program first. Some of the latter offer pre-admission status to exceptional students.

It is up to you to research the various admission protocols to make sure you get the one you want. If you have a career goal in mind a good way to determine the fit of a school to your career aspirations is to contact the placement office of the school to find out which firms recruit there. For example, if investment banking is your thing, a school that sees recruiters from a broad range of investment banks might be right for you. Some students at your stage might also be considering taking an MBA later on (yes, many commerce students go on to do so - Queen's even has a program specially designed for them). If you have a preferred target school for an MBA you may want to do your undergraduate degree at a different school to diversify your experience.

Aside from academics and career aspirations, don't forget to think through other aspects of university life. For example, do your targeted schools have athletic facilities that suit you, do you want to live in a large centre or a smaller town, do you want to go to school near your home town to make it easy to visit family on weekends, and are the living accommodations at a school suitable to your needs? For example, at one school you might end up in a student residence with a short walk to classes while in another you might be renting a house or apartment that requires a bus or subway ride to school. Good luck with your decision.

Q: My final goal is to apply for the Bachelor of Education in French ... I'm fluently bilingual and also have an undergraduate degree from abroad. Unfortunately, I haven't taken any French courses at a university level before coming here. The minimum requirements to teach French at the intermediate level is to have at least 5 full university courses. So, I took 2 courses at Ryerson last semester and got excellent grades. My question is should I still continue at Ryerson and finish the rest or should I undergo an undergraduate degree in French?

A: The decision to undertake an entire degree versus only a few more courses is a big one. On the one hand, you don't want to decide to take just a few courses, and then find that the lack of a degree precludes you from some opportunities in the future, while on the other hand, if you can get what you want with only a few more courses, it is a much less costly option in terms of time, money and commitment.

So the first thing to do is make sure of exactly what you need to meet your career expectations. Talking to professionals active in the field, such as a school principal or the career advisors at a faculty of education can do this. It is also a good idea to talk to individuals actively involved in a teaching career at the level you are seeking. They can often provide a very practical perspective.

Aside from making sure about career requirements, it is a good time to do a little thinking about two things. First, how ready are you to undertake another long-term educational commitment. Here, think about how much time and money you have available, as well as your ability to make an emotional commitment to more years as a student, and all that that implies. Second, do you love the subject? It is one thing to do something you love over the long term and it is a completely different thing to slog through something just because you think you have to. The latter can be very difficult, especially for something that amounts to a lot of hard work over the long term. People tend to do much better at pursuits they love.

Q: Are there any nursing schools that lectures can be done online and hands-on application is done at the college?

A: Sorry, we can't answer that question.

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Mike McIntyre has a bachelor of commerce degree from Queen's University and is a chartered accountant. He has an MBA from York University, and a Ph.D. in management from Queen's. He is currently a professor at the Sprott School of Business at Carleton, as well as at Queen's.

Sharron McIntyre attended Condordia University, earning a bachelor of commerce. She has an MBA from the University of Toronto. She also taught in the undergrad business program at Queen's and helped students with career planning.

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