students in lab

IMI prepares to launch new business minor aimed at science students

Sarah Jane Silva

The Institute for Management & Innovation (IMI) is laying the groundwork for a new program in business at the University of Toronto Mississauga campus, which will be implemented this fall.

Designed to generate well-rounded science leaders, the interdisciplinary Minor in Business, Science and Entrepreneurship is tailored towards undergraduates seeking fundamental business knowledge to complement their science education.

Louis Florence, Director of Undergraduate Programs at the Department of Management, says the program would be an asset to science students, many of whom wish to translate their innovations into products that can have an impact on society.

“If you aspire to start your own company at graduation the business minor will provide extremely valuable business skills to complement your science expertise,” he added. “We will equip you with the knowledge of basic business functions which will be a huge asset to you in your career, not just your first job.”

Students applying for admission to the business minor will need to have completed 4.0 credits, and have applied for, or be enrolled in a Science Specialist or Major. Professor Florence believes this requirement will integrate students’ passion – especially in the sciences – with the necessary skills to thrive in the marketplace.

The business minor program requires students to complete seven courses:

  • One full foundational course (Introduction to Economics)
  • Six new half core courses
    • Fundamentals of Marketing,
    • Principles of Human Resource Management,
    • Essentials of Accounting: Financial & Managerial,
    • Essentials of Finance,
    • Managing Projects, Operations & Preparing a Business Plan,
    • Technology Strategy

Many undergraduate students majoring or specializing in any one of the science programs at the University of Toronto Mississauga (Anthropology, Biology, Chemical & Physical Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Forensic Sciences, Geography, Mathematical & Computational Sciences, or Psychology) will get the opportunity to enhance and refine their skillset.

Shveta Bhasker, a first-year life sciences undergraduate at UTM will be choosing her program of study at the end of the 2016 – 2017 school year. She is also very interested in enrolling in the Minor in Business.

“Nowadays, people with science backgrounds have their own clinics, products and apps,” she says. “Having an entrepreneurial mindset is wonderful and by studying this minor, I will gain the knowledge that I need to help me succeed.”

For more information about the Minor in Business, Science and Entrepreneurship, please visit: uoft.me/b-minor