ObjectivesThe two year Business - Insurance program is designed to provide graduates with a broad exposure to business theory and practices through a curriculum which emphasizes both business and general education with a specialization in property/casualty (general) insurance. Students will have the opportunity to earn nine credits toward their Chartered Insurance Professional (CIP) designation issued by the Insurance Institute of Canada.
Practical experienceThis is a two year program with optional co-op.
Academic titleBusiness - Insurance Ontario College Diploma
Course descriptionLevel 1 Credits
Take all of the following Mandatory Courses:
ACCT-1004 Principles of Accounting 1 4.00
WRIT-1032 Reason & Writing - Business 1 3.00
MKTG-1012 Principles of Marketing I 3.00
MATH-1052 Business Math 3.00
BUSI-1060 Strategies for Success 1.00
BUSI-1005 Introduction to Business Processes 3.00
Level 2 Credits
Gen Ed - Take a 3 credit General Education elective course
Take all of the following Mandatory Courses:
Group 1
INSR-1001 Fundamentals of Insurance 4.00
FINA-1004 Finance I 3.00
ECON-1019 Contemporary Issues in Economics 3.00
INSR-3002 Insurance on Property 1 3.00
Group 2
TAKE 1 OF THE FOLLOWING COURSES:
MGMT-6021 MGMT-3010 OR MGMT-3041
MGMT-6021 Organizational Behaviour 3.00
MGMT-3010 Leadership in Organizations 3.00
MGMT-3041 Organizational Behaviour 3.00
Level 3 Credits
Take all of the following Mandatory Courses:
COMM-3020 Professional Communication 3.00
INSR-3001 Auto Insurance 4.00
INSR-3005 Insurance Against Liability 4.00
LAWS-3018 Ethics and Law 3.00
INSR-3016 Building Construction & Basic Hazards 3.00
BUSI-1066 Customer Service 3.00
Level 4 Credits
Take all of the following Mandatory Courses:
BUSI-3004 Critical Thinking 3.00
INSR-3015 Fraud Awareness & Prevention 3.00
INSR-3011 Underwriting Essentials 4.00
INSR-3012 Essentials of Loss Adjusting 4.00
INSR-3013 Essentials for Brokers/Agents 4.00
COMP-3077 Excel for Business-Adv 3.00
Gen Ed - Electives
Take 3 General Education Credits -
Normally taken in Level 2
ACCT-1004 - Principles of Accounting 1
This course introduces the student to the subject of Accounting and is designed to teach the student an essential life skill. The course focuses on the concept of accounting and its connection to students’ financial well being. The student will learn a basic understanding of accounting and its importance to business success.
BUSI-1005 - Introduction to Business Processes
The purpose of this course is to explore the various functional areas of business in Canada and to demonstrate the interrelationship among these areas. Students are introduced to many concepts, including major business trends, the role of government in business, marketing, operations, employee-management issues, financial resources management, business ethics, social responsibility and community-related philanthropy.
BUSI-1060 - Strategies for Success
This course presents and helps to develop some of the skills required to achieve college and career success. Areas of focus include: goal-setting, time management, note-taking from texts and lectures, study skills, test preparation strategies, and managing college life.
BUSI-1066 - Customer Service
This course covers the concepts and skills needed for success in today's business environment including verbal and non-verbal communication, listening skills, and time management. Emphasis is placed on dealing with customer service problems, how to handle conflicts, stress and service expectations in a diverse culture.
BUSI-3004 - Critical Thinking
Critical Thinking is the general term given to a wide range of cognitive skills needed to evaluate arguments and truth claims, discover and overcome personal prejudices and biases, formulate and present convincing reasons in support of conclusions and make reasonable, intelligent decisions about what to think and what to do. The general purpose of this course is to assist you in developing these intellectual skills and dispositions, in order to apply the reasoning process to various fields such as business, science, social science and ethics.
COMM-3020 - Professional Communication
This course develops students’ literacy and professional communication skills. Students focus on key issues and convey relevant meaning in oral and written formats. Main topics include writing in a variety of short report and other relevant business documents (like letters, memos, short reports); communicating in groups (including meetings); awareness of multicultural communication and diverse audiences; the job search (including résumés and cover letters); business rhetoric in speaking and writing; summarizing and evaluating current business-related readings; delivering oral presentations; researching and documenting research reports applying an acceptable documentation style to written material; and self-editing skills. Students use a computer lab for writing assignments throughout this course.
COMP-3077 - Excel for Business-Adv
Modern spreadsheet programs perform far beyond simple number crunching. The functionality of Microsoft Excel continues to move the application into new venues such as visual interactive data presentations or sales proposals. Given the now commonplace nature of the program, it is crucial that all business minded professionals have a comprehensive knowledge of MS Excel. In this course, you will observe, practice, and apply MS Excel 2003 at the expert level. The textbook is approved courseware for the Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) certification program. Upon successful completion of this curriculum, students will be trained in MS Excel 2003 at the highest attainable MOS achievement level. MOS testing is available at certified testing centers across Canada.
ECON-1019 - Contemporary Issues in Economics
This course introduces students to the structure and function of our economic system. The course will develop an understanding of the principles of both micro and macroeconomic activity through modeling and analysis. Students will examine the role that households (consumers), industry (producers) and governments play in a modern economic system and how the decisions by these different levels affect all of our lives. The course is structured to provide insight through lectures, discussions and current events.
FINA-1004 - Finance I
A general education course developed to provide students with the fundamental financial life skills so that they can make educated financial management decisions over the course of their lifetime. The emphasis is on those financial life skills that are of particular relevance in the early stages of the financial management life cycle.
INSR-1001 - Fundamentals of Insurance
The objective of this course is to introduce students to the principles and practice of insurance by showing the multi-faceted nature of the insurance business, dealing with risk and how insurance responds to it, looking briefly at some of the law that deals with insurance, introducing many of the terms and practices commonly encountered in the business, and outlining the basic policy coverages for automobile and property insurance.
INSR-3001 - Auto Insurance
This course studies the laws and basic principles of automobile insurance as they apply in Canada. The various policy forms and endorsements used in Ontario are examined. The basis for determining automobile insurance rates and the underwriting philosophy are also studied.
INSR-3002 - Insurance on Property 1
This course is an introduction to property insurance. It lays the foundation for all types of property insurance, then discusses the perils, clauses and limitations in the most common personal lines policies. The course begins with the Basic Fire Policy, then explores how other policies developed, with unique perils, clauses and limitations, to suit changing needs.
INSR-3005 - Insurance Against Liability
This course provides the student with the basic principles of legal liability in Canada, including the Canadian legal system. The various general liability policies currently used are studied, as are the underwriting criteria and loss identification/ prevention methods that are relevant to the policies.
INSR-3011 - Underwriting Essentials
This course gives an overview of the underwriter's role as an investor of shareholder capital on behalf of the insurer. It describes how the role has evolved and how the underwriter accepts or rejects risks for the insurer within parameters set by the insurer and imposed by the external environment. The course reviews the temperament, skills and knowledge an underwriter needs to succeed and shows how these characteristics apply in the analysis of individual property, liability and automobile risks.
INSR-3012 - Essentials of Loss Adjusting
Focused knowledge of insurance and professional conduct within the claims domain forms the core of this course. Soft skills and knowledge required to handle claims are blended in the curriculum in order to provide fundamental claims handling techniques. Students will learn about managing relationships in order to gather critical information in the claims handling process. A step-by-step process delivers the key to policy analysis for coverage evaluations. Students will also learn the fundamentals of investigation, evaluation, negotiation and settlement within the claims process. Specific introductory knowledge will be covered in automobile, property and liability claims.
INSR-3013 - Essentials for Brokers/Agents
This course is an overview of insurance business practices from the broker's perspective. It is a skills-based course concentrating on the needs of personal lines clients and small commercial risks. The course introduces the broker as an insurance intermediary, studying the skills that a typical broker will use to perform effectively. The major product lines and common policy transactions handled by a broker are also examined.
INSR-3015 - Fraud Awareness & Prevention
This course will discuss how fraud may arise under insurance policies and what initiatives the insurance industry has advanced to fight fraud. The cost of fraud is considered as well as the laws that affect how insurers must handle claims investigations and settlements. Property, liability and automobile claims are examined. Students are encouraged to develop an awareness of fraud in both the new business process and renewal process.
INSR-3016 - Building Construction & Basic Hazards
This course deals with the basic elements of the fire hazard. It does not discuss insurance as such, instead you will focus on certain aspects of the physical risk that may be subject to insurance. Topics discussed will include construction types, roofing, heating, electricity, flammables and combustibles, and fire protection.
LAWS-3018 - Ethics and Law
An examination of the principles of Canadian business law with a focus on commercial purchasing issues including contract, personal and commercial liability and fiduciary obligations.
MATH-1052 - Business Math
This course provides a review of basic arithmetic and algebra as well as providing students with mathematical tools and concepts needed for other college courses and in future employment. This course is to prepare students for later courses in Marketing, Business, Financial Planning, Accounting, Purchasing and Insurance.
MGMT-3010 - Leadership in Organizations
Management is a dynamic discipline full of rewards and challenges. Students preparing for a management position need to understand the broad dimensions that such a position will encompass. This introductory course is intended to better prepare the business student for the significant changes that are taking place while managing an organization in the 21st Century. This course will focus on the basic four-function approach of being a manager but also incorporating the various aspects of organization theory.
MGMT-3041 - Organizational Behaviour
Whether working in private/public sectors, profit or not-for-profit institutions, OB theories apply to everyone. This course investigates how individuals, groups and structure affect behaviour within organizations. Discussions include: history of OB, evolution of organizational structure, design and culture; work place productivity, employee skills and technology demands; conflict resolution; interpersonal skills; legislation as it relates to workplace discrimination and harassment; leadership; manage change and power/politics.
MGMT-6021 - Organizational Behaviour
This course is designed to provide a conceptual framework for the study of OB and examine the interaction of three significant organizational variables: the formal organization, the work processes, and the individual. Topics include: theory of OB, application of the elements of OB upon organizational outcomes in a changing and evolving workplace; the impact of individual human systems such as perception, learning, communication, motivation, and leadership; and the impact of the team approach upon work processes and organizational effectiveness.
MKTG-1012 - Principles of Marketing I
This course is designed to provide an overview of the decisions that face Marketers in today's fast-paced and competitive business environment. Students will learn that marketing is not only advertising but a broad set of activities designed to satisfy consumer needs and wants. Students begin by examining the information Marketers require for effective decision-makingin order to develop effective marketing strategies. Students will then study product planning, channel system management, integrated communications and pricing policies.
WRIT-1032 - Reason & Writing - Business 1
This course will introduce business students to essential principles of reading, writing, and reasoning at the postsecondary level. Students will identify, summarize, analyze, and evaluate multiple short readings and write persuasive response essays to develop their vocabulary, comprehension, grammar, and critical thinking. This course will also introduce students to selected business terms.