Joel Schlesinger © Postmedia Network Inc.
Originally published in the Calgary Herald on Jun. 25, 2024.
In traditional post-secondary classrooms, theory often outweighs practice. However, at the University of Calgary’s Haskayne School of Business, hands-on learning experiences are prioritized, ensuring a balanced approach that equips students with career success.
“Experiential and work-integrated learning are among Haskayne’s greatest strengths,” says Dr. Gina Grandy, dean of the Haskayne School of Business at UCalgary.
“We ensure students are career-ready but equally important, ‘learning by doing’ is critical for leadership development.”
Whether it’s curriculum for the school’s 3,700-plus bachelor of commerce students or its 800-plus graduate students, Haskayne offers real-world learning opportunities that are second to none.
“At Haskayne, students can choose their own adventure as we offer an extensive range of opportunities, including internships, co-ops, capstone courses, adventure leadership, case competitions and more,” Grandy says.
She cites case competitions, where Haskayne students solve real-world problems across diverse fields such as digital innovation, real estate and clean technology, as well as traditional subjects like finance, accounting and marketing, as an area where the school has established a global legacy of emerging victorious.
Like its namesake, Calgary entrepreneur Dick Haskayne, the business school aims to create lifelong learners with an entrepreneurial spirit.
“The school plays an integral part in UCalgary’s reputation as Canada’s entrepreneurial university,” Grandy explains.
Haskayne is one of only five schools in Canada where students can work directly with startups through the Creative Destruction Lab Rockies (CDL-Rockies) site— another key differentiator, contributing to UCalgary’s title of No. 1 startup creator among Canadian research institutions.
“CDL-Rockies works with startup businesses to accelerate commercialization, which has a tremendous impact on our students, the community and Calgary’s economy.”
So far, CDL-Rockies has supported more than 380 ventures, creating more than 2,000 jobs and raising about $1.9 billion in capital.
The goal at the school is fostering out-of-the-box thinking, allowing learners to “get their hands dirty in real-world scenarios while preparing to become tomorrow’s leaders,” Grandy says.
It’s a successful strategy; 85 per cent of Haskayne undergraduate students find work within six months of graduation, and graduate students experience an average salary increase of 31 per cent based on the average increases across the school’s three graduate programs, says Grandy.
“We’re a catalyst for entrepreneurial thinking – which benefits startups and established businesses across Calgary and Alberta. Haskayne graduates are prepared to elevate any enterprise.”
This story was created by Content Works, Postmedia’s commercial content division, on behalf of Calgary Economic Development.