In this Guide
Learn the many ways you can extend your classroom experience to the real world.
- Take required courses at Laurier and the University of Waterloo.
- Explore courses where you will gain an understanding of software, algorithms, programming and the limits of computation.
- Participate in the Live Case Competition in your first-year Business course (BU111) to answer a strategic question posed by a real company.
- Participate in the BDO New Venture Competition where you will work in a team to generate and present a new venture.
- Live in the Business and Economics Residence Learning Community to extend opportunities for learning and development beyond the classroom.
- Enhance your academic experience at Laurier through professional one-on-one, online and peer-to-peer resources available through Academic Advising and Support.
- Complete required courses in Business and Computer Science.
- Declare your area of concentration at the beginning of your third year, if interested.
- Look for opportunities to be involved in case competitions.
- Put your business knowledge and skills to the test by participating in ICE (Integrated Case Exercise) – a 10-day intensive, immersive case experience, where you will analyze a real problem facing a real organization.
- Complete the Co-op Fundamentals course and co-op work terms to gain valuable work experience.
- If you’re thinking about applying to graduate school, talk with your professors and visit the Career Centre.
- Complete coursework for your business concentration and your computer science electives.
- Learn about Instructional Assistantship and Lab Instructor opportunities in Business.
- Look for research opportunities at the Co-operators Centre for Business and Sustainability.
- Attend the World Class Supply Chain Summit.
- Complete the Canadian Securities Course to become licensed to work within the Canadian securities industry.
- Participate in the World of Opportunities Challenge where you will identify a business opportunity in another country.
- Complete one term abroad under an academic exchange.
- If you’re applying to graduate school, sign up for a scholarship proposal writing workshop and book a further education application appointment.
As a business and computer science student, you can:
- Join student clubs such as the Lazaridis Students’ Society clubs, the Laurier Computing Society, the Laurier Women in Computer Science or student clubs at the University of Waterloo and build leadership skills through joining an executive team.
- The Lazaridis Students' Society (LazSoc) is the student government specifically for all Business, double-degree and Economics students at Laurier and includes a variety of clubs, committees and associations. LazSoc strives to enhance your university experience by providing opportunities to discover and pursue your passions through academic and networking events.
- Join the Laurier Case Team and represent the Lazaridis School at JDC Central, a team competition of debates and academic cases along with charity, sports, and social events.
- Enroll in Prism Resources training sessions to increase your digital literacy.
- Explore opportunities to be creative and innovative and learn how to take your ideas and turn them into profitable new ventures. StartUp Lab, Laurier's incubator in the Lazaridis School of Business and Economics, provides support, mentorship, and resources to startups founded by Laurier students.
- Attend employer recruiting sessions hosted by the Career Centre.
Outside of your program, three are many co-curricular opportunities for you to participate in.
- Check out the Experience Catalogue for a full list of co-curricular experiences that are currently offered across campus.
- Volunteer with the Students’ Union (e.g., Laurier Orientation, Hawk Walk, EcoHawks, Food Bank, Emergency Response Team, Shinerama).
- Volunteer on campus with the Accessible Learning, Global Engagement, Sustainability Office, Centre for Student Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, WLU Student Publications and more.
- Get involved in the local community by volunteering off campus.
- Apply for on-campus jobs:
- Check Navigator frequently for job postings or contact individual departments directly.
- Search for job opportunities on the Students’ Union website.
- If you meet eligibility criteria, apply for the Laurier Work Study Program or International Student Work Experience Program.
- Attend Job Fairs to network with employers.
- Explore ways to get involved in research.
- Look into StartUp Lab opportunities for support in launching a new venture.
Job/Volunteer Search Tips
- While on-campus opportunities are posted year-round, recruitment often starts early! Start looking in the winter term for opportunities in the following academic year.
- Have your resumé and LinkedIn profile reviewed by Career Centre staff for both on and off-campus opportunities.
- Laurier offers a variety of co-curricular certificates that you can complete during your studies. Earn certificates in topics including academic development, professional development, wellness, leadership and career development.
- Participate in workshops, programming and events offered by the Career Centre, Gendered and Sexual Violence Prevention and Support, Laurier Library, the Centre for Student Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and more.
- Engage in the First-Year Leadership Program including Campus Councils and House Council and the Leadership Certificate.
- Connect with Global Engagement to learn about international options available to you including opportunities abroad and language and culture sharing programs.
Design Your Degree
These are a few popular academic opportunities which allow you to dive deeper into your major area of study or broaden your knowledge. See undergraduate options, minors and courses for more information.
Develop Your Knowledge and Skills
As a Laurier student, you will develop the following competencies through your curricular and co-curricular experiences.
Competency Framework
Competencies are categories of transferrable skills that appear on your online Experience Record to help you reflect on what you've learned from your experiences. The competencies include:
- Adaptability and Resiliency
- Collaboration and Teamwork
- Communication
- Creativity and Innovation
- Critical Thinking
- Digital Literacy
- Diversity and Intercultural Understanding
- Functional Knowledge
- Leadership
- Problem Solving
- Professional Attributes
- Self-Awareness
Functional Knowledge
- Exhibit knowledge of business principles and processes.
- Identify and analyze ethical issues in a business context.
- Understand global issues affecting business management and performance.
- Learn about all areas of business including accounting, business and sustainability, entrepreneurship, finance, human resources, insurance and risk management, international business, marketing, strategic management and supply chain management.
- Learn about computer programming, data structures, software engineering, algorithms, operating systems, the social implications of computing and the limits of computation.
- Describe problems in a formal, precise way so that machines can solve them using theory and application.
- Manage large-scale programs and understand the power, limitations and organization of computer software and hardware.
- Organize and analyse data for business decision making.
Discover Career Options
All your experiences at Laurier can help you prepare for your future. Attend Career Centre events and workshops or book a career consulting appointment to explore career and further education options.
0
Employed
0
Pursuing Further Education
60 BBA-UW Computer Science respondents from the 2024 Laurier Graduate Survey conducted by the Career Centre. Graduates were surveyed within 12 months of graduation.
Alumni Careers and Pathways
Sample Further Education Programs Within the First Year After Graduation
- Master's degree - Computer Science, Data Science, Mathematical Finance & Financial Technology
Sample Jobs Within the First Year After Graduation
- asset management analyst
- business analyst
- growth product manager
- implementation specialist
- search engine marketing coordinator
- software deployment engineer
- software developer
- software engineer
Careers of Alumni Two to Five Years After Graduation
- data science and analytics senior manager
- finance manager
- machine learning engineer
- program manager
- self-employed
- senior application security engineer
- senior research engineer
- software engineer
- solutions architect
- technical systems analyst
Career and Industry Options
Need some guidance on what you can do with your degree? Discover some career options to help guide you.
- cybersecurity
- e-commerce
- entrepreneurship
- finance
- human resources
- information technology
- insurance
- international business
- market analysis/research
- marketing
- risk management
- software development
- supply chain
- sustainability
- user experience
- web development
Your Experiences Tell Your Story
Share your story through your Laurier Experience Record. An interactive, shareable and official record of your hands-on experiences and learning opportunities at Laurier – the first of its kind in Canada!
Share Your Feedback
We'd love to hear from you. Complete the Laurier Experience Guide Feedback Survey to share your thoughts.