Indigenous Governance and Business Management

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Options available

  • Bachelor of Management
  • Bachelor of Management (post-diploma)
  • Bachelor of Management (as a second degree)
  • Combined degrees with BMgt (Lethbridge Campus)
  • Diploma in Indigenous Governance & Business Management
  • Management Certificate

Campus

  • Lethbridge

Intake

Fall & Spring

Program description

Indigenous governance and business management (IGBM) provides Indigenous and non-Indigenous graduates with skills to take on leadership and managerial roles in band administration, the not-for-profit sector, Indigenous liaison work, federal and international relations, oil and gas, agriculture or your own entrepreneurial enterprises.

As an Indigenous or non-Indigenous IGBM student, you’ll gain significant insight into Indigenous historical, political, legal and economic issues while acquiring strong business skills and managerial competency. You’ll study essential topics such as Indigenous peoples and law, historical and legal aspects of Indigenous governments, Indigenous business and entrepreneurship, Indigenous peoples and natural resources, Canadian Indigenous project management, Canadian Indigenous tax issues and Canadian Indigenous negotiations. You will also acquire skills in finance, accounting, human resources and organizational behaviour.

Certificate, diploma and degree options

Choose the Indigenous governance and business management program that's right for you:

  • 10-course certificate in Management (IGBM focus)
  • 20-course IGBM diploma (approximately two-years)
  • 40-course business degree program: BMgt major in IGBM
    • direct from high school or as a mature student
    • post-diploma college transfer
    • second-degree

You can also choose a minor to enhance your knowledge in a secondary line of study. Many minors complement IGBM well, such as Aboriginal health, accounting, marketing, environmental studies, fintech and financial innovation, family and small business management and supply chain and operations management. Learn more about our available minors.

Why take Indigenous governance and business management at the Dhillon School of Business?

The Dhillon School of Business has been a leader in supportive and community-guided Indigenous business education since 1985. As an IGBM graduate, you’ll be positioned to be a leader in today’s business world, equipped with an understanding of the complexities of working with, for, or as Indigenous businesses and nations. All IGBM programs are offered through an innovative partnership between the Dhillon School of Business and the Department of Indigenous Studies.

As an IGBM student, you’ll have access to a number of Indigenous support services including Elders, award-winning faculty members, mentoring, small class sizes, interactive learning and the opportunity to participate in an active and supportive Indigenous Students’ Union, the Youth Mentorship Program and an Indigenous student club.

Many of our students also enrol in co-operative education. Co-op allows you to get paid work experience before you graduate and can even help you land a job immediately after graduation.

Employment stats for a career in Indigenous governance and business management*

 

Dhillon School of Business - Finance job postings


Job postings in the last 12 months

 

  • Canada: 101
  • Alberta: 15

Dhillon School of Business - Finance salary

Average salary

 

  • Canada (zero to five years experience): $78,100
  • Canada (six years of experience or more): N/A
  • Alberta (zero to five years experience): N/A
  • Alberta (six years of experience or more): N/A

 

Dhillon School of Business - Finance

Top employers hiring*

 

Canada:

  • First Nations Financial Management Board
  • Government of B.C.
  • B.C. Public Service
  • Stantec
  • Canadian National Railway

Alberta: 

  • Government of Alberta
  • Alberta-Pacific Forest Industries
  • Ballard Consulting Group
  • First Nations Financial Management Board
  • MNP

* Employment data provided by Lightcast 2023. 

 

The advantages of being a Dhillon School of Business student

Experiential learning

You’ll have lots of opportunities to apply the theories you’ve learned in the classroom to real-life, hands-on situations as well as programs to help you connect with our student community. As a Dhillon student, you'll have access to these experiential programs and more:

Visit the Dhillon School of Business to learn more about our student experiences and opportunities.

Education that’s personal

Our students say they chose the Dhillon School of Business because of the smaller class sizes and more personal and supportive approach to teaching. Here you’ll get many opportunities to connect and interact with your professors and peers to set you up for success.

Flexible study options

Whether you’re a traditional student interested in our Lethbridge campus with full-time classes during the day or a working professional interested in the Calgary Campus’s evening and weekend classes, we have a flexible study option for you.

Internationally-recognized quality

As an AACSB accredited business school, the Dhillon School of Business have met very rigorous quality standards proven to provide you with the best in business education worldwide. You can trust that your education here will give you a distinct advantage in the real world including more competitive salaries, more employers interested in you after graduation and more. See all our professional accreditations and designations.

Possible careers

Dhillon School of Business - Finance job postings

Top job titles in Alberta and/or Canada 

  • Relations manager
  • Consulting manager
  • Business relations consultant
  • Customer relations advisor
  • City operations manager

Other possible careers

  • MLA
  • Entrepreneur and Small Business Owner
  • Learning Facilitator
  • Indigenous Relations
  • Engagement Officer
  • Band Council Member
  • Community Development Officer
  • Cultural Affairs Officer
  • Historical Researcher
  • Management Consultant
  • Economic Development Officer
  • Policy Development Officer
  • Political Researcher
  • Public Relations
  • Researcher

You'll also be better prepared to go on to post-graduate education or law school.

Admission requirements

General-ALL-ALL

​For admission, Canadian high school students in Alberta must have completed five of the following courses with a minimum 65% average across them:

This course
  • English Language Arts 30-1
Three of these courses
  • Aboriginal Studies 30
  • Art 30 or Art 31
  • Biology 30
  • Chemistry 30
  • Choral Music 30, General Music 30, or Instrumental Music 30
  • Dance 35
  • Drama 30
  • Mathematics 30-1 or Mathematics 30-2
  • Mathematics 31
  • Physics 30
  • Science 30
  • Social Studies 30-1
  • Five credits in Advanced-level CTS Computer Science (CSE)
  • One or more distinct languages at the 30 level
One additional
  • That has not already been used
  • May be from the list above
  • Must be at the 30 level
  • Must be worth at least five credits (multiple courses worth a total of five or more credits can be used)
  • Cannot be a Special Project

Program-SB-BMGT-GROUP2

This program also requires

One of the courses you include must be:

  • Mathematics 30-1 or 30-2

 

 

First year cost estimator

For Indigenous Governance and Business Management

Let us help you understand your tuition and fees for your first year at the University of Lethbridge.

Sample classes

  1. IGBM 3515: Canadian Indigenous Negotiations
  • IGBM 3522: Canadian Indigenous Project Management
  • IGBM 4501: Canadian Indigenous Tax Issues
  • IGBM 4570 - Indigenous Leadership and Management
  • IGBM 2500: Introduction to Indigenous Governance and Business Management


For a complete list of courses available in our Indigenous Governance and Business Management program, check out our program planning guide.