- In-Person
- $1,940 - $5,270
This course is part of the UBC Future Global Leaders on-campus program for high school students ages 15–18. Combines morning classes and afternoon pre-university workshops.
Business is everywhere, from the apps you use, to the clothes you wear, to the companies shaping what the future looks like. But how do businesses actually work behind the scenes? Who decides what products get made, and how do companies stay profitable or fail?
In this interactive beginner-friendly course, you explore the essential parts of every successful business: marketing, finance, accounting, human resources, and strategy. Through real examples from brands you know, and hands-on activities, you see how these functions work together to help companies grow, compete, and innovate.
You try your hand at making business decisions, analyzing why some companies win and others don’t, and thinking like a leader as you solve challenges in teams. By the end, you understand the “big picture” of how organizations run, and the skills that make great businesses thrive.
Perfect for students curious about business, entrepreneurship, economics, or simply wanting to understand how the companies around them shape everyday life.
CONOR TOPLEY, MA, is an Adjunct Professor at the UBC Sauder School of Business, where he teaches courses in business fundamentals, career development, and strategy. Conor holds a Master’s degree in Curriculum and Teaching from Teachers College, Columbia University and leverages this to design learning experiences that connect academic concepts to real-world challenges, helping students build both analytical and professional skills. His courses emphasize critical thinking, collaboration, and practical problem-solving, often integrating industry perspectives, experiential projects, and emerging tools such as generative AI.
Conor teaches in Session 1
Dr. ERIKA WONG, PhD, is a Sessional Lecturer at the UBC Sauder School of Business and a practising artist and entrepreneur. Dr. Wong holds a PhD in Business from the University of Brighton, an MA from Central Saint Martins, and a BFA from Art Center College of Design. She brings an interdisciplinary perspective to AI-enabled education that bridges management, ethics, design thinking, and creative practice. Dr. Wong hosts the Hyde or Practice podcast (Spotify's most listened-to Arts and Culture podcast in 2023) and appears regularly on Fairchild Radio, contributing public discussions on art, business, AI, and education.
Erika teaches in Session 2
SABRINA RAI, BCom, MPAcc, CPA is a lecturer in the Law, Communications, and General Business Group of the UBC Sauder School of Business. Passionate about leveraging real-world experience and cutting-edge research and technology to inspire the next generation of leaders, Sabrina also mentors post-secondary students pursuing careers in accounting through the Leaders of Tomorrow program. In 2023 she was named one of the top young business leaders in BC by BCBusiness Magazine.
Sabrina teaches in Session 3
This course is offered by the UBC Sauder School of Business, one of the top business schools in the world.
Course format
This course is held on the UBC Vancouver campus. You attend class from 9am–12pm and university preparation workshops from 1:30–3pm, Monday through Friday. University preparation workshops prepare you for success at university and improve your chances of getting into the university and career of your choice.
Choose to live in a student residence on campus or commute daily to UBC Vancouver:
Commuter Option includes lunch in residence dining hall, Monday through Friday, and UBC Recreation Card.
Residence Option includes private room and full board, airport pick-up and drop-off, local medical insurance for all international students (and custodianship if required for visas), weeknight and weekend social activities (e.g., trips to Grouse Mountain, Granville Island and Robson Street), and UBC Recreation Card.
Cost details
|
Student type |
Course fee* |
|
Canadian and Permanent Resident |
$1,940 CAD |
|
International |
$2,620 CAD |
Optional add-on
- Residence: $2,650 CAD
*All fees are subject to change
To register
A Family Account in UBC’s Lifelong Learning registration system is required to register for UBC Future Global Leaders on-campus.
After you add the course to your cart and go to check out, you’re asked to create a new Family Account or log in if you already have a Family Account.
A parent or guardian needs to set up the Family Account with their primary email address. After the account is created, the parent/guardian adds the student as a family member to their Family Account using the student’s primary email address (the student’s email address cannot be the same as the parent/guardian email address).
Add the student to the course session in your cart and complete the checkout process.
After completing the checkout process, and while logged into your Family Account, select New Application to access the FGL information package. Your registration is not final until the information package has been completed and submitted. You may partially complete the information package and return to it at any time within your Family Account.