Introduction to Business Foundations

This course is part of the UBC Future Global Leaders on-campus program for high school students ages 15–18.

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.

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.

On the first Monday of the session, you attend Orientation Day from 9am–3pm, which helps you build friendships, connect with your learning community, feel comfortable on campus and prepare for university life.

Starting on the first Tuesday of the session, you attend class from 9am–12pm and university preparation lectures from 1:30–3pm on weekdays. University preparation lectures prepare you for success at university and improve your chances of getting into the university and career of your choice.

On-campus student life activities are scheduled for all students from 3-5pm on weekdays.

Instructors

Future Global Leaders courses are developed and taught by UBC professors and affiliated instructors at a first-year university level.

Residence and commuting options

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, weeknight and weekend social activities (e.g., trips to Grouse Mountain, English Bay and Robson Street), and UBC Recreation Card.

Who is eligible?

This course is for high school students ages 15-18 who have completed grade 10 or equivalent.

We also recommend students have:

• 78% average / 3.5 GPA / B average / IB 5 or higher
• IELTS of 6.0 / TOEFL 80 or higher (or equivalent) for students whose high school courses were taught in a language other than English.

Cost details

Optional add-on

• Residence: $2,730 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.