New Business Administration Diploma Program Offered by DeVry Institute of Technology

Program provides education to enter industries facing labour shortages - plus credit transferability to multiple bachelor's degree programs in Alberta

CALGARY, June 26, 2012 /CNW/ - According to the Alberta Coalition for Action on Labour Shortages, Alberta is expected to face a labour shortage of 114,000 workers over the next decade. The projected labour shortage illustrates a critical and growing need for post-secondary institutions in the province to educate and train workers appropriately to enter the workforce quickly.

DeVry Institute of Technology announced today that it has been approved by Alberta Enterprise and Advanced Education to offer a new Diploma in Business Administration program, specifically designed to address the current and projected labour shortages facing a number of industries.  The program, with classes beginning in September, provides students with the ability to earn a diploma in 10 months, allowing them to enter the workforce faster than if completed in a traditional one or two year diploma program.

"Industries in Alberta are facing a labour crisis and need highly trained employees to fill positions right away," said Sid Mark, president of the Calgary staffing and recruiting firm FRIDAY Professional Group Inc. "We're excited that DeVry is introducing a new diploma program that gives graduates the general skills they need to begin a career as soon as possible."

DeVry's new business administration diploma program provides students with the education required for a variety of entry-level employment opportunities and advances graduates closer to eventually earning a bachelor's degree for career advancement. DeVry Institute of Technology courses have also been granted approval for credit transferability to bachelor's degree programs at multiple Alberta post-secondary institutions.

"Our diploma program is part of DeVry's ongoing commitment to making post-secondary education more accessible to Albertans," said Ranil Herath, president of DeVry Institute of Technology. "This program positions our students for a smooth transition into careers in fields that are already being affected by our province's labour shortage."

Students graduating with a DeVry Institute of Technology Diploma in Business Administration will be qualified for careers in Albertan industries, such as finance, hospitality, operations and service, among others. Courses are designed with employer needs in mind. Students in DeVry's diploma program take courses that provide them with fundamental skills needed for their chosen career path, including business management, and computer applications for business and accounting.

"Beyond getting students into the workforce quickly, the new diploma program opens up pathways to further education," said Herath. "Students have the ability to apply select credits from their diploma programs towards continued education in a bachelor's degree program here at DeVry and at other Alberta institutions that are part of the Alberta Council on Admissions and Transfer's (ACAT)."

DeVry's new diploma program allows students the flexibility to continue onwards to a degree program after graduation. Select credits from this program can be transferred to degree programs at DeVry Institute of Technology, the University of Calgary, the University of Lethbridge and Athabasca University. These credit transfers are part of the ACAT framework for post-secondary transfers (www.acat.gov.ab.ca).

For more information on DeVry Institute of Technology's new Diploma in Business Administration program, please visit www.devry.ca/diploma-program/diploma-program.jsp.

About DeVry Institute of Technology 
DeVry Institute of Technology in Alberta is part of the DeVry University system, one of the largest degree-granting higher education systems in North America, with more than 90,000 students enrolled in the United States and Canada. At more than 90 locations, DeVry University delivers practitioner-oriented undergraduate and graduate degree programs, onsite and online, that meet the needs of a diverse and geographically dispersed student population. DeVry Institute of Technology offers degree programs in Business Administration, Computer Information Systems, Electronics Engineering Technology and Network Communications Management. In Canada, the government of Alberta grants approval for baccalaureate degrees awarded by DeVry Institute of Technology. In the United States, DeVry University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, www.ncahlc.org. DeVry University, a part of DeVry Inc. (NYSE: DV), is based in Downers Grove, Ill.  For more information about DeVry Institute of Technology, find us on Twitter @DeVryCalgary or visit www.devry.ca.

Neil Babaluk
NATIONAL Public Relations
[email protected]
403-531-0331

Dan Dement
DeVry University
[email protected]
619-618-9785