Program

Business Law (Post-Degree Diploma)

Faculty
Commerce & Business Administration
Department
Business Law
Credits
30.00
Length of Program
One year
Credential Type
Post-Degree Diploma
Admission Type
Limited Enrolment
Offered
Fall

Overview

Does your job require you to deal with legal documents, but your knowledge of business law is lacking? Let the Post-Degree Diploma in Business Law help you out.

What you'll learn

You’ll learn the basics of business, finance and accounting law; how to draft and interpret employment and service contracts; and more. With the legal skills and knowledge gained through this program, you’ll differentiate yourself from other candidates and better position yourself to advance your professional career.

This program is ideal for business owners and managers, professionals in accounting, finance, risk management or human resources, and anyone who might have to review and negotiate contracts in a business or sales setting. You must already have a bachelor’s degree to take this program.

Graduate job-ready with the Career Boost program 

Designed for post-degree students, the Career Boost program prepares you for part-time paid or volunteer positions that complement your studies. You’ll participate in career-building workshops, one-on-one coaching sessions, career fairs, networking with employers, peer-led leadership meetings and more. Once you graduate, you’ll get the continued support, skills and knowledge you need to find a full-time job in your field.

A great introduction to the law

If you’re considering a career in law but are not quite ready to take the leap into law school, this program is a great introduction to the legal field and some of the topics you can expect to encounter in a law degree program. Many of the courses in the post-degree diploma program qualify for credit transfer to other post-secondary institutions in British Columbia; however, this program is not equivalent to first year law.

Admissions Requirements

Applicants must meet the admission requirements listed below:

  • General College Admission Requirements
  • Applicants must have an undergraduate degree from a recognized post-secondary institution in Canada or an equivalent credential from an approved institution in a different country. 
  • Any applicant who earned their credential in a language other than English will be required to meet the Douglas College English language proficiency requirement.

Cost

Calculate your tuition and see the approximate cost of taking your program at Douglas College with the tuition & fee estimator. See costs broken down into categories including tuition fees, textbooks, student activity fees, U-Pass and more. 

For more information, refer to the tuition fee charts

Program Requirements

Curriculum Framework

Graduation Requirements

  • Successful completion of 30 credits
  • Graduate in Good Academic Standing (Cumulative GPA of 1.50 - See Academic Performance Policy)
  • A minimum program GPA of "C+" or 2.33
  • 70% (21 credits) of all coursework must be completed at Douglas College
  • Effective September 2024: Up to 50% (15 credits) of coursework used towards a previously received credential can be used to meet graduation requirements (see the Credentials Awarded Policy). Applicant will be advised to contact the Business Law Department Chair for approval of substitutions.
  • Time limit to complete the program graduation requirements: 4 years. Any courses completed outside of that time limit will not be usable. Students may seek the permission of the Department/Program to complete a credential outside the approved time limits.

Course Requirements

Course Number Course Title Credits
Required courses:
BLAW 1320 Introductory Business Law 3.00
BLAW 3730 Corporate and Financial Planning Law 3.00
BLAW 37501 Employment Law 3.00
ENGL 1130 Academic Writing 3.00
LGST 1110 Legal Research & Reasoning 3.00
     
One of the following course options:
BUSN 1210 Management Essentials 3.00
Or any suitable Commerce and Business Administration course approved by the Business Department Chair
 
Four courses from the following options:
BLAW 3700 Fundamentals of International Trade Law 3.00
BLAW 3710 Sales and Marketing Law 3.00
BLAW 3760 Labour Relations 3.00
BLAW 3770 Real Estate Law

3.00

BLAW 3780 Negotiation Skills

3.00

BLAW 4720 Procurement Law and Contract Interpretation 3.00
BUSN 4490 Applied Legal and Ethical Decision Making for Managers, Professionals, and Executives 3.00
LGST 3320 Immigration Law 3.00
LGST 3330 Indigenous People and the Law 3.00
Total Credits:   30.00

Notes:

1) Students who have already taken BUSN 3750 - Human Resources Law can substitute the course for BLAW 3750 - Employment Law.

Program Guidelines

Program Guidelines for previous years are viewable by selecting the version desired. If you took this program and do not see a listing for the starting semester / year of the program, consider the previous version as the applicable version.

FAQs

Have questions about enrolment and the Business Law program? Watch this short video to get answers to questions such as:

  1. What is the Business Law Post Degree Diploma (PDD)? (0:00) 
  2. Is the Business Law PDD the same as law school? (0:55)
  3. If I am a foreign-trained lawyer, does the PDD satisfy the accreditation process? (1:30)
  4. What courses do I take in the Business Law PDD? (2:12)
  5. Are the courses offered every single term? (2:49)
  6. When does the program start? Can I enrol anytime? (3:25)
  7. What are the admission requirements? (4:00)
  8. What are the graduation requirements? (4:50)

Below is a sample course schedule that a student could take in each term. This schedule takes into account when BLAW courses traditionally run and, by following it, a student could graduate after completing their summer courses. 

Proper course planning is essential if students want to complete their programs within the one-year window.  Failure to properly course plan could mean that students have to complete four academic terms (rather than the typical three academic terms for a PDD program).

BLAW PDD – Sample Student Schedule*

Fall Term

(September-December)

Winter Term

(January-April)

Summer Term**

(May-August)

BLAW 1320

LGST 1110

BLAW 3770

BLAW 3780

or

BLAW 3710 (if offered)

BLAW 4720

BLAW 3750

BLAW 3760

BLAW 3780

or

BLAW 3710 (if offered)

BUSN 1210

ENGL 1130

BLAW 3730

BLAW 3700

*Please note that the timing/term of course offerings are subject to change in light of scheduling needs and faculty availability. Students should always consult with Enrolment Services for current information related to registration or enrolment. 

**Please note that the Summer term typically has the least amount of upper-level courses which are scheduled. Therefore, students should strive to complete at least 4-5 upper-level BLAW courses within the Fall and Winter terms.

More Information

While there are numerous Business Law courses that a student may take, most courses do not run every term and many run only once per academic year. Students wishing to graduate the Business Law Post-Degree Diploma program within one year should be very mindful about which courses are scheduled in which term. Please refer to the program requirements and course offerings under each course prior to course registration.

Please note that course offerings are subject to change in light of scheduling needs and faculty availability. Students should always consult with Enrolment Services for current information related to registration or enrolment.

Academic term when course is typically offered*

Required Courses

Fall

(Sept-Dec)

Winter

(Jan-Apr)

Summer

(May-Aug)

ENGL 1130

Academic Writing

OfferedOfferedOffered

LGST 1110

Legal Research & Reasoning

OfferedOfferedNot offered

BUSN 1210

Management Essentials

OfferedOfferedOffered

BLAW 1320

Introductory Business Law

OfferedOfferedOffered

BLAW 3730

Corporate/Financial Planning Law

OfferedOfferedOffered

BLAW 3750

Employment Law

OfferedOfferedOffered

Elective Courses

Fall

(Sept-Dec)

Winter

(Jan-Apr)

Summer

(May-Aug)

BLAW 3700

International Trade Law

Offered

Offered

Offered

BLAW 3710

Sales and Marketing Law

Not offered

Offered

Not offered

BLAW 3760

Labour Relations

Offered

Offered

Offered

BLAW 3770

Real Estate Law

Offered

Not offered

Not offered

BLAW 3780

Negotiation Skills

Offered

Offered

Not offered

BLAW 4720

Procurement/Contract Interpretation

Not offered

Offered

Not offered

LGST 3320

Immigration Law

Offered

Not offered

Offered

LGST 3330

Indigenous Peoples and the Law

Not offered

Offered

Not offered

*Please note that the timing/term of course offerings are subject to change in light of scheduling needs and faculty availability. Students should always consult with Enrolment Services for current information related to registration or enrolment.

Career Pathways

Career opportunities include:

  • Aboriginal Rights Advocate 
  • Accounting Manager
  • Business Owner
  • Compliance officers/managers 
  • Contract Officers 
  • Court Clerk 
  • Customs Broker 
  • Finance Manager
  • Insurance Claims Adjuster 
  • Legal Advocate 
  • Management Consultant 
  • Victims Advocate 
  • Youth Worker