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Bachelor of Commerce - Distance Learning

Earn your Bachelor of Commerce degree at your pace from your home. The program is open to students in both Canada and around the world with no requirement to come to campus.
​​The online material is developed and delivered by leading university faculty and gives the student the flexibility to study within a framework that suits their schedule throughout the week.

Welcome to the online Bachelor of Commerce Program

Distance Learning Program - Online

Nipissing University has a pathway for just about everyone!

Whether you are a graduate of post-secondary education, a working professional, newcomer to Canada or someone who has graduated from high school and would like the option to study from a distance or online, we have a pathway that recognizes your past education and professional credentials.

Nipissing University offers a Bachelor of Commerce (4-year) 120 credit degree and a Bachelor of Commerce (3-year) 90 credit degree that can be completed on a full-time or part- time basis. We also have 3 full semesters each year, allowing you to progress towards your academic goals as quickly as you wish to.

You will study through our online learning platform, Blackboard. You can choose to take a course delivered purely online, which will allow you the most flexibility to study on your own schedule or you can choose to take a course delivered SYNC (synchronous) online. This is a live streamed class, which is scheduled during the evening between 6-9pm between Monday-Friday. If you reside near one of our four college partners, Algonquin, Centennial, Lambton or St. Clair, you can choose to register for a Nipissing Bachelor of Commerce course delivered on that campus. All scheduled classes run between 5pm-9pm, Monday to Friday.

Please note, international student applicants: This program is an online program and may impact your eligibility for a Post Graduate Work Permit (PGWP). Please review requirements before applying to the program at Immigration and citizenship - Canada.ca.

Note: All new students will apply to the BComm (4-year) degree. Students who wish to graduate with a BComm (3-year) degree can submit a program change request by emailing  programchange@nipissingu.ca once they have been accepted into the program.

Online Information Sessions

The CPP and Distance Program Manager hosts online information sessions which you can attend from any location, as long as you have access to a computer and the Internet (Google Chrome is the preferred web browser). During these live sessions you will have the opportunity to ask questions and learn about our business degree options. 

All information sessions are scheduled from 7:00PM-8:00PM and you can log in 15 minutes before the start of the presentation. A link to the presentation will be sent to you the day before the presentation. Below are the upcoming information session dates:

  • April 9, 2024
  • May 7, 2024
  • May 21, 2024
  • June 4, 2024
  • June 18, 2024
  • July 2, 2024
  • July 16, 2024
  • July 23, 2024

To register for an online information session, please email bcomm@nipissingu.ca and include your name and email to sign up for the information session. You will be provided with a link that will allow you to sign into the information session at the scheduled time. 

Transfer Credits and Admission Requirements

We value your past post-secondary academic achievements!

Once you have been offered admission, accepted that offer of admission, and have received your final transcript, your transcript will be evaluated for advanced standing or transfer credit. 

Click here to access the Office of the Registrar webpage and Transfer Student Guide.

Non-Business university Degree or Partial Degree Completion

You will need a minimum 70% overall average to be admitted into the BComm distance program. Meeting the minimum requirements will not guarantee admission.

Minimum grade for course transfer Transfer credits
60% Transfer credit is assessed on a case by case basis. Attempts will be made to provide specific course equivalencies. If a specific equivalence to a course is not available, Nipissing will attempt to award an unspecified, non-equivalent course. 
50%

Transfer credit will normally be awarded for a degree credit course provided a grade of “C” or higher was achieved. A course with a grade of “D” may be considered for credit only when there are an equal number of course credits with “B” grades or higher on the same transcript. 

Non- transferable credits: Transfer credit will not normally be granted for practical or clinical courses taken in specific areas such as Engineering, Education, Dance, etc. Credits for courses taken in the areas of Physical and Health Education or Nursing may be granted when applied to the same program at Nipissing.

College Graduates of 2 and 3 -year BUSINESS Diplomas (including Esports Entrepreneurship)

You will need a minimum 70% overall average or the equivalent GPA* to be admitted into the BComm distance program. Meeting the minimum requirements will not guarantee admission.

*Colleges utilize distinct GPA scale. Please check with your college to calculate the GPA that is equivalent to 70%. 

Graduates from a 2 or 3 year business diploma from an Ontario College are eligible for advanced standing credit, as follows: 

Overall Average 72%+

BComm (3-year)

 BComm (4-year) Overall Average 70%-72% BComm (3-year)

BComm (4-year)
3 Year Diploma 45 Credits 60 Credits 3 Year Diploma 30 Credits 45 Credits
2 Year Diploma 30 Credits 45 Credits 2 Year Diploma 18 Credits 30 Credits

 

Graduates from 2-year esports and entrepreneurship diploma from St. Clair and Lambton Colleges

Overall Average 70%+

BComm (3-year)

BComm (4-year)

Credits earned

30 Credits

45 Credits

To complete

60 credits or 20 courses

75 credits or 25 courses

College Graduates of 2 and 3-year NON BUSINESS Diplomas

You will need a minimum 70% overall average or the equivalent GPA* to be admitted into the BComm distance program. Meeting the minimum requirements will not guarantee admission.

Graduates from a 2-year non-business diploma from an Ontario College are eligible for advanced standing up to a maximum of 18 credits.

Graduates from a 3-year non-business diploma from an Ontario College are eligible for advanced standing up to a maximum of 30 credits.  

It will depend of your specific diploma program to how many credits you may be granted. 

*Colleges utilize distinct GPA scale. Please check with your college to calculate the GPA that is equivalent to 70%.  

College Graduates of 3-year ‘Technology’ Programs

Nipissing University offers a degree pathway for Ontario graduates of 3-year Advanced Technology diploma programs, such as civil engineering technology, chemical engineering technology, systems technology, power technology, construction technology, architectural technology, etc.

The admission requirements are a 3-year Advanced Technology diploma and a minimum 70% overall average or the equivalent GPA*. Meeting the minimum requirements will not guarantee admission.

*Colleges utilize distinct GPA scale. Please check with your college to calculate the GPA that is equivalent to 70%.

Students with a 3-year Advanced Technology diploma will be eligible to receive a block transfer of credits towards their business degree, leaving only the core degree requirements to complete.

3-year Bachelor of Commerce Degree (90 Credits)

 4-year Bachelor of Commerce Degree (120 Credits)
Up to 39 credits 

Up to 51 credits 

 

College Graduates of 1-year Diploma or Certificates

You will need a minimum 70% overall average or the equivalent GPA to be admitted into the BComm distance program. Meeting the minimum requirements will not guarantee admission.

*Colleges utilize distinct GPA scale. Please check with your college to calculate the GPA that is equivalent to 70%. 

Graduates of a 1-year College diploma or certificate will not receive transfer credits.

International Graduates from College and University

We cannot specify what type of transfer credits you will get. The Registrar's Office will assess a transcript after you have submitted an application. You may be required to submit TOEFL English Proficiency scores if English is not your first language. You may be required to submit a WES assessment of your international education credential. 

Certified Aboriginal Financial Management (CAFM) Certificate

Applicants who have successfully completed AFOA Canada’s Certified Aboriginal Financial Manager (CAFM) Diploma program with a minimum of 65% in each course can be considered for admission to the following programs:

3-year Bachelor of Commerce Degree (90 Credits)

 4-year Bachelor of Commerce Degree (120 Credits)
Advanced standing to a maximum of 45 credits (1.5 years of study)

Advanced standing to a maximum of 30 credits (1 year of study).

 

High School Graduates (Mature Student)

You will need ENG4U plus 5 additional 4U or 4M courses with a  minimum 70% overall average. 

Please note, meeting the minimum requirements will not guarantee admission.

Course Delivery Methods

As a distance student, you have the option to take a courses offered in a variety of course delivery methods such as:

Course Delivery Format

Location of class

Time in Classroom

Scheduled time

Scheduled day 

Who teaches

Traditional In-Class Delivery

CPP college campus

 Course is 3 hours once a week 

6pm-9pm or 6:30pm-9:30pm

Mon-Fri

Professor

Blended Delivery

Online + CPP college campus

 Lecture notes online + 2 hours in-class once a week

5pm-7pm or 7pm-9pm

Mon-Fri

Professor + In-class Facilitator

Synchronous Online Delivery

Live online lecture

Course is 3 hours once a week

6pm-9pm or 6:30pm-9:30pm

Mon-Fri

Professor

Online Delivery

Online

Complete weekly modules at your own pace

None

None

Professor

A course is delivered once a week.

Courses that are offered through an in-class, blended delivery or synchronous online are scheduled in the evening between 5pm-9pm from Monday to Friday. A course is delivered once a week. 

There are 3 semesters each year, fall, winter, spring/summer and students have the option to complete the program on a full-time or part-time basis. Full-time students can take between 1 and 5 courses each semester and Part-time students can take 1 or 2 courses each semester. The full-time option provides the most flexibility to decide how many courses to take each year.

How to Apply

Full-time Basis: 

To apply on a full-time basis for the fall semester, you will go the Ontario University Application Centre, www.ouac.on.ca, choose option 105, search for Nipissing University, and browse programs: Bachelor of Commerce, Distance Program.

For full time applications for the winter or spring/summer go to https://www.nipissingu.ca/departments/admissions-registrar/application-and-other-forms, Chose Full time Studies-Winter start or Full time Studies-Summer start.

Part-time Basis:

https://www.nipissingu.ca/departments/admissions-registrar/application-and-other-forms, Chose part-time/flex-time studies (all semesters), BComm- Distance learning. 

Full-time students can take between 1 and 5 courses each semester and Part-time students can take 1 or 2 courses each semester. The full-time option provides the most flexibility to decide how many courses to take each year.

All students will apply to enter the Bachelor of Commerce (4-year) program. Students who wish to graduate with a Bachelor of Commerce (3-year) degree can switch into the 3-year BComm program by emailing programchange@nipissingu.ca.

If you have any questions about the BComm application process, please contact our Admissions Office at admissions@nipissingu.ca.

Please access the Registration tab for instructions on understanding your transfer credits, choosing your courses, using WebAdvisor and Blackboard. Students will reference the tabs below to stay informed throughout the academic year.

Please plan to attend the New Student Orientation (NSO) Q&A for the 2024 Spring/Summer intake (May 2024) on Tuesday, April 23, 2024 at 7pm. A link will be sent to you on Monday April 22, 2024. Please log in using a Chrome browser. 

Registration Packages for the May intake- 2023-2024, Fall intake- 2023-2024 Academic year, Winter intake 2023-2024

 For Students starting the BComm program in the Winter (January 2024):

For Students starting the BComm program in the Fall 2023-2024:

 For Students starting the BComm program in May 2023-2024:

 

If you started the BComm degree in a different year or intake and didn't download your Student Guide and Registration Package, please email bcomm@nipissingu.ca and request a copy.

 

Course Codes

Course Codes:

801-809 you are taking an online course and there is no scheduled meeting time. Course readings and course work will be done by you during the week. 

841-849 you are taking a SYNC (synchronous) course. That course is scheduled during the week, in the evening and is streamed live. You choose the synchronous course, then it is mandatory that you attend the weekly lecture. 

Program Requirements

The Bachelor of Commerce Program requirements can be viewed through the Academic Calendar.

Course Listings

Please note that not all courses offerings are delivered online.

How do I know when courses are offered?

To plan when you will take your courses, you can log into WebAdvisor and search for individual courses or see when all courses in a subject area (ACCT, ADMN, ECON, FINC, MKTG, ORGS, TMGT) are offered in the Fall and Winter semesters, (23FW).

The 2024 Spring/Summer (24SS) courses will open in February 2024 in WebAdvisor. If you wish to plan for the SS24 semester, it may be useful to look back to the SS23 semester course offerings for planning purposes. It will provide a good base to plan for the upcoming 24SS semester. 

Please access the link for the file.

Program course offerings with prerequisites and CPA and HRPA electives courses

How do I know which courses have prerequisites?

A course may be a prerequisite to another course. For example, ORGS 1136 Intro. to Organizational Behaviour must be taken before ADMN 2167 Business Decision Making.

Some courses may be prerequisites to multiple courses. ACCT 1107 Principles of Accounting II is a good example. It is a prerequisite to taking ACCT 2146 Management Accounting & Control I, ADMN 2167 Business Decision Making, FINC 3116 Financial Management I, ACCT 2106 Intermediate Accounting I, ACCT 3816 Personal Taxation.  

It is a good practice to take your program required courses with prerequisites at the beginning of your degree. 

To search for prerequisites, you can search for a course in WebAdvisor, then click on the name of the course and a popup window will show the course outline and the prerequisite courses if applicable.

I want to pursue a CPA designation

Always verify the CPA requirements with CPA Ontario. www.cpaontario.ca. 

CPA Ontario posts the Nipissing University CPA PREP equivalencies on their website every year. The updated course list is found at CPA Ontario | Academic Prerequisites at Post-Secondary Institutions. Scroll down and search for Nipissing University, Bachelor of Commerce, 2023-2024 courses.

Chart for the Bachelor of Commerce degree equivalencies:

I want to pursue a HRPA (CHRP) designation

Always verify the HRPA CHRP requirements through the HRPA website, School Search (hrpa.ca)

Courses to transfer to HRPA:

Principles of Accounting II

ACCT 1107

 Management & Control I

ACCT 2146

Management & Control II

ACCT 2147

Introduction to Organizational Behaviour

ORGS 1136

Human Resource Management

ORGS 1137

Recruitment and Selection

ORGS 2006

Industrial Relations

ORGS 2117

Compensation & Rewards

ORGS 3146

Occupational Health & Safety

ORGS 3147

Human Resources Planning

ORGS 3247

Training & Development

ORGS 3836

Exams

Most Nipissing University courses will have a final exam. Your professor will decide how the exam will be delivered. They will decide whether it will be an invigilated (proctored) written exam at an exam center, online exam or a take home exam.

Exams can be scheduled from Monday-Saturday during the day or evening. Please alert your employer and do not plan personal or professional events or travel during the full exam period. There will be no exam deferrals because of personal or professional conflicts. Exam deferrals are allowed for situations such as emergencies, sickness, weather events that prevent you from writing an exam. Exam deferrals are requested through WebAdvisor. Your exam schedule will be available approximately 8 weeks before the start of the exam period. 

For invigilated paper written exams, you are responsible for booking an exam center to write your exam(s) with an approved proctor, for paying any fees charged by the proctor for their invigilation services, and for ensuring the Distance Exam Request Form is submitted by the deadline each term. You must schedule your Distance Exam(s) on the same date as found in your exam schedule in WebAdvisor. The exam schedule information will be posted on your exam timetable, which can be found on WebAdvisor approximately 8 weeks prior to the start of the exam period. 

For invigilated paper written exams, if you do not submit the completed Distance Exam Request Form by the deadline date every term, by default, your exam(s) will be written in North Bay at the scheduled date and time.

Click here to review the FAQ information about final exams.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding Distance Exams, please contact the Office of the Registrar at distance_exams@nipissingu.ca or at ext. 4513.

Blackboard

Blackboard Learn is an easy-to-use, interactive browser-based course environment. You can download the Blackboard app through the app store to access the software on your mobile device or tablet.

E-Learning user's guide

Blackboard Learn is an easy-to-use, interactive browser-based course environment. This User's Guide will show you the basics for getting started.​

Blackboard Learn Resources

LIT has developed and collected a series of video tutorials in order to assist faculty, staff and students in using the university wide Learning Management System (LMS).

Useful Downloads for Blackboard​

This guide contains valuable information regarding required plug-ins and downloads needed in order to use Blackboard.

Textbook Listing

Before purchasing course materials, ensure you are ordering the correct items.

Click the above "Textbook Listing" and the link will take you to the Nipissing eBookstore and choose 'Department: All', 'Location: Online'. Use the course code and section that you registered to see the textbook that you will need to purchase. Be sure to see your instructor's name in the listing. Textbooks can be purchased through the Nipissing bookstore, Amazon, Publisher or used (ensure you purchase the correct edition).

Nipissing University Student Union (NUSU)

The Nipissing University Student Union (NUSU), Local 20 of the Canadian Federation of Students, is a body comprised of all Nipissing University students, representing approximately 5000 members at the main campus in North Bay, and long-distance students. Collectively, students have a much stronger voice, and NUSU is the embodiment of this voice. Members should expect accurate representation, social advocacy, diverse programming, and a number of services on behalf of the students from their Student Union.

Academic Advising

Email, advising@nipissingu.ca 

Undergraduate students who wish to plan their programs or who need advice on any academic matter should consult an Academic Advisor. This may include, but is not limited to: planning for degree programs, choosing courses, and clarifying academic procedures or regulations. The Academic Advising Office also determines students' Second and Dual Degree Requirements and considers students' Overload and Letter of Permission Requests. EVERYONE SHOULD MEET WITH AN ACADEMIC ADVISOR AT LEAST ONCE IN THEIR DEGREE PROGRAM. 

The Advising team is committed to providing you support and service during this public health emergency. Students in all of Nipissing's undergraduate programs will be able to sign up to chat live with an advisor using their Nipissing student email addresses and our virtual sign in sheet (found here). Chats will take place in Microsoft Teams and students can find instructions here. The sign up will open each weekday at 9am, and we will begin inviting students to chat starting at 9:30. The sign up will close when it appears we are full for the day, however we do encourage students to try again the following morning. We anticipate the list may fill quickly in the first few days of September, but that the list will remain open longer as days pass and we work through the volume.

This waiting list service allows students to follow their progress in line, and notifies students via text and email when an advisor is preparing their file. We're very excited to launch this new initiative as an additional way to support students this fall!  

For those who prefer email, distance students can reach us by email at advising@nipissingu.ca . We will endeavour to respond as quickly as possible and appreciate your patience as there may be a delay.   

Students are responsible for ensuring that the courses in which they register meet the degree requirements of their programs.

Academic Support Services

Our goal is to support your academic and personal development. Look for assistance with accessibility services, learning style assessments, writing skills, writing formats, study strategies, time management, note-taking skills, academic resources, group seminars, peer support, career development activities, and more. Learn More...

Financial Support Services

Achieve your goals on time and on budget. We’ll help you fund your education through scholarships, awards, bursaries, government assistance, and work study programs. Learn More...​

 

We have recently created the Student Emergency Fund to help our students through these difficult times. For more information on how to make use of this resource go here https://www.nipissingu.ca/studentemergencyfund.

Personal Counselling Services

Our registered counsellors offer free, year-round personal counselling services, specialized therapeutic groups, referral services and a host of wellness, educational and awareness events to all full- and part-time undergraduate and graduate students. Learn More...

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