Beginning Fall 2022 students at the University of the Fraser Valley will have the opportunity to add a minor in professional sales to their undergraduate degrees. While this credential is not uncommon in the United States, UFV is the first Canadian public university to offer one. Business and selling activity are inextricably linked, and while colleges and polytechnics have not shied away from sales education, universities typically have. Until now.
Mark Breedveld, Associate Professor in Marketing and Sales at UFV shares,
Sales education has always been a valuable part of our business program. As UFV progressed from a college to a university, we improved and expanded our sales course offerings from our earlier years. The new Professional Sales minor at UFV is the latest step in that progression: students’ specialized learning will now be officially recognized on their university transcripts.
The Professional Sales minor includes eight courses, and emphasizes work-integrated learning that connects directly to the workplace. Included in the program is a one-semester practicum that allows students to work within the salesforces of Fraser Valley companies such as Fastenal, a global distributor of industrial supplies. According to Nick Staschuk, Fastenal BC District Manager,
Practicums will give students valuable real-world experience. They are also an opportunity for us to evaluate potential future hires. Sales is an occupation that exists in every business, and the need is not going to diminish. UFV’s Professional Sales minor will expand the pool of qualified job applicants, something that is greatly needed. Completion of the Professional Sales minor would certainly set potential hires ahead of other candidates in our eyes.
Business students interested in declaring entry into the Professional Sales minor should contact educational advisors in the School of Business at businfo@ufv.ca. Students in other UFV programs should contact advising@ufv.ca. Please email using your UFV student email and include your student number in the email.
Further information about the Professional Sales minor can be found in the UFV academic calendar, available on UFV’s website at ufv.ca.