Business Communication and Human Resource Management Dual Post-graduate Certificate

Earn two postgraduate certificates in as little as sixteen months (four consecutive terms), full-time continuous studies, and graduate prepared to deliver the business skills sought after by employers.

This intensive postgraduate, dual-certificate program is open to students who hold an undergraduate degree from any accredited university. Immerse yourself in developing in-demand skills in human resource management, as well as business communications. Designed for students that have already completed an undergraduate degree in another discipline and would like to supplement it with further undergraduate courses concentrating in business specializations.

Graduates of this program will receive both a postgraduate certificate in Human Resource Management (5.0 credits) and a postgraduate certificate in Business Communication (5.0 credits).

Admissions Requirements

Entry Term: May 2023, September 2023, January 2024, May 2024, September 2024, on the Trent Durham campus only

Duration: Available for full time studies only

Program Completion Requirements: Completion of 10.0 credits as specified

To apply to this post-graduate certificate, please complete this application form.

Graduating From Trent This Year?

As a 2023 Trent grad*, you qualify for direct admission to our Business Dual Postgraduate Certificate program. No need to pay to apply. Registering is easy – just send a confirmation email to admissions@trentu.ca from your Trent University account. We will also waive the application fee. For more information about this special offer, visit call 1-888-739-8885.

*this certificate is meant for non-Business program graduates, as there is too much course overlap for graduates of Trent’s BBA program.

Courses Postgraduate Certificate Human Resources Management

The Certificate consists of 5.0 credits of ADMN 1221H, 2220H, 2230H, 3021H, 3220H, 3230H, 3260H, 3270H, 3280H and ECON 3500H. A minimum cumulative average of 65% is required to complete the certificate.

Please note the academic requirements are higher for those wishing to write the Certified Human Resources Professional Designation Knowledge Exam (see University Calendar for more information).

Upon successful completion of the 5.0 credits, students will have satisfied the nine subject areas required for the “Certified Human Resources Professional Designation (CHRP)” and be eligible to write the CHRP Knowledge Exam (CHRP-KE).  Students must achieve a cumulative average of 70% in all courses, with no individual course mark less than 65%. In order to take the exam, a student must be an enrolled member of the Human Resources Professionals Association (HRPA) of Ontario, which involves a monetary fee to the Association.  For more information see HRPA

Courses Postgraduate Certificate Business Communication

The Certificate consists of 5.0 credits of The Certificate program consists of the following 5.0 credits COMM 1000H, 2003H, 3001H, 3094H, 4001H, ADMN 2080H, 2100H, 3150H, COIS 3750H and ADMN 2410H. A minimum cumulative average of 65% is required to complete the certificate. For individual course descriptions, see the University Calendar. Please consult the academic timetable, for information on when courses will be scheduled.

It is important to register in your courses without delay and prior to your arrival!

Course Registration

For help with course registration, use the how to guides at

Course Selection and Registration website. 

Trent International also provides the following helpful information:

New Student Course Registration:
For support with new student course registration,
visit our website for next steps.

New International Student Webpage:
Visit our New International Student Website to determine your next steps after you have completed course registration.

Breakdown of courses by term

Students are to follow the schedule of courses by term as outlined below for full-time studies. We cannot guarantee course availability if students do not follow the recommended course sequencing. Students who fail to adhere to the recommended schedule may not be able to complete their certificate program within the scheduled number of terms and students may have to return to complete an additional term. Additionally, if you are studying in the summer term, that means you must be registered in courses in both summer terms (S61 and S62).

Term 1 Courses

COMM 1000H Introduction to Communication (May 2023 substituting ADMN 1221H)
ADMN 2220H Organizational Behaviour
ADMN 2230H Human Resource Management
ADMN 2100H Introduction to Marketing
ADMN 2080H Managerial and Market Research

Term 2 Courses

COMM 2003H Becoming Digital
ADMN 1221H Financial Accounting (Fall 2023 will take COMM 1000H)
ADMN 3230H Training and Development
ADMN 2410H Communications in Organizations
ADMN 3150H Advertising

Term 3 Courses

COMM 3001H Events Management
ADMN 3021H Managerial Accounting
ADMN 3270H Human Resource Planning
ADMN 3220H Organization Selection
ADMN 3260H Occupational Health and Safety

Term 4 Courses

COMM 4001H Crisis Communication
COMM 3094H Public Leadership in Action
ADMN 3280H Motivation and Compensation Systems
COIS 3750H Online Marketing
ECON 3500H Economics of Industrial Relations

For students who have accepted their offer of admission and have questions about registering in their courses or life at Trent, please email businesscertificates@trentu.ca

Application to Graduate

At the beginning of your last term, when you believe you are ready to graduate, you can submit the Application to Graduate form found in myTrent under Academics → Forms. You should apply as soon as your course registration for your final term is finalized (early in Summer term if you are graduating in September; early in the Fall term if you are graduating in January; early in the Winter term if you are graduating in Spring). The deadline to apply to graduate can be found in the Academic Calendar site under Important Dates, as well as at Important Dates & Deadlines.

Convocation ceremonies for students who graduated during the last year (September, January and Spring) are held the first week of June. Please visit Convocation site for the most up-to-date information.