University of Alberta

Professional Development Series

The series allow you to specialize in areas of specific interest to enhance your skills and knowledge in a targeted subject area.


Each specialization will provide approximately 50 hours of study, and, upon completion (submit this completion notice), participants will receive recognition of their accomplishment.

Benefits for You and Your Organization

  • Theory-based instruction with a focus on practical and applied issues
  • Group discussion, integration, and practice of materials
  • Increased job satisfaction
  • Rapid engagement for immediate and practical execution
  • Networking opportunities
  • Increased efficiency, productivity, and confidence
  • Opportunities for career advancement

“Companies that fail to invest in employees jeopardize their own success and even survival” – Bassi & McMurrer (2007)

“Organizations are linking learning to performance and the bottom line, and they understand therelationship between creating a skilled workforce and achieving enterprise-wide success” - ASTD 2004 State of the Industry Report

Business Analysts Series

Many business analyst professionals today are faced with the challenge of trying to bridge the gap between education and career training and future goals and opportunities. The Faculty of Extension’s new Professional Development Series for Business Analysts provides individuals with the tools necessary to build this bridge. The series consists of independent areas of specialization, allowing for participants to select the professional development most closely aligned with their future ambitions.

Choose one or both streams:

Management Foundation Series
 course # days starts  cost
EXGEN 3405 Technical Writing: Procedures and Manuals $315
T Oct 9
MT Feb 4
EXGEN 5427 Project Management Essentials $465
RF Jan 24
EXGEN 5425 Guiding Successful Teams $465
RF Feb 21
EXGEN 5424 Communication Strategies $465
RF Mar 21
M-Monday T-Tuesday W-Wednesday R-Thursday F-Friday S-Saturday D-Sunday

Communication Series
 course # days starts  cost
EXGEN 5418 Win-Win Collaboration $465
MT Oct 15
EXGEN 5364 Influencing Difficult People $375
M Feb 11
EXGEN 5424 Communication Strategies $465
RF Mar 21
EXGEN 5356 Conflict Management TBA
M-Monday T-Tuesday W-Wednesday R-Thursday F-Friday S-Saturday D-Sunday

Workplace Communication Series

Communication is the basis of every function in any organization. From the mailroom to the CEO, every department, unit and team member must know how to communicate effectively and efficiently. This series focuses on the pertinent aspects of communication within the business world. Practical, relevant and valuable, this training will give you the confidence to move your career to a new level.

Workplace Communication Series
 course # days starts  cost
EXGEN 5430 The Art of Business Relationships $465
MT Nov 5
EXGEN 5429 Communicating Up, Down, and Across the Organization $375
F Feb 1
EXGEN 5424 Communication Strategies $465
RF Mar 21
EXGEN 5432 Workplace Presentation Skills $0
T Oct 23
M-Monday T-Tuesday W-Wednesday R-Thursday F-Friday S-Saturday D-Sunday

Conflict Resolution Series

If you work with people, inevitably you will have to deal with conflict.

The potential for lost productivity, turnover, inefficiency, and a toxic culture is high in an environment fraught with conflict. This concentration of study is designed to build skills and knowledge based on changing conflict from disruptive destruction to creative collaboration.

Conflict Resolution Series
 course # days starts  cost
EXGEN 5424 Communication Strategies $465
RF Mar 21
EXGEN 5356 Conflict Management TBA
EXGEN 5364 Influencing Difficult People $375
M Feb 11
EXGEN 5372 Mental Toughness: Training for Success $435
F Nov 9
EXGEN 5418 Win-Win Collaboration $465
MT Oct 15
M-Monday T-Tuesday W-Wednesday R-Thursday F-Friday S-Saturday D-Sunday

Financial Management Series

This series is designed to give professionals who do not deal directly with finances an insight into basic terminology and concepts, statement design, and interpretation of financial information.

Financial Management Series
 course # days starts  cost
EXGEN 5353 Basic Accounting for Nonaccountants $465
M Sep 24
EXGEN 5360 Finance for Nonfinancial Managers $465
WR Nov 7
EXGEN 5423 Understanding Financial Planning, Budgeting, and Management TBA
M-Monday T-Tuesday W-Wednesday R-Thursday F-Friday S-Saturday D-Sunday

Management Bootcamp Series

This area of study is designed to give professionals an insight into the world of management. This series includes: leadership, project management, planning, and finance. These topics are knowledge requirements for the leaders of today! More, the bootcamp format is an efficient and effective way to quickly update your skills and knowledge.

Management Bootcamp Series
 course # days starts  cost
EXGEN 5360 Finance for Nonfinancial Managers $465
WR Nov 7
EXGEN 5431 Leading, Supervising and Motivating $465
RF Mar 14
EXGEN 5427 Project Management Essentials $465
RF Jan 24
EXGEN 5428 Strategic Planning TBA
M-Monday T-Tuesday W-Wednesday R-Thursday F-Friday S-Saturday D-Sunday

Workplace Coaching Series

To be an effective leader, one must master the art of coaching. A good coach improves and develops work-related skills and knowledge. Often, coaching concentrates on specific goals with clear outcomes. It is the coaches’ role to enable the individuals to find answers within themselves and is dependent upon each individual’s motivation to succeed.

A successful coach knows how to communicate, builds trust, and understands emotional intelligence. This Coaching series gives participants knowledge and skills that are immediately implementable in today’s work world.

Workplace Coaching Series
 course # days starts  cost
EXGEN 5426 Building Organizational Collaboration and Trust $375
M Oct 22
EXGEN 5410 Coaching for Success $465
RF Nov 22
EXGEN 5424 Communication Strategies $465
RF Mar 21
EXGEN 5425 Guiding Successful Teams $465
RF Feb 21
EXGEN 5406 Implementing Emotional Intelligence (EQ) at Work TBA
M-Monday T-Tuesday W-Wednesday R-Thursday F-Friday S-Saturday D-Sunday

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