UBC Okanagan students attend a pinning ceremony for the Faculty of Management.
Aarav Chahal has spent his life watching Kelowna grow. A course at his hometown UBC Okanagan taught him to ask what growth means.
"It really gave me a different perspective on how we view the economy and business in general, considering we're on Syilx Okanagan Nation land," he says, then adds: "From Indigenous perspectives, a wellbeing economy can be more about the growth around you, the land and how the land prospers around you, not just the profits."
Including those Indigenous perspectives in UBCO's Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) degree was intentional , says Dr. Sandy Hilton, the Associate Dean of Teaching and Learning in the Faculty of Management. While he's clear that the BCom is built on foundations of finance, marketing and accounting, it's place which sets it apart.
"We respect and use the fact that we're here in the Okanagan," he says.
UBCO's BCom emphasizes Indigenous perspectives, sustainability and socially responsible leadership. The program placed 10th out of 33 in Corporate Knights' 2026 Better World BCom (Canada) ranking, a sustainability-focused assessment of undergraduate business education.
Built around the Okanagan
Dean's Advisory Council member Mic Werstuik, CEO of Ntityix Development Corp., speaks to Faculty of Management students during an Indigenous Business Speaker Series event at UBC Okanagan.
"This recognition is a reflection of what we are building together here at UBC's business school in the Okanagan," says Dr. Gady Jacoby, Dean of the Faculty of Management. "Faculty is delivering business education that equips future business leaders with the knowledge and capabilities to make a meaningful impact.
"We are committed to building strong relationships with our communities and preparing our students to meaningfully advance truth and reconciliation. We are proud to see that work recognized nationally."
Sustainability takes centre stage, Dr. Hilton says, through a first-year course on identifying personal business values and two third-year courses.
One looks at how government policy and business work together on challenges such as climate change and social equality, and this year has students examining AI policy.
The other focuses on Indigenous business, which Dr. Hilton calls "one of our unique value propositions. Very few programs in Canada would have a standalone course around Indigenous business."
Ask the students what sets the program apart, and they talk about the opportunities for growth.
University is where change happens
Lamay Boshoff arrived at UBC Okanagan with a career path already mapped out.
"Coming out of high school, I knew exactly what I wanted to do with my life: 'I'm going to become a chemist. I love Breaking Bad,'" Boshoff says, smiling.
But chemistry didn't quite develop as she'd expected, so she moved into the BCom to study organizational behaviour.
"That's one of the reasons for going to university: figuring out this isn't what I want to do (and pivoting)," she says.
For Boshoff, the BCom's practical coursework gave her insight into the challenges businesses face.
"In every class I've taken, there were case studies that use real-world examples that deal with specific problems where we need to find solutions. The program gives you so many opportunities to start thinking through a business lens, and a fresh perspective, like a student's, can bring real value to a company," she says.
A campus where you know people
Student Luna Eukharis Situngkir, front right, celebrates an award from the CFA Societies Canada Institute Ethics Challenge.
The Faculty of Management has about 1,100 undergraduate students, and about 250 graduate each June. "You're going to know pretty much everyone you walk across the convocation stage with," Dr. Hilton says.
Luna Eukharis Situngkir, a fourth-year finance student from Indonesia, says size is one of UBCO's greatest attributes. She came to Kelowna on a scholarship, not knowing what to expect halfway across the globe.
It was Lecturer Jana Martin who introduced Luna to the CFA Societies Canada Institute Ethics Challenge, a competition on how finance professionals treat clients and maintain standards.
Their team placed second at the event in Vancouver, and Luna made the national top five in the individual competition.
"The campus is small, but I think that's one of the advantages of being here," Luna says. "You get to know the professors better. You make more connections, compared to bigger universities."
Student leaders needed
The Faculty of Management has more than a dozen clubs and competitions to engage students, Dr. Hilton says, and they all need six to eight student leaders every year. It's these opportunities that help students build leadership skills, gain experience and stand out from their peers.
Chahal was reluctant to get involved in his first year. By second year, he had joined the Commerce Student Association and signed up to participate in the JDC West business case competition.
"Those were some of my turning points," Chahal says. "Always say yes to every opportunity."
His classmates had similar experiences after accepting the challenges in front of them.
"Once you know what you really love, keep doing it, even though there are so many obstacles. Prove that you can do it," Luna adds.
As for what the students do when they graduate, Dr. Hilton says the Faculty leaves that open.
"Make the world a better place. But we don't try to define what 'better' is. We let each student discover that on their journey through our BCom program," he says.
