AccelerateU is an initiative of the Bissett School of Business and involves delivering thirty-three curated classes in marketing, entrepreneurship, or social innovation classes at the Calgary Open Learning Lab in downtown Calgary. The Lab is located in Bow Valley Square, the single busiest building in the city. AccelerateU is designed to remove the barriers between students and professionals. Immersive experiential learning can be transformative because it challenges you to build on your knowledge and confront problems facing real organizations.

In fall 2022 and winter 2023, we hosted nine pilot AccelerateU classes at the Platform Calgary Innovation Centre. The goal of the first two pilot phases was to better understand the logistics and learning value of teaching immersive experience learning close to professionals in your field. This next phase of the pilot, expands AccelerateU significantly, and relocates AccelerateU, located in the busiest building in Calgary.

The best feature is that there is no additional cost to participate in AccelerateU. One of the core goals of AccelerateU is to ensure that we support all students in meeting their personal and professional goals. We recognize that not everyone has the capacity to participate in co-op, field schools, or a semester abroad, so AccelerateU is designed to give you a similar competitive advantage prior to graduation, while fitting into your life today with no additional cost.

No. AccelerateU enables any Mount Royal student, taking courses in marketing, entrepreneurship, or social innovation to spend all or part of a year near the organizations and people changing the face of Calgary.

Your future will be defined by two things - what you know and who you know. Who you know starts with both structured and unstructured professional networking. AccelerateU is designed to remove the barriers between students and professionals. Immersive experiential learning can be transformative because it challenges you to build on your knowledge and confront problems facing real organizations.

No. The program is designed to support senior students prior to graduation. The courses being offered include a range of marketing, entrepreneurship, and social innovation classes, many of which are general education courses.

Thirty-three different classes are being taught at AccelerateU. This incorporates a diverse range of classes in marketing, innovation & entrepreneurship, social innovation, and management. These include all the core BBA capstone courses, as well as General Education (Gen Ed), and electives. Courses have been curated to allow students in third and fourth year to spend one or more semesters at AccelerateU.

The full list of classes can be found by clicking HERE .

The full fall and winter schedule can be found by clicking HERE

Core BBA Capstone Courses

Business Plan Development (ENTR 4333)

Strategic Management (MGMT 5333)

Marketing Courses

Marketing-Driven Strategy (MKTG 4858)

Professional Brand Studio (MKTG 4850)

Navigating Marketing Trends (MKTG 3558)

Sports & Entertainment Marketing (MKTG 3730)

Evidence-Based Marketing (MKTG 3258) *Gen Ed

Science Of Persuasion (MKTG 3150) *Gen Ed

Innovation & Entrepreneurship Courses

Corporate Innovation And Entrepreneurship (ENTR 4344)

DNA Of Selling, Sales And Business Development (ENTR 4420)

Society, Innovation, And Enterprises (ENTR 3370) *Gen Ed

Spearheading And Navigating Marketing Launch (ENTR 3350)

The Art Of The Pitch (ENTR 3305) *Gen Ed

Creativity For Entrepreneurial Practice (ENTR 3302) *Gen Ed

Social Innovation Courses

Social Enterprising (SINV 5010) *Gen Ed

Human Centered Design For Social Impact (SINV 4402)

Civic Innovation (SINV 4401) *Gen Ed

Facilitating Social Innovation (SINV 3203) *Gen Ed

AccelerateU courses have been curated to allow students in third and fourth year to spend one or more semesters downtown embedded in the community. The course schedule was developed in conjunction with students and alumni, so students could spend an entire day downtown taking AccelerateU courses. To do so, all courses are once per week for three-hours. In addition, we developed two course bundles that allow students to spend six hours in AccelerateU classes in a single day.

Marketing Bundle 1 (Fall)

Navigating Marketing Trends (MKTG 3558)

Sports & Entertainment Marketing (MKTG 3730)

Marketing Bundle 2 (Fall)

Sports & Entertainment Marketing (MKTG 3730)

Marketing-Driven Strategy (MKTG 4858)

Marketing Bundle 4 (Fall)

Business Plan Development (ENTR 4433) *BBA Capstone

Marketing-Driven Strategy (MKTG 4858)

Marketing Bundle 5 (Fall)

Professional Brand Studio (MKTG 4850)

Strategic Management (MGMT 5333) *BBA Capstone

Marketing Bundle 6 (Winter)

Evidence-Based Marketing (MKTG 3258) *Gen Ed

Science Of Persuasion (MKTG 3150) *Gen Ed

Marketing Bundle 7 (Winter)

Professional Brand Studio (MKTG 4850)

Sports & Entertainment Marketing (MKTG 3730)

Marketing Bundle 8 (Fall)

Strategic Management (MGMT 5333) *BBA Capstone

Marketing-Driven Strategy (MKTG 4858)

Marketing Bundle 9 (Winter)

Business Plan Development (ENTR 4433) *BBA Capstone

Sports & Entertainment Marketing (MKTG 3730)

Sales Bundle (Winter)

Science Of Persuasion (MKTG 3150) *Gen Ed

DNA Of Selling, Sales And Business Development (ENTR 4420)

Entrepreneurship Bundles

Entrepreneurship Bundle 1 (Fall)

The Art Of The Pitch (ENTR 3305) *Gen Ed

Business Plan Development (ENTR 4433) *BBA Capstone

Entrepreneurship Bundle 2 (Fall & Winter)

Business Plan Development (ENTR 4433) *BBA Capstone

Society, Innovation, And Enterprises (ENTR 3370) *Gen Ed

Entrepreneurship Bundle 3 (Winter)

Business Plan Development (ENTR 4433) *BBA Capstone

Corporate Innovation And Entrepreneurship (ENTR 4344)

Entrepreneurship Bundle 4 (Winter)

Business Plan Development (ENTR 4433) *BBA Capstone

The Art Of The Pitch (ENTR 3305) *Gen Ed

Entrepreneurship Bundle 5 (Winter)

Creativity For Entrepreneurial Practice (ENTR 3302) *Gen Ed

The Art Of The Pitch (ENTR 3305) *Gen Ed

Entrepreneurship Bundle 6 (Winter)

Creativity For Entrepreneurial Practice (ENTR 3302) *Gen Ed

Society, Innovation, And Enterprises (ENTR 3370) *Gen Ed

Social Innovation Bundles

Social Innovation Bundle 1 (Fall)

Social Enterprising (SINV 5010) *Gen Ed

Strategic Management (MGMT 5333) *BBA Capstone

Social Innovation Bundle 2 (Fall)

Facilitating Social Innovation (SINV 3203) *Gen Ed

Society, Innovation, And Enterprises (ENTR 3370) *Gen Ed

Social Innovation Bundle 3 (Winter)

Human Centered Design For Social Impact (SINV 4402)

Civic Innovation (SINV 4401) *Gen Ed

Social Innovation Bundle 4 (Winter)

Strategic Management (MGMT 5333) *BBA Capstone

Civic Innovation (SINV 4401) *Gen Ed

Registering for AccelerateU is just like registering for any other course. For additional information go to the “How to Register” page or follow the simple steps below.

Step 1: Log into your “MyMRU”.

Step 2: Click on “Register & Pay” in the top banner.

Step 3: Click on the “Registration Landing Page”.

Step 4: Click “Look-up Classes” and select Fall 2023 or Winter 2024.

Step 5: Search the course you would like to take.

Step 6: Once you have found the course you would like to take, there are often multiple sections being delivered at different times in three different ways

In Person

Online Sync & Async

In Person Off Campus

The AccelerateU sections are the courses that are designated “In Person Off Campus”.

Step 7: When you found the AccelerateU section, simply click on it and register.

Remember to bundle your AccelerateU classes so you can spend an entire day at the City Hub.

Yes. AccelerateU is designed to easy and simple by dealing with one of the challenges we face at Mount Royal - not being on a CTrain line. For this reason, we chose the location for the Open Learning Lab that is one block from 1st Street SW CTrain station and connected via the Plus 15 Skywalk network. Even better, traveling to the Open Learning Lab via Calgary Transit is FREE with your UPass.

If you are a student who has a car we recommend you use Calgary Transit Park and Ride lots available at many CTrain Stations. These lots have both free parking and reserved parking. Reserved parking spaces become free after 10 a.m. on weekdays.

Though we encourage you to take all your classes in a single day downtown taking AccelerateU classes, if your schedule requires you to travel to or from Mount Royal, there is FREE door to door bus service to and from campus on routes 304, 66, and 13 with your UPass.

We understand that parking can be expensive, and we encourage you to save your money and take public transit. If you would like to drive to your AccelerateU classes, your best option is parking in the East Village. Street parking is only $1 per hour. You can than walk or take the CTrain to Bow Valley Square.

That will depend on your schedule and will depend on how often you choose to go to the main campus. If you are taking all your classes at the City Hub and only drive to main campus periodically, it is likely more cost effective to pay for parking daily.

Of course! Did you know that with 1000km, Calgary has the largest pathway and bikeway system in North America? Then it is not surprising that there are over 17,000 cycle trips in and out of the downtown daily. Cycling to class is good for you, the environment, your pocketbook. Best of all Bow Valley Square provides access to a secure underground bike lock-up.

Engage with industry professionals as part of every course.

Solve real-world problems with some of the world’s most innovative companies and make a real contribution to your community.

Get inspired with industry leading professional development sessions hosted downtown at Bow Valley Square

Network with thought leaders and sector experts.

Learn how to create a professional portfolio that will accelerate your future.

For people networking can either sound exciting or like the last thing you want to do. Regardless of where you fall, networking is an essential professional skill at all stages of your career.

Providing you both formal and informal access to Calgary professionals is one of the core goals of AccelerateU. Frankly, the professionals who will kick-start your career are likely not sitting in Wyckham House or at Mount Royal’s library. Instead, they are likely sitting in their office, coffee shop, or professional hubs like the Calgary Open Learning Lab.

But here is a secret. There are hundreds of diverse organizations in Bow Valley Square. But remember, they are not there to meet you. In fact, more do not even know you are there. So AccelerateU is designed to create the conditions for you to professionally network, whether they are your class clients, guest speakers, or happen to work at Bow Valley Square. What you do with this opportunity is up to you.

AccelerateU classes, workshops, and bootcamps will he hosted the Open Learning Lab in downtown Calgary. The Lab is located in the heart of Calgary’s business community in the city’s busiest building, In addition to hosting the Lab, Bow Valley Square is home to 190 businesses across every sector from technology to energy to professional services. With one-third of all downtown professionals walking through Bow Valley Square daily, this means within a few blocks of your AccelerateU classes is walking distance to the companies and people defining the future of your city. The result will be endless opportunities for you to engage the professionals who can define your future.

Open Learning is a new way to think about learning. Open learning recognizes learning is not limited a classroom, rather, learning happens in an endless number of ways. If the traditional model resembles a ladder, the new open learning model resembles a rapidly expanding climbing wall. It incorporates infinite ways to learn, from traditional classrooms to employment, to volunteering, to an art class or playing sports, listening to a podcast and everything in between.

The Calgary Open Learning Lab is designed to test innovative ways of diverse community partners, including businesses, universities and colleges, government, and non-profit organizations to collaborate to enhance learning and skill development.

AccelerateU is delivering classes at Bow Valley Square. With dozens of restaurants, shops, and services, Bow Valley Square is a city in a city. Moreover, it is connected in all four directions to the 16 km, Plus 15 skywalk network. This gives you access to an endless number of food, beverage, and shopping options while taking AccelerateU classes.

Downtown Calgary has it all. With great restaurants, arts and culture, shopping, and icons like the Calgary Tower, it is easy to plan a whole trip around all the things to see and do right in the heart of downtown Calgary. From great restaurants and live entertainment to festivals and public art, check out everything downtown Calgary has to offer.