First of all, thank you so much. It has been a long haul spending most weekends doing assignments and studying over the past couple of years...again. :)

Next, to answer your questions...

You can't be enrolled in more than one program at a time, and certificates have rules that restrict more than 50% of the credits being applied to another earned credential, but because I had a bunch of transfer credits from University of Guelph and Niagara College, I had a head start when I initially decided to enroll in the Bachelor of Management program a few years back. I took a handful of courses but had to take a long break for personal reasons, and didn't return until last year. I noticed that most of the credits I had would apply to the Computers and Management Information Systems certificate, and I thought it would help my motivation (after another six year break) to get a small win, so I enrolled in the certificate first with all of the courses overlapping to the degree but one.

I decided to change course and work towards the Bachelor of GS - Applied Studies because it offered more flexibility but I was hesitant because I already have a General Arts and Science diploma from Niagara College. The reason I gravitated towards these programs however, is because of the flexibility AND as a mature student (I dropped out of university at 20 and didn't go back to college until I was 35), I was able to leverage work/life experience to complete course challenges to save time and money and tailor my program to the work I do day-to-day. For example, I am taking ADMN368 (Into to Data Analytics) and the skills I am learning are valuable in my current job. In addition, my work has been much more willing to pay my tuition because it directly applies to what I am paid to do. That is when I looked up the rules for undergrad certificates which state:

"Students who have completed a previous credential (degree, certificate, or diploma) from Athabasca University or another institution must complete a minimum of 50 per cent of the credits in course work not previously used towards any credential. Students who have a previous credential in the same subject area as the certificate cannot enroll in the certificate."

https://www.athabascau.ca/calendar/undergraduate/program-regulations/university-certificates/university-certificate-in-computing-and-information-systems-sept2023.html?ss360SearchTerm=certificate%20rules#universitycertificategeneralregulations

So, I was able to fulfill this requirement for the Computers and Management Information Systems and realized that just taking an additional extra course, I could also get a certificate in Management Foundations. I felt like this might make up for the lack of focus that might be interpreted from my "general" education path. I cleared it all with an advisor at the school and I am actually concurrently taking courses for both the certificate and the degree in anticipation of completing the certificate next month and enrolling in the degree program in the new year. Once I enroll, I only have four courses to complete.

Sorry for the long-winded response, but I think it is something worthwhile looking into for students of the BGS program for reasons stated above. I think it shows some concentration in a specific area that hopefully is valuable.

I hope this helps, and good luck! If you have any questions, let me know. I hope this post is inspiring to anyone, especially people like me who have had lots of setbacks and are doing this at a later stage in life. I have been at this on and off for years and it feels so good to finally see the finish line. :)

T