1. Culture and Heritage Site Management Puts You In Charge of Historic
Sites
Do you already work in hospitality tourism and culture but are looking to upgrade your skills in
order to make a career change? Do you have a college diploma or university degree in a particular
discipline but have an interest in culture and heritage sites? Did you complete a partial post
secondary education, have relevant work experience in the culture and heritage site management
field, and wish to finish your studies? If so, Centennial College may have the program for you.
The Culture and Heritage Site Management program offers a series of heritage management
courses to graduate students that prepare them with a very particular skill set to manage culture
and heritage resources. These courses feature industry-based subjects — presented through theory
and practical application — that are relevant to this largely publicly run or not-for-profit culture and
heritage sector. Here is a sample of the learning students obtain.
Culture and Heritage Management Essentials: This course offers students a framework for
understanding the organizational and management aspects of the not-for-profit and public sector
culture and heritage organizations. As such, they will gain insight into the generalist practitioner’s
administering of day-to-day operations of the breadth of sector establishments and venues. Issues
of sustainability and ethics are also examined, with local, national and international cases used to
illustrate the points.
Innovative Technologies in the Culture and Heritage Sector: While the sites these
professionals manage are sometimes ancient, the industry must keep up with the changing times.
As such, this course looks at computer technology and electronic media as invaluable management
resources in support of the mission and objectives of culture and heritage organizations. Through
lectures, readings and case studies, learners gain insight into the process of determining whether,
and how to invest in social networking strategies and/or add an online component to an
organization’s profile as well as the concomitant challenges/opportunities having such exposure
creates for culture and heritage sector managers.
Culture and Heritage Customer Relationship Management: This course examines the primary
functions of customer/constituent relationship management (CRM) and explores how it functions in
the digital and non-digital worlds. Using case studies, Internet resources and text materials,
students master the vocabulary of CRM, understand how the various CRM functions are related and
become familiar with the types of reports and software applications that are used by not-for-profit
businesses in performing CRM functions.
National Historic Site Management: Students receive an overview of managing National Historic
Sites (NHS). As a hands-on component, case studies are used to examine NHS site designation and
the attendant impact on marketability and revenue generation. Case studies also constitute the
vehicle for discussion of stakeholder communities and perspectives on sustainability, marketing
issues, destination management and visitor management.
After students successfully complete each culture course, they are equipped to launch careers
with national historic sites, national and provincial parks, federal, provincial and municipal cultural
funding agencies; and related not-for-profit arts, cultural and heritage organizations.