Ai'saipiiyi
Bachelor of Indigenous Leadership and Management
The Ai’saipiiyi Bachelor of Indigenous Leadership and Management is a unique degree program offered in collaboration with Mount Royal University’s Bisset School of Business. Named by Ceremonial Knowledge Keeper Herman Yellow Old Woman, this program blends Siksika Knowledge and community-based economic principles with Mount Royal’s business practices. It prepares students for successful careers by integrating First Nation community and cultural practices into a business context, supporting Mount Royal University’s Bachelor of Administration Degree.
Career Paths
Graduates are well-prepared for roles in Indigenous business development, community economic development, government relations, and corporate consulting. Common career paths include:
- Indigenous business consultant
- Economic development officer
- Community outreach coordinator
- Cultural liaison officer
Course Information
To earn this Bachelor of Business Administration Degree, students must complete 40 courses:
- 10 Siksika Knowledge Courses (transferable to MRU)
- 10 OSCC Business Courses (developed by OSCC)
- 20 Core Requirement Courses (depending on your chosen business specialization)
Siksika Knowledge Courses cover topics such as Siksika history, spirituality, societies, child-rearing, treaty knowledge, residential schools, cultural immersion, and traditional lands.
Additional Business-Indigenous Courses include: Indigenous Leadership and Business Management, Treaty Law & Business, Social Innovation, Blackfoot Perspectives on Sustainability and Ethics, Indigenous Entrepreneurship, and Community Engagement.
Bachelor of Indigenous Leadership & Management Degree Program
OSCC Recommended Program Sequence for Years 1 & 2
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Foundational Year Foundational Learning, also known as Academic Upgrading, provides prospective students with the opportunity to meet the admission requirements needed to enter the Business Indigenous Leadership Management Program (BILMP). |
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| Math 30-2 - 60% - 65% or higher | English 30-1 - 60% - 65% or higher |
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Year 1 - Fall OSCC Courses |
Year 2 - Fall OSCC Courses Note: MRU Applications open October 1 - February 1 |
| ILM 304 - Social Innovation through a Cross-Cultural Lens MRU Equivalency: IBED 3730 - Special Topics in Indigenous Social Innovation | ILM Option #1 |
| ILM 301 - Indigenous Leadership MRU Equivalency: IBED 3731 - Special Topics in Indigenous Leadership | ILM Option #2 |
| ILM 302 - Treaty Law & Business MRU Equivalency: IBED 3732 - Special Topics in Indigenous Treaty Law | ILM Option #3 |
| SK 200 - Intro to the Siksika People MRU Equivalency: INST 1101 - Introduction to Indigenous Studies (Tier 2, Cluster 3 Gen Ed) | SK 260 - Cultural Immersion Field Course MRU Equivalency: HIST 2215 - History of the People of the Plains (Elective) |
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Year 1 - Winter OSCC Courses |
Year 2 - Winter OSCC Courses Note: Students to register for MRU Classes Mid-April |
| ILM 200 - Indigenous Business Management MRU Equivalency: IBED 3733 - Special Topics in Indigenous Business Management | ILM Option #4 |
| ILM 303 - Sustainability from the Blackfoot Perspective MRU Equivalency: IBED 3734 - Special Topics in Indigenous Sustainability | SK 344 - Traditional Lands, Sites, Claims MRU Equivalency: HIST 2247 - Canada’s Frontier: the History of the West (Elective) |
| ILM 201 - Indigenous Entrepreneurship MRU Equivalency: IBED 3735 - Special Topics in Indigenous Entrepreneurship | SK 360 - Siksika Culture/Circle Camp MRU Equivalency: INST 2730 - Topics in Indigenous Studies (Elective) |
| SL 200 - Intro Siksika Language MRU Equivalency: LING 1XXX (Tier 2, Cluster 4 Gen Ed) | TBD - Quantitative Preparation Course MRU Equivalency: Tier 2, Cluster 1 Gen Ed course (Exact transfer equivalency TBD) |
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Year 1 - Spring OSCC Courses |
Year 2 - Spring OSCC Courses |
| SK 240 - Spirit/Intent: Blackfoot Treaty MRU Equivalency: INST 3710 - Place- and Land-based Learning: Decolonizing and Indigenous Perspectives (Tier 3, Cluster 3 Gen Ed) | SK 328 - Siksika Females: Rites of Passage MRU Equivalency: WGST 3850 - Advanced Special Topics in Women’s & Gender Studies (Tier 3, Cluster 3 Gen Ed) |
| SK 300 - Siksika Spirituality MRU Equivalency: UNSP 3XXX (Tier 3, Cluster 2 Gen Ed) | SK 220 - Siksika Child Rearing Practice MRU Equivalency: UNSP 2XXX (Elective) |
| Indigenous Leadership Management (ILM) Options | |
| Note: Students must take 4 of the following Indigenous Leadership Management courses: | |
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ILM 202 - Siksika Knowledge Transfer and Inclusive Workplaces
MRU Equivalency: IBED 2140 - Indigenous Knowledge Transfer and Inclusive Workplaces
ILM 203 - Change Management Practices from a Blackfoot Perspective
MRU Equivalency: IBED 2141 - Change Management Practices from an Indigenous Perspective
ILM 305 - Ethics from an Indigenous Lens
MRU Equivalency: IBED 4101 - Ethics from an Indigenous Lens
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ILM 306 - Community Relations, Engagement and Negotiations
MRU Equivalency: IBED 4102 - Community Relations, Engagement and Negotiation
ILM 307 - Community Planning from an Indigenous Perspective or Indigenous Community Planning Models (Part 1)
MRU Equivalency: IBED 4103 - Community Planning from an Indigenous Perspective
ILM 308 - Community Planning & Practice: Economic Drivers (Part 2)
MRU Equivalency: IBED 4104 - Community Planning and Practice: Economic Drivers
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Note: Students may take a maximum of 9 Siksika Knowledge (SK) and 10 Indigenous Leadership Management (ILM) courses throughout the OSCC program. 1 quantitative prep course will be developed by MRU for OSCC.
Bachelor of Indigenous Leadership & Management Program
Mount Royal University Program Course Requirements for Years 3 & 4
Please use this list as a general planning checklist. The information below is based on the curriculum and courses outlined in the Mount Royal University Academic Calendar. Please refer to the Calendar for detailed course descriptions.
| Year 3 - Fall MRU Courses |
Year 4 - Fall MRU Courses |
| MGMT 2262 - Statistics and Analytics for Business (in-person only) | ACCT 3224 - Management Accounting I (in-person only) Prerequisite: ACCT 2121 |
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Business Option - Choose one of the following (in-person only): ENTR 2301 - Innovation and the Entrepreneurial Experience MGMT 2130 - Management Principles and Practices SINV 2201 - Changing the World: An Introduction to Social Innovation |
ECON 1103 - Principles of Macroeconomics (in-person and online) |
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Cluster 1 Foundation - Choose one of the following (online options may be available): GNED 1101 - Scientific and Mathematical Literacy GNED 1103 - Innovation |
INBU 3301 - Global Business Environment (in-person only) |
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Cluster 4 Foundation - Choose one of the following (online options may be available): GNED 1401 - Writing for Academic Success GNED 1403 - Writing in a Digital Context GNED 1404 - Writing about Images |
MGMT 3210 - Business Communication Theory and Practice (in-person only) Prerequisite: One of GNED 1401, GNED 1403, or GNED 1404 |
| Year 3 - Winter MRU Courses |
Year 4 - Winter MRU Courses |
| ACCT 2121 - Financial Accounting Concepts (in-person only) | ENTR 4433 - Business Plan Development (in-person only) Prerequisites: ACCT 3224, MKTG 2150, and one of ENTR 2301, MGMT 2130, or SINV 2201 |
| ECON 1101 - Principles of Microeconomics (in-person or online) | FNCE 3227 - Introduction to Finance (in-person only) Prerequisite: ACCT 2121 |
| HRES 2170 - Introduction to Human Resources (in-person; online block) | LSMC 3403 - Operations Management (in-person only) |
| MKTG 2150 - Fundamentals of Marketing (in-person only) | MGMT 3230 - Business Law (in-person only) |
| Year 3 - Spring MRU Courses |
Year 4 - Spring MRU Courses |
| MGMT 3276 - Organizational Behaviour (in-person only) Prerequisite: One of ENTR 2301, MGMT 2130, or SINV 2201 | MGMT 5333 - Strategic Management (in-person or online) Prerequisites: ACCT 3224, FNCE 3227, HRES 2170, LSCM 3403, MGMT 3276, and MKTG 2150 |
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Cluster 2 Foundation - Choose one of the following (online options may be available): GNED 1201 - Aesthetic Experience and Ideas GNED 1202 - Texts and Ideas GNED 1203 - Nature and Ideas |
Cluster 3 Foundation - Choose one of the following (online options may be available): GNED 1301 - Citizenship Without Borders GNED 1302 - Building Communities in a Changing World GNED 1303 - Conflict and the Social Context |
Last updated: June 3, 2026
Program Requirements
Applicants must have completed these prerequisite courses, ideally by Year 1:
- Math 30-2 (Minimum)
- English 30-1
Tuition, Fees & How to Apply
For detailed information on tuition and fees, please visit Mount Royal University’s website. You should also apply directly through Mount Royal University.
Program Contact
For more details, contact us at (403) 734-3862
Toll Free: 1-888-734-3862