MBA Guide 2013 - MBA List
> Canada’s MBA programs For more information, click the school’s name. To rearrange the list by category,"/>
> Canada’s MBA programs For more information, click the school’s name. To rearrange the list by category," />
> Canada’s MBA programs For more information, click the school’s name. To rearrange the list by category," />
Canada’s MBA programs
For more information, click the school’s name.
To rearrange the list by category, click the appropriate column head. []
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* Correction: In the print edition of this chart, the average entrance score of students enrolled in the Telfer School of Management at the University of Ottawa was incorrect. That score is 627, not 527. T it did not affect the program’s overall rank. Canadian Business regrets the error.
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University of Alberta
(Alberta School of Business)
Full time: 16 months (starts August)
Part time: 48 months (starts August)
Accelerated full time: 10 months (starts August)
Accelerated part time: 22 months (starts August)
Fort McMurray MBA in natural resources and energy: 35 months (starts August)
Minimum years work experience: 2
Total cost: $27,444
Located close to the oilsands region-—and some of Canada’s most beautiful parks and forests, too—the University of Alberta’s MBA program has a lot to offer students hoping to break into the natural resources sector. In addition to specializations in natural resources, energy and environment, as well as sustainability, this program boasts Western Canada’s first MBA course in arts management. Alberta’s program is known for its small class sizes, limiting most to between 20 to 40 students. This environment helps build a strong sense of community, apparent in the active student association and the Alberta MBA Net Impact Chapter, which helps local businesses lower their power bills by reducing their energy use.
University of British Columbia
(Sauder School of Business)
Full time MBA: 16 months (starts August)
Part time MBA: 28 months (starts August)
International MBA: 20 months (starts March)
Minimum years work experience: 2
Total cost: $46,898
The recently revised MBA program at UBC’s Sauder School of Business has students choose one of four “career tracks” (consulting and strategic management, finance, product and service management, and innovation and entrepreneurship), providing them with a more personalized MBA experience. All career tracks emphasize key business skills, such as decision-making, ethics, sustainability and value creation, and creativity. One of Sauder’s biggest draws is its active student society, which offers several notable events and many clubs, such as Women in Business. The Leaders Reception, held every February, is a great place to hone networking skills, and the UBC Net Impact Conference puts those skills to work hosting a daylong confab on sustainability issues. Sauder students know how to play hard, too–the annual MBA Snowcase is a weekend of friendly ski competition at Whistler-Blackcomb—no textbooks allowed.
Brock University
(Goodman School of Business)
St. Catharines, Ont.
Full time: 24 months (starts September, January)
Accelerated: 8 months (starts September, January)
Part-time MBA: 48 months (starts September, January, April)
Minimum years work experience: 0
Total cost: $26,569
Brock welcomes graduates without business backgrounds to its MBA program, providing core business education and optional paid co-op placements to help students get their foot on the first rung. Graduates with business degrees, however, can skip the basics and fast-track through the eight-month accelerated program. For 2013–14, Brock’s MBA will introduce some new courses on project management and business analytics, along with its first online-only course, on human resources. The program offers a range of study-abroad opportunities, with exchange partnerships at institutions in Europe, India, and South America.
University of Calgary
(Haskayne School of Business)
Full time: 16 months (starts September, January)
Part time: 36 months (starts September, January)
Minimum years work experience: 2
Total cost: $33,595
Haskayne’s MBA program makes the most of its location near the centre of Canada’s energy industry by offering a specialization in global energy management and sustainable development. Using what it calls the “Three E’s,” Haskayne focuses on the principles of energy, ethical leadership and entrepreneurship and innovation. These principles are put to the test in one of Haskayne’s premier events: the 24 Hour Case Competition. Here, students are pushed to their limits to develop solutions to real-life business problems under strict time constraints, and are judged on their fixes’ creativity and plausibility by senior business executives from the Calgary business community. The part-time degree option is delivered two evenings per week, with a one-week intensive each semester.
Cape Breton University
(Shannon School of Business)
Sydney, N.S.
MBA in community economic development:
Full time: 12 months (starts September)
Part time: 26 months (starts July)
Minimum years work experience: 0
Total cost: $21,135
Drawing on Cape Breton Island’s deep-rooted community lifestyle, CBU offers a unique MBA program in community economic development, the only one of its kind in Canada. While it offers the usual MBA courses in finance and accounting, CBU also has electives in First Nations management as well as peace building and reconstruction. Complimentary pre- and post-MBA workshops help students without business backgrounds get up to speed. CBU also runs satellite programs in Edmonton and Saskatoon—but it may be worth the trek to Sydney for the annual lobster dinner.
Carleton University
(Sprott School of Business)
Full time: 16 months (starts September)
Part time: 36 months (starts September)
Minimum years work experience: 0
Total cost: $15,200
The Sprott MBA is a good choice for students looking to gain work experie all students with less than two years employment must get their hands dirty with a 16-week internship (past postings have been with IBM Canada, Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment and even the Library of Parliament). To further tailor their own MBA programs, students must specialize, with options including management and change or international development management—both unique to Sprott. Located on Carleton’s picturesque campus overlooking the Rideau Canal, Sprott is a short stroll from the shops and cafes of Ottawa’s trendy Glebe neighbourhood.
Concordia University
(John Molson School of Business)
Full time: 16 months (starts September)
Accelerated: 12 months (starts September)
Part time: 24-36 months (starts September, January)
Minimum years work experience: 2
Total cost: $13,688 (non-Quebecers)
Total cost: $6,676 (residents of Quebec)
Every year, Molson plays host to the John Molson International Case Competition, the oldest and largest competition of its kind. For five days, teams of students from across the globe square off to find the best solutions to challenging business problems, and Molson students can earn credit by joining the organizing committee. Students also earn credits through core courses and a wide range of electives, including global climate change and sustainable business strategy. Molson is becoming increasingly focused on sustainability and social responsibility, and the Molson sustainable internship program exposes students to fields such as ethics, diversity and social entrepreneurship.
Dalhousie University
(Rowe School of Business)
Corporate Residency MBA: 22 months (starts June)
MBA in financial services: 24 months (starts May, September, January)
Minimum years work experience: 0
Total cost: $43,513
Dalhousie’s corporate residency MBA requires each student to complete an extended placement with one of the program’s employer partners across Canada or abroad. Residencies are paid, and have previously included the likes of Deloitte, BMO, McCain Foods and Johnson & Johnson. Dal’s “Starting Lean” course, which helps students bootstrap business ideas into actual startups, received Progress Media Group’s 2013 Innovation in Practice Award. The MBA in financial services is a blended, part-time program that combines online and classroom learning. It’s intended for students with five or more years’ work experience and includes courses on corporate social responsibility, business ethics and sustainability as well as courses on accounting, investing and risk management.
University of Fredericton
(Sandermoen School of Business)
Fredericton
Online part time: 39 months (starts September, November)
Online accelerated: 21 months (starts September, November)
Minimum years work experience: 1
Total cost: $19,000
Students at Fredericton have three options for their online MBA: global leadership, innovation leadership and social-enterprise leadership. Despite being an online degree, students at Fredericton still get weekly (virtual) contact time with professors. Live, faculty-led seminars are delivered as “vClasses” using Cisco’s WebEx courseware, allowing direct interaction between students and profs. As a capstone, students complete an “integrated project” in which they approach an existing business, identify and analyze a corporate management issue and draft a final report with their recommendations.
University of Guelph
(College of Management and Economics)
Part-time food and agribusiness management: 24 months (starts May)
Accelerated food and agribusiness management: 13 months (starts May)
Part-time hospitality and tourism management: 24 months (starts May)
Accelerated hospitality and tourism management: 13 months (starts May)
Minimum years work experience: 3
Total cost: $41,190
The University of Guelph has streamlined its program to focus on two main options:food and agribusiness management, and hospitality and tourism management—the only Canadian school to offer such specializations. A group of core business courses develops basic skills in management, accounting and sustainability. Many courses now supplement regular instruction with case studies from key agri-food companies, allowing students to apply their skills to real-world situations. Because of their niche natures, much of Guelph’s coursework is delivered online, but students complete several core courses together, on campus, in one-week intensive sessions.
HEC Montréal
(Faculty of Management)
Full time: 12 months (starts May)
Part time: 24 months (starts May)
Minimum years work experience: 3
Total cost: $15,700 (non-Quebecers)
Total cost: $7,700 (residents of Quebec)
HEC Montréal is Canada’s oldest business school, and its MBA’s positive international reputation and relatively short timeline have put this program in high demand. With the option of studying in either English or French, as well as taking free Chinese language classes, HEC attracts students from across Canada and abroad. Another big draw is the Campus Abroad course, which allows interested students to experience foreign markets first-hand, meeting with business leaders in countries such as China, Russia and Brazil. More hands-on experience comes in the mandatory five-week consulting project, which has students working full time at both Canadian and international companies.
Lakehead University
(Faculty of Business Administration)Thunder Bay, Ont.Full time: 12 months (starts September)
Part time: 36 months (starts September)
Minimum years work experience: 0
Total cost: $17,786With a current enrolment of roughly 25 students, Lakehead’s MBA ranks among the smallest in the country. That small size is one of the program’s key assets: students have unparalleled access to professors, and often create long-lasting bonds as a result. Because the program is comparatively new, it’s based around core business themes. But, there are plans to offer specializations and to develop an Executive MBA. Lakehead students make regular visits to local industry in and around Thunder Bay, which makes it a good entry point to students looking to enter or advance in northern Ontario’s resource economy.
Laurentian University
(Faculty of Management)
Sudbury, Ont.
Full time: 20 months (starts September)
Accelerated: 10 months (starts September)
Part time: Up to 8 years (starts September)
Minimum years work experience: 2
Total cost: $22,819
With both on-campus and online MBA programs, Laurentian has something for everyone. A traditional, on-campus MBA is offered in both full- and part-time formats, both of which feature small class sizes and accelerated program options for students with previous business education. Online, students may choose to do either the Certified General Accountant or Insurance Brokers Association of Canada certification in addition to their degree. Both programs offer flexible schedules, allowing students to earn the designations on their own schedule.
Université Laval
Faculty of Business Administration
Full time: 12-24 months (starts September, January)
Part time: 36 months (starts September, January)
Minimum years work experience: 2
Total cost: $9,717
In addition to its basic MBA program, Laval offers more than 15 specializations including agribusiness, pharmaceutical management and a trilingual option in international business. This is one of the largest MBA programs in the country, and the diversified offering gives the program’s 1,100 students plenty of choice. New for 2013–14 are specializations in real-estate management and financial services. Laval also offers more than 100 exchange partnerships with schools around the world. An especially popular option: A three-week trade mission that has students working for companies in places such as South Africa, China and Brazil.
University of Manitoba
(Asper School of Business)
Full time: 11 months (starts August, January)
Part time: 36 months (starts August, January)
Minimum years work experience: 3
Total cost: $35,000
A hallmark of Manitoba’s MBA students may take anywhere from 11 months to six years to complete their degrees. Currently, students take electives in general management and marketing, but a new curriculum, launching fall 2014, will offer courses in sustainability, entrepreneurship and innovation and international and emerging markets. To provide first-hand business experience, Manitoba offers a mentorship program, linking students with local professionals. Wine-and-cheese tastings, an MBA golf tournament and an annual fall gala are popular extracurricular options.
McGill University
(Desautels Faculty of Management)
Full time: 20 months (starts August)
Part time: 32 months (starts August)
Minimum years work experience: 2
Total cost: $76,400
McGill’s program offers four concentrations—finance, marketing, global strategy and leadership, and technology and innovation management—which students can apply in their required “experiential component.” That can take the form of a paid internship, guided field practicum, or study-abroad session. McGill’s MBA program attracts not only high-level students, but also senior industry experts: executives in residence such as Paul Desmarais Jr., co-CEO of Power Corp.; and Paul Tellier, corporate director of BCE Inc. and past CEO of Bombardier, provide guest lectures, giving students access to unique, experienced, insider perspectives.
McMaster University
(DeGroote School of Business)
Co-op MBA: 28 months (starts September)
Full time: 16 months (starts September)
Accelerated: 8 months (starts September)
Part time: 48 months (starts September, January)
Minimum years work experience: 1 (for FT only)
Total cost: $34,350 (full time, accelerated, part time)
Total cost: $39,600 (Co-op)
DeGroote features Canada’s longest running co-op MBA, so it’s a natural home for students looking to gain professional work experience. Students are placed with the school’s partners in both the public and private sectors, where they complete three paid work terms, each one four months. (Partner employers include RBC, AstraZeneca, Canadian Tire, the office of the Auditor General of Canada and many more.) DeGroote also offers a traditional MBA, with specializations in health-services management and strategic business valuation. Before the program begins, first-year students attend MBA Bound, a three-day teambuilding and networking event held in northern Ontario. Once back at DeGroote, the Top 15 new MBA students are invited to submit five-minute video responses to a business question. The prize? A full-tuition scholarship.
Memorial University of Newfoundland
(Faculty of Business Administration)
St. John’s
Full time: 24 months (starts September)
Accelerated: 12 months (starts September)
Part time: 36-plus months (starts September, January, May)
Minimum years work experience: 0
Total cost: $4,400
Small class sizes and close connections with the local community are two highlights of Memorial’s MBA, and two factors that help bring in a large number of local students. Many choose the part-time option to maintain employment while they study. Another asset is the White Trading Lab, a state-of-the-art financial lab equipped with Bloomberg terminals for students to hone their finance skills.
Université de Moncton
(Faculty of Administration)
Moncton, N.B.
Full time: 24 months (starts September)
Co-op: 24 months (starts September)
Part time: Up to 60 months (starts September)
Minimum years work experience: 0
Total cost: $11,119
New to Moncton this year is a co-op option for its full-time MBA, which includes two 15-week work placements, but still allows students to complete their degrees within 24 months. Regular full- and part-time MBAs are still on offer, in both English and French, as is Moncton’s trilateral MBA, run jointly with Western Kentucky University and the Universidad Autonoma de Queretaro in Mexico, which sees students studying on all three campuses.
University of New Brunswick
(Faculty of Business Administration)
Fredericton, Saint John
Full time, Fredericton: 24 months (starts September)
Accelerated, Fredericton: 8 months (starts September)
Part time, Fredericton: up to 60 months (starts September, January)
Joint MBA/JD, Fredericton: 48 months (starts September)
Full time, Saint John: 12 months (starts September)
Part-time, Saint-John: 30 months (starts September)
Minimum years work experience: 2
Total cost: $19,968 (Fredericton)
Total cost: $18,500 (Saint John)
Despite being under the umbrella of one university, the MBAs offered by UNB’s Fredericton and Saint John campuses are quite different. UNB Fredericton focuses on entrepreneurship opportunities for its students. In its Activator program, students work with entrepreneurs to take business ventures from idea to fruition. Popular degree options at Fredericton include the joint MBA/JD and the MBA in sport and recreation management.
Down the road at UNB Saint John, students choose one of four more traditional concentrations: international business, entrepreneurship management, general management or project management. Many students will complete an internship as part of their program, or can choose to study abroad in India, China or France.
University of Northern British Columbia
(School of Business)
Prince George, B.C.
Part time: 21 months (starts August)
Minimum years work experience: 3
Total cost: $36,500
UNBC’s picturesque Prince George campus is a major draw for students of its MBA program, but as of fall 2013, students also have the option of studying in Vancouver. UNBC students are required to spend two week-long residencies and monthly three- or four-day weekend sessions on the Prince George campus, but the Vancouver option accommodates those unable to travel up north. This is a traditional MBA, but a focus on the political, social and economic issues of northwest Canada, including the provincial resource economy, First Nations relations and the Asia-Pacific trade corridor, set it apart.
University of Ottawa
(Telfer School of Management)
Full time: 12 months (starts August)
MBA Hybrid (French): 24 months
MBA Telfer à Metz (in France): 18 months (starts October)
MBA-JD: 39 months (starts September)
Minimum years work experience: 3
Total cost: $23,987
In addition to being one of 50 schools worldwide to hold all three international business school accreditations, Telfer recently partnered with L’Ecole Nationale d’Ingénieurs de Metz to offer its French-language MBA program in France. Students attend classes at ENIM’s state-of-the-art facility over 18 months, and earn a University of Ottawa MBA. Students who opt to stay on home soil can get their own taste of the world through the extracurricular “Doing Business In…” lecture series, which offers international viewpoints on current business issues from representatives of embassies, NGOs and multinationals operating in Ottawa.
Université du Québec à Montréal
Full time: 24 months (starts September, January)
Part time: 48 months (starts September, January)
Minimum years work experience: 1 (if PhD), 2 (if master’s) 3 (if bachelors)
Total Cost: $7,500 (residents of Quebec)
Total cost: $15,562 (non-Quebecers)
UQAM’s French-language MBA programs are designed to help students hone skills suited to their industries over two full- or four part-time years. The management consulting program introduces students to the strategies of business consulting, while the science and engineering program offers graduates without work experience the opportunity to manage professionals in real-world situations, and learn skills tailored to the needs of high-tech companies and employees.
Queen’s University
(Queen’s School of Business)
Kingston, Ont.
Full time: 12 months (starts January)
Dual degree (with MFin/MMA/JD): 16 months (starts January)
Minimum years work experience: 2
Total cost: $76,600
Queen’s new MBA program runs January to December, offering its grads first crack at job interviews and internships come the new year. The program’s six-month foundational course introduces business fundamentals through coursework and an integrative project. Then students choose their area of specialization (consulting, entrepreneurship and innovation, finance, marketing and sales, and general management) to focus their final six months. Upon completion, students can collect their MBA and graduate certificate in the specialization field, or continue their education to apply MBA credits toward a dual degree granting an MBA plus either a master’s of finance, master’s of management analytics or Juris doctorate in just 16 months. Queen’s focuses heavily on personal reflection and coaching, offering MBA students access to personal, lifestyle and career coaches included in the program.
University of Regina
(Kenneth Levene Graduate School of Business)
Full time: 18 months (starts September)
Part time: 36 months (starts September)
Minimum years work experience: 3
Total cost: $32,500
In 2013 the university phased out its existing MBA programs for a single program with two streams: international business or engineering management. Early career professionals in the international program learn to bridge culture gaps and participate in a two-week study- included in the program fee, it combines cultural highlights with company visits. The engineering management stream focuses on training students to lead in science and technology-heavy industries.
Royal Military College of Canada
Kingston, Ont.
Full time: 16 months (starts September)
Minimum years work experience: 0
Total cost: $13,600
RMC’s focus is on training future military officers, but this MBA program does admit a small number of civilians every year. The program divides into two streams: general management and logistics management. Both streams focus on leadership training that can be applied to the military or any other large organization with many moving parts. Students have the option to choose either a project- or thesis-based approach to finish their studies. RMC also offers part-time and distance options to interested civilians, which can be negotiated on a case-by-case basis.
Ryerson University
(Ted Rogers School of Management)
Full time: 12 months (starts September)
Minimum years work experience: 2
Total cost: $19,717
Ryerson has strengthened its dedication to corporate social responsibility in the past few years. In 2012 the graduating class created the CSR pledge to generate awareness for, and commitment to, business ethics. In 2013 the school welcomed its first students into a specialized MBA stream focused on the mining industry: The program uses a series of case studies to offer an in-depth study of the importance of treating local populations and environments ethically. In addition to those feel-good benefits, the school boasts a roster of top names for its many speaker series (this year’s list includes former PM Paul Martin and Molson Coors Canada CEO, Dave Perkens).
Saint Mary’s University
(Sobey School of Business)
Full time: 20 months (starts September)
Part time: 40 months (starts September, January)
Accelerated: 12 months (starts September, January)
Minimum years work experience: 2
Total cost: $15,708
Saint Mary’s offers students a choice in how and when they complete their MBA. For those with a four-year business undergraduate degree, the Accelerated MBA offers students the chance to get an MBA under their belt in a mere 12 months (for just $11,018), but can be extended for those who are currently employed. The Sobey School of Business features one of the highest percentages of female students of any Canadian MBA program, tipping the balance at 60% of the student body.
University of Saskatchewan
(Edwards School of Business)
Full time: 12 months (starts September)
Part time: 36 months (starts September)
Minimum years work experience: 0
Total cost: $24,580
Saskatchewan’s degree is broken down each three-week-long cluster combines short lectures, case study analysis and discussions that cover broad themes, rather than the topic of any one course. Edwards says this encourages students to apply their learning to real-world problems. The school’s international study trip takes a project-based approach, with students researching and working with a company on the ground and meeting with local government representatives. Recent trips took classes to China, Brazil and India.
Université de Sherbrooke
Sherbrooke, Que.
Full time: 16 months (starts August)
Part time: 36-50 months (starts August)
Minimum years work experience: 2
Total cost: $4,600
For those looking to earn a joint MBA/LLB or CMA, Sherbrooke offers the most affordable package. This Francophone program is broken down into three topic areas: managing the business, managing change and managing the future. Students will also complete a co-op work term consulting with a local business. Sherbrooke’s program is built on teamwork, with each full-time student being assigned to a student team and a professional mentor throughout the program. The part-time study program can be completed on either Sherbrooke’s main campus or close to Montreal on the university’s Longueuil campus.
Simon Fraser University
(Beedie School of Business)
Full time: 16 months (starts September)
Minimum years work experience: 2
Total cost: $39,600
Part time: 24 months (starts January)
Minimum years work experience: 4
Total cost: $37,900
Part-time Management of Technology MBA: 24 months (starts September)
Minimum years work experience: 4
Total cost: $35,000
Beedie’s intense full-time program rolls 16 to 18 months of course work into one year. Eliminating the time between semesters allows student to earn their MBA, take an international business trip and work a four-month internship in just 16 months. The program explores hot management topics such as entrepreneurship, innovation and sustainability. For those in the workforce, Beedie offers two part-time programs geared toward those already on the management track. The core part-time program is offered through Simon Fraser’s Surrey campus. Also part time is the management of technology specialization, which mixes evening and weekend classes for busy tech professionals. SFU’s CEO Speakers Series has included notables including HootSuite founder, Ryan Holmes and CBC Dragon and Boston Pizza chairman, Jim Treliving.
Thompson Rivers University
(School of Business & Economics)
Kamloops, B.C.
Full time: 10 months (starts September)
Part time: up to 5 years (starts January, May, September)
Minimum years work experience: 0
Total cost: $21,035
This fall TRU launched its redesigned MBA program, which incorporates a new curriculum and flexible course options. While Thompson Rivers’ traditional strength has been online teaching, the MBA class of 2014 will be the first with the option of attending on-campus classes—either full courses or just the occasional lecture—to better fit busy schedules. TRU may be small, but it offers one of the most truly international MBA’s in the country. More than 60% of students and 50% of faculty were born outside Canada.
University of Toronto
(Rotman School of Management)
Full time: 22 months (starts August)
Minimum years work experience: 2
Total cost: $90,032
Full time (Dual JD/MBA): 45 months (starts September)
Minimum years work experience: 0
Total cost: $162,457
Full time (Dual master’s of global affairs/MBA): 32 months (starts August)
Minimum years work experience: 2
Total cost: $108,901
Part time: 32 months (starts August)
Minimum years work experience: 2
Total cost: $90,531
Rotman offers Canada’s most expensive MBA programs, but they are also some of the country’s most customizable. The core MBA program, based in Rotman’s recently expanded headquarters, offers 10 specializations (from brand management to risk management), more than 90 elective courses and a four-month summer semester dedicated to optional international study tours, exchanges with prominent global universities or an internship. The part-time option allows students to spread their MBA over three years by attending classes before or after office hours, four days a week, with the same opportunities to specialize. For those eyeing the high sticker price, the school offers $3 million in entrance scholarships, as well as the Professional Student Loan Plan and the Rotman Interest Subsidy Program, which provides subsidies for students’ loans while they are studying.
Trinity Western University
(School of Business)
Langley, B.C.
Full time: 12 months (flexible start)
Part time: 22 months (starts January, August, October)
Minimum years work experience: 0
Total cost: $34,560
Trinity Western draws on its Christian roots to offer what it calls Canada’s only “values-based” MBA program. It’s also quite flexible in its structure, with part-time cohorts starting three times per year, and full-timers able to start nearly year-round. The part-time programs—which offer two specializations, in non-profit management and “managing growing enterprise”—is delivered through a mix of online and face-to-face sessions. Students spend approximately eight weeks on campus during the 22-month programs while attending all other classes and meetings online.
Vancouver Island University
(Faculty of Management)
Nanaimo, B.C.
Full time: 14 months (starts July, October)
Minimum years work experience: 0
Total cost: $20,482
VIU’s combined MBA-master’s of science in international business program gives students the opportunity to earn a second international degree alongside their MBA: a MScIB from the University of Hertfordshire, U.K. With no work experience (though it’s preferred) or GMAT scores required and non-business graduates welcome, VIU offers some of the least restrictive entry requirements in the country. Those who are accepted have the option to start in either July or October.
University of Victoria
(Peter B. Gustavson School of Business)
Full time: 17 months (starts August)
Minimum years work experience: 3
Total cost: $31,000
Part time: 29-33 months (starts August)
Minimum years work experience: 3
Total cost: $32,207
Full time (MBA/Eng.): 25 months (starts August)
Total cost: $52,499
Full time (MBA/Msc): 29 months (starts August)
Total cost: $39,464
With only 22% of MBA applicants accepted in 2012, Gustavson is among the most exclusive programs in the country, emphasizing an intimate classroom experience. The school’s core MBA programs enroll only 45 full-time and 15 part-time students each year. It must be doing something right: 100% of 2012 grads reported employment within six months of graduation, with an average salary of $77,900. In addition to its core programs, Gustavson offers three joint degrees combining an MBA with engineering, master’s of science or law.
Western University
(Ivey Business School)
London, Ont.
Full time: 12 months (starts April)
Minimum years work experience: 2
Total cost: $87,985
Ivey boasts that its MBA program is so fast and unyielding that it crams more learning into 12 months than most programs can in two years. Hyperbole or not, there’s no denying that Ivey is one of the most widely recognized business-school names in the land. What sets Ivey apart from the pack is the school’s case-method learning style: students first tackle and assess a case independently, then work through their ideas to find the cream of the crop with a group and, finally, in a classroom setting, which develops a powerful approach to decision-making. The Ivey Consulting Project is one of the longest-running programs of its kind. During their project, students work with a company (in Canada or abroad) to solve a real world business problem or capitalize on an opportunity.
Wilfrid Laurier University
(School of Business and Economics)
Waterloo, Ont.
Full time: 12 months (starts August)
Minimum years work experience: 2
Total cost: $30,234
Full-time co-op: 20 months (starts August)
Minimum years work experience: 0
Total cost: $32,250
Full-time international: 12 months (starts May)
Minimum years work experience: 2
Total cost: $35,694
Part time: 40 months (starts September)
Minimum years work experience: 2
Total cost: $30,870
Part time (Toronto campus): 40 months (starts April)
Minimum years work experience: 2
Total cost: $51,000
At the heart of Laurier’s MBA programs is what it calls its “integrated core” teaching style, which is comprised of eight fundamental business courses, to provide a unified base for all of Laurier’s options. And there are plenty of those: students can choose full- or part-time schedules in Waterloo or at Laurier’s downtown Toronto campus, with options for co-op work, additional accounting certifications and specializations. Students in the innovation and entrepreneurship stream, for instance, work on an innovation program with an existing business, or incubate and launch one of their own.
University of Windsor
(Odette School of Business)
Windsor, Ont.
Full time: 14 months (starts September)
Minimum years work experience: 0
Total cost: $19,000
Odette’s small program, limited to 45 people, is designed for students with little to no work experience. Its 14-month MBA program is specifically designed to be a bridge between finishing an undergrad and moving into the working world. Teams of Odette students are assigned work directly with corporate partners throughout the program, following the lifespan of a product from launch to maturity and offering input on real-world challenges. In September, the school officially opened its renovated south wing, which includes an MBA case conference room and an entrepreneurship centre, thereby expanding its footprint by 20,000 square feet.
York University
(Schulich School of Business)
Full time: 16 months (starts September, January)
Minimum years work experience: 2
Total cost: $65,924
Part time: 40 months (starts September, January)
Minimum years work experience: 2
Total cost: $63,402
Full-time accelerated: 8 months (starts September, January)
Minimum years work experience: 2
Total cost: $35,562
Schulich’s emphasis is increasingly placed on helping students look beyond Canada’s borders. Its international MBA program stream requires students to have basic skills in a language other than E they’ll extend that knowledge during their degree with language classes focused on cultural idioms and business vocabulary. Additionally, IMBA students specialize in an international trade region and country where their second language is spoken, and complete a work term there before graduating. There’s a traditional MBA as well, but even there students can take their studies global by teaming up with students from an international partner school. Together, the team develops a market plan for a foreign company looking to enter Canada, or a Canadian company looking to expand abroad. It’s not all work and no play at York: the Schulich team won the national MBA Games this year and will host the games in January 2014.
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