Toronto or Montreal: Which City Should I Choose?
There are a multitude of reasons to consider Canada as a destination for your business degree. To name just a few—there’s the low exchange rate from the U.S. to the Canadian dollar; the relative ease of obtaining an educational or professional visa; and the overall openness of the country to international students and employees. Also, many regions in Canada are rife with opportunity for startups and small businesses in addition to already established firms in the finance, tech, engineering, and healthcare sector.
Continue reading…Western University Tops Bloomberg Canada Business School Ranking
Bloomberg Businessweek‘s recently revealed its top Canada business school rankings for 2019, with Western University Canada’s Ivey Business School leading the way.
Continue reading…The Best Part-Time MBAs in Canada
Canada continues to grow as a global powerhouse for business education. The diversity of the student population, seeing the benefit of the country’s inclusive education system and healthy job market, often bypass the U.S. entirely for its neighbor to the north.
Canada’s high number of top-notch part-time programs only add to the appeal, as ever increasing numbers of people choose alternatives to a full-time MBA. Here are some of our favorite picks for the best part-time Canada MBA programs.
Best Part-Time Canada MBA Programs
Because “not everyone can press pause on their career,” the Beedie School of Business at Simon Fraser University offers working professionals a 24 month degree option. Classes take place in the evening, and 80 percent of Beedie part-time students receive a promotion or change positions during their time at SFU. Applicants must have four years of full-time work experience, and a competitive career of eight years is suggested. Strong candidates may also be eligible for a GMAT waiver during the admissions process.
Current tuition for domestic students is $41,200 CAD which can be paid over six semesters. For inquiries on international tuition visit Beedie’s financing page.
With one of the world’s highest percentages of international faculty, the Desautels Faculty of Management at McGill University is another leader in part-time MBA education in Canada. Students in the Desautels PMBA meets for six hours per week in the evening, completing the program over 36 months. In the first and second years of the program, students participate in a full week session early in the summer, followed by a break during July and August.
Professional development seminars and reflection sessions take place on one or two Fridays during each semester, providing students with insight on how their studies are informing their careers. Another feature of the Desautels part-time program is an international study trip during which PTMBAs widen their studies to a global scale.
Visit the school’s tuition and financial aid site for details on costs for international students.
Described as “practical in every way” the John Molson School of Business at Concordia University part-time MBA offers students a flexible schedule that is fully customizable. Classes are offered in the morning, afternoon, or evening for part and full-time students alike.
The 45 credit program is comprised of three 15 credit courses, and part-time students typically complete their studies in three to four years. To start, part-time students take an online ‘on-ramp’ set of prerequisites, followed by 10 core courses during the first section of the MBA and 15 credits in specialization courses.
Molson offers an international exchange program, in which students can choose to study in Germany, Israel, France, India, Japan, Trinidad, China, or Australia. Tuition and financial aid details can be found on the official school website.
The part-time MBA at the University of Toronto Rotman School of Management offers classes in either the morning or evening, with applications accepted on a rolling basis. Students attending Rotman benefit from the vast opportunity available to them in Toronto, one of the world’s leading startup communities.
Classes take place over 32 months with one year of core courses and the second year of both core and elective classes. In the third years students hone in further on their specialization with even more elective courses.
Two years of work experience is required for admission, and the average student has six years of previous work experience. The Rotman website offers info on scholarships, entrance awards, fellowships, and more.
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The York University Schulich School of Business, like Rotman, holds classes both in the morning and evening in Toronto. Students complete the degree in ten terms (roughly three years). Students choose from 18 specializations, and time commitment can be shifted between full and part-time.
Schulich part-time MBAs begin the program with foundation courses, followed by a strategy field study in year two. During the third year, students hone further in on their specialization, based in their current careers or in a new field. Two years of work experience along with a four year degree, or three years of work experience with a three year degree are required. See Schulich’s MBA/PMBA brochure for more details on the degree.
At the Ryerson University Ted Rogers School of Management in downtown Toronto, part-time MBAs can choose from a 24 or a 36-month option. The 36 month option is open to those without a business undergraduate major. Evening classes take place for three-to-six hours per week, and applicants can plan on 10-20 hours of group work or study time per week.
Current tuition for domestic students is just $22,328 CAD, and $35,818 CAD for international applicants.
At the Wilfrid Laurier University Lazaridis School of Business, MBAs can earn their degree in as few as two years or as many as five; making it one of the most flexible options in the country. Graduates of all four-year undergraduate programs (not just business) may attend, as long as they have at least two years of work experience.
During the first four terms of the program, classes take place two evenings a week, and the fifth through tenth terms, classes are Monday through Thursday evenings with a daytime option. The program, according to recently published figures, cost around $34,009.60 CAD inclusive of program fees.
The University of Alberta School of Business part-time MBA is a 60 credit program. Classes are offered in the evening, supplemented by a one week intensive course in the spring and summer.
The Alberta part-time MBA, like many other programs on this list, begins with core courses, followed by a focus on one of five career tracks, including: Energy & Finance; Innovation & Entrepreneurship; Operations & Business Analytics; Public Sector & Healthcare Management; and Strategy & Consulting. A focus in real estate is also an option. More financial aid and tuition details can be found on the official school website.
The 5 Most Affordable Canadian MBA Programs
For many the MBA cost of entry might appear too high. One could certainly find more affordable alternatives, but it might not open the same doors that elite programs can. The choice is even more pronounced in Canada, which typically only cost a fraction that the elite U.S. schools offer.
We’ve taken it upon ourselves to profile five of the most affordable AACSB-accredited schools in Canada, which are testaments to the possibility that prospective b-schoolers can find a top-quality MBA program that won’t break the bank.
The 5 Most Affordable Canadian MBA Programs
HEC Montreal, one of the best-regarded MBA programs in the world, is also extremely affordable. Students from Quebec pay $8,200 CAD in tuition and fees per year; French and French Belgian students also pay the same amount. Students from the other Canadian provinces pay $17,500 CAD, and international students pay $34,000 CAD.
Also located in Montreal, the John Molson School of Business at Concordia University is a highly-regarded institution that possesses multiple accreditations and high rankings from the likes of Bloomberg and other institutions. Like HEC, Molson also provides a very affordable education. Quebec students pay $5,900 CAD in tuition and fees. Students from the other Canadian provinces pay $13,300 CAD, and international students are charged $37,100 CAD.
The Sobey School of Business at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax, Nova Scotia maintains multiple accreditations and is highly regarded by institutions such as Corporate Knights. For Canadian citizens and permanent residents, the total tuition and fees total just $29,546 CAD. For international students, tuition and fees total $41,635 CAD.
The highly-rated Ted Rogers School of Management at Ryerson University is located in the heart of Toronto, offering many professional opportunities to business school students. Canadian students pay $22,358.57 CAD in tuition and fees for their education. International students pay $35,818.86 in tuition and fees.
Located in the provincial capital of St. John’s, the Memorial University of Newfoundland passes along the substantial subsidies it receives from the province along to its students. Students from Newfoundland and Labrador will pay $8,943.46 CAD in total tuition and fees. Students from the rest of Canada will pay $10,659.46 CAD, and international students will pay $12,891.46 CAD. These are some of the lowest tuition fees in the country.
These schools may increase tuition and fees in the future In addition, these are the base tuition rates, which assumes students complete all work on campus. International study-abroad programs raise the total amount of tuition and fees. These totals also do not include textbooks and living expenses (housing, food, clothing, Internet access, etc.). While some of these expenses are less than others, they all should be considered. Although cost should be a consideration, ensure that you choose a school that meets your needs and is in a location where you can thrive.
The five schools presented here all provide an excellent affordable Canadian MBA options. Ensure that you pick one that will help you achieve your career goal.
Inside the University of Toronto’s Creative Destruction Lab
The Creative Destruction Lab (CDL) at the University of Toronto Rotman School of Business is a seed-stage program created exclusively for scalable science-based companies. Launched in 2012, this program employs objectives-based mentoring to help maximize equity value creation for its ventures. The lab is best suited for early-stage companies, particularly those with links to university research labs.
The Creative Destruction Lab Program
The CDL is a nine-month program that employs a coaching process to help business founders commercialize their advances in science and technology. There are four main elements of the program:
- Mentorship: The founders work alongside select entrepreneurs and angel investors in intensive full-day sessions to assess their business progress and to set short-term objectives.
- Investment Opportunities: Founders have the chance to raise capital in meetings with entrepreneurs, angel investors, and partners from leading venture capital firms.
- Technical Feedback: The founders receive advice on their technical road maps and objectives from world-renowned experts at leading academic institutions.
- Business Development Support: Finally, the founders are able to work with MBA students to develop their financial models, evaluate potential markets, and fine-tune their strategies for scaling.
“The breadth and depth of insight that we were given access to was phenomenal,” said participant Karl Martin, founder of Nymi, a wearable technology firm in the healthcare space.
CDL Locations
Unlike many seed-stage programs, CDL has centers in five locations across Canada. Each location focuses on a specific stream of ventures and offers specific resources.
- Calgary: Working with the Haskayne School of Business, the Calgary location focuses on a few key research pillars including energy innovations, human dynamics, engineering solutions for health, new earth-space technologies, and other areas.
- Halifax: The Halifax location leverages the Rowe School of Business at Dalhousie University and fosters “blue-green” technology—focused on agri-tech, bioproducts, and environmental technology—and “prime” technology, including startups tackling problems in healthcare, finance, energy, chemical, media, transportation, and agriculture.
- Montreal: In partnership with HEC Montréal, the Montreal location focuses on startups using artificial intelligence and data analysis technologies.
- Toronto: The main location in Toronto, run alongside the Rotman School of Management, focuses on three types of startups. The first is “Prime” startups tackling problems in healthcare, finance, energy, chemical, media, transportation, and agriculture. Meanwhile, Quantum Machine Learning startups are grounded in physics, math, statistics, machine learning, electrical engineering, and/or quantum computing. Finally, massively scalable Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning startups focus exclusively on artificial intelligence and machine learning.
- Vancouver: Located in Vancouver, this location operates in partnership with the Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia. It focuses on startups in the “Prime” stream as well as those in BioMedTech, including chemical, biological, and medical ventures.
Partnership with NYU Stern to Expand CDL to New York
And, beginning on September 1, 2018, the Creative Destructive Lab will partner with the NYU Stern School of Business to establish its first lab outside of Canada. The newest location will bring Stern faculty and MBA students alongside angel investors, serial entrepreneurs, and founders of pre-seed stage startups in science and technology. CDL New York will begin accepting applications in January 2018 and expects to admit around 25 ventures the first year.
“Our model for developing massively scalable science-based ventures has proved successful in Canada. And we anticipate it will be similarly successful for our partners at NYU,” said Ajay Agrawal, a Rotman entrepreneurship professor and the founder and academic director of the lab, in a recent news release about the expansion.
New Program Executive Director
In other news, Rotman chose Sonia Sennik to be the inaugural executive director of the Creative Destruction Lab and its national network of programs. Sennik will be responsible for the lab’s oversight and coordination as well as its strategic operational and programmatic leadership.
As a recent graduate of Rotman’s Executive MBA program, Sennik is uniquely positioned for her new role. She was the inaugural recipient of the Rotman Social Impact Award and excelled in leadership during her time in the program. She’s also held senior project and engineering management roles at HATCH, a global engineering consultancy.
Of Sennik’s appointment, Agrawal said in a news release: “The Creative Destruction Lab is expanding rapidly, both geographically and programmatically. Sonia will provide leadership, vision, and energy to help ensure the success of the Lab and its ventures in the coming years.”
Graduates of CDL
Over the years, the Creative Destructive Lab has had many graduates, including:
- Thalmic Labs (Waterloo): Thalmic Labs develops revolutionary wearable technologies that explore the future of human-computer interaction.
- Atomwise (San Francisco): Atomwise is a Deep Learning technology designed for novel small molecule discovery to help develop better medicines faster.
- Deep Genomics (Toronto): Deep Genomics creates life-saving genetic therapies including a biologically accurate data- and AI-driven platform that supports geneticists, molecular biologists, and chemists.
- Kyndi (Palo Alto): Kyndi incorporates advanced artificial intelligence and symbolic natural language understanding to help knowledge workers process and consume vast amounts of information in order to better make critical decisions.
- Heuritech (Paris): Heuritech bridges the gap between social media and commerce with cutting-edge deep learning technology that detects emerging product buzzes online.
To learn more about the Creative Destructive Lab, including information about applying, visit the main CDL website.
