Qualities of Top MBA Schools in Canada

The number one reason many career-driven people take time off from their careers to enroll in a full time 1 year MBA program is a higher salary. While it’s a great motivation, it’s important not to neglect some of the other benefits of making an investment in your education. It’s a chance to take a step back from a deadline-driven world and get a complete view of the contemporary business world. The opportunity to see the bigger picture is a luxury that can transform you from a successful businessperson into a visionary. Meeting diverse student bodies drawn from around the world will also give you a whole new perspective on your past experiences. The world is changing quickly and there are new leaders emerging in every corner of the world, but how do you know which business school to attend? Only you can answer that question, since it will depend on your circumstances and goals, but these are some of the things you should take into consideration.

#1 2 year vs 1 year MBA

The more traditional model for a Master of Business Administration, and one that remains standard in the United States, is a full time program that takes 2 years to complete. However Canadian universities like Wilfrid Laurier have adopted the full time 1 year MBA program, a popular model in Europe for over 60 years, and it’s paying off for graduates. A study from Forbes shows that in North America, graduates from single year programs wind up in the same pay grade as those who take longer. However, full time 1 year MBA programs are best suited for students who already know where they want to take their careers. If you have a vision for your own business or a clear picture of where you want to take your career, you may want to do your MBA at Laurier in Waterloo to take advantage of their accelerated program and support for entrepreneurs.

#2 Networking with fellow students

Find out about a school’s student body and look for these two qualities: a) high achievers and b) high international enrollment. Don’t just look at how graduates do after leaving the program, although that’s important, too. Your peers’ careers and backgrounds are as much resources as the professors. With so many of the best business schools in Canada focusing on group projects, you’ll have a lot of opportunities to learn from your fellow students.

#3 Integrated knowledge of all aspects of business

An accelerated program shouldn’t mean that you learn less; instead, you’re in a more intensive, immersive environment that equips you with the essentials of every element of business administration. For example, Laurier’s first term the “Integrated Core,” is a demanding one that draws on the fundamentals of accounting, operations management, strategic management, organizational behaviour, marketing, finance, analytics, and economics. In order to become a competitive leader, you’ll need to understand how to solve problems from every angle. Learn from inspiring professors, diverse peers, and a demanding curriculum.