Master of Business Administration

• Graduate Program Co-ordinator
• Admission Requirements
• Program Requirements
• The Waterloo Full-time Weekday Program
• The Waterloo Full-time Weekday Program with Co-op
• Co-operative Education
• The Waterloo Part-time Evening Program
• Approved Fields for the MBA Program
• The Toronto MBA Part-time Weekend Program
• Fields in the Toronto Program (only; not available in the Waterloo program)
• Academic Regulations

Dr. Mitali De
mde@wlu.ca
ext. 3797

Admission to the MBA program is competitive and is based on the following criteria:

• a four-year bachelor's degree or equivalent from a university or college of recognized standing with a minimum of a second-class honours or a B standing in the final year of the undergraduate program (the equivalent of 10 courses). Additional courses that are completed after the requirements for the bachelor's degree have been met will be calculated into the final year GPA. To be considered for admission, the re-calculated GPA must be at least a B
• applicants to the part-time Toronto MBA program who hold a BBA or BComm degree with a GPA of at least a B+ in the final two years of full-time study (the equivalent of 20 half-credit courses) may be considered for course exclusions (see "Note" under The Toronto MBA Part-time Weekend Program);
• applicants to the part-time Toronto MBA program who hold a CMA designation and have a minimum of five years work experience may be considered for course exclusions (see "Note" under The Toronto MBA Part-time Weekend Program);
  
• evidence of quantitative skills, normally by the successful completion of the GMAT, or by successful completion (within the last five years) of an undergraduate course in calculus or statistics. All other qualifications (i.e., work experience and GPA requirements) must be met before a course will be considered in lieu of the GMAT. The co-op program requires the GMAT with a minimum score of 600. The GMAT is mandatory for applicants with international degrees earned.
  
• normally two years of full-time work experience or six co-op work terms (this requirement is waived for applicants to the full-time MBA co-op program) 
• letters of reference. Normally one academic and two professional references are required (for the MBA co-op program, three academic references are required)
  
• applicants whose language of instruction during the undergraduate degree was other than English must furnish evidence of proficiency in English, prior to admission, by providing one of the following: IELTS (minimum 7); TOEFL (minimum 573/230); TOEFL iBT: minimum score of 100, with minimum skill scores of 21 in each of the skills tests (speaking, writing, reading and listening); MELAB (minimum 90) or CAEL (minimum 70), or completion of the Pre-MBA program with a minimum grade of 70%. Successful applicants to the program will be required to attend an orientation as part of their entry into the program. Details can be obtained from the MBA office.

The MBA program requires the completion of 20 half-credit courses, consisting of ten required and ten elective courses. As an alternative to completing the 10 electives, students may complete BU680‡ and seven electives. The BU680‡ course provides an opportunity to engage in more extensive research, under the supervision of a professor, in an area of special interest to the student. The intent of this research project is to apply the methodology and the knowledge from the core courses in a business setting. Research proposals are restricted to those areas in which the university can provide library and faculty resources. The results of the research project must be submitted to the university in a form acceptable for publication. An oral defence is required before the Major Research Project Committee Members upon completion of the project.

It is the student's responsibility to select faculty members to be invited to serve as MRP committee members, who are then approved by the MBA program director. The committee comprises two full-time faculty members in the academic program who are members of the University's Graduate Faculty. One committee member whose research interests are similar to the student's topic serves as the advisor. The second member serves as a "reader", whose responsibility includes, but is not limited to, serving as an evaluator of the completed research paper.

This program provides a broad overview of the major areas of business activities and is delivered in an integrated fashion. Requirements include 10 half-credit required courses and 10 half-credit elective courses offered over three terms. 

Term 1 is taught in an integrated fashion, where eight half-credit courses designed to provide a management point of view are completed. Students must complete term 1 before entering term 2. 

During terms 2 and 3, 10 electives are required, plus registration in the Applied Business Research Course, BU610*. Comprising a classroom and a field component, this course consists of an applied business research project and a not-for-profit organization practicum component. 

A two-week period is built into the program to provide for an optional international elective experience. This experience normally occurs during Reading Week in February, and culminates in an "on-site" experience focused on the EEC, NAFTA or the Pacific Rim. Students are required to pay all costs associated with the international components of this elective. 

Note: No exemptions are granted for prior course credit due to the integrated nature of the program.

The program is designed for high calibre graduates of undergraduate programs with no (or very limited) prior work experience that want to develop their organizational and management skills. The program requires the completion of 10 half-credit required courses and 10 half-credit elective courses over three study terms as well as the completion of two work terms. Most students will alternate study terms with work terms in the following manner:

In Term 1 students will enrol in eight required courses (BU601, BU602, BU603, BU604, BU605, BU606, BU607 and BU609). The courses will be taught in an integrative manner identical to the practice in the current full-time MBA program.

In Term 2, students will undertake a work term.

In term 3, students will enrol in and complete 6 elective courses.

In term 4, students will undertake a work term.

In term 5, students will enrol in and complete 4 elective courses and BU610*.

Note: No exemptions are granted for prior course credit due to the integrated nature of the program.

A limited number of students will follow this sequence of study terms and work terms:

In Term 1 students will enrol in eight required courses (BU601, BU602, BU603, BU604, BU605, BU606, BU607 and BU609). The courses will be taught in an integrative manner identical to the practice in the current full-time MBA program.

In term 2, students will enrol in and complete 6 elective courses.

In terms 3 and 4, students will undertake work terms.

In term 5, students will enrol in and complete 4 elective courses and BU610*.

Additional information pertaining to Co-operative Education is located in the General Regulations of the Graduate Academic Calendar.

This program is designed to develop managers who can provide leadership to business and government in a global economy. It encompasses a broad overview of the major areas of business activities and gives the student an operating knowledge of the functional areas of business. It consists of 11 required half-credit courses and 9 half-credit electives. Lectures are, for the most part, held in the evening, with a normal load of two courses per term for three terms a year. The program takes approximately three years to complete and has been designed to allow the part-time student the flexibility to decrease or increase their course load, including the opportunity to transfer to full-time registration. Students who transfer to full-time registration will be required to pay full-time fees.

Normally, students will complete the required BU601-BU607 and BU609 functional area courses plus BU640 - Integrative Strategic Thinking and Action Integrative Thinking prior to enrolling in the elective courses and in BU610* - Applied Business Research. The major thrust in the BU610* course is the applied business research project.

NOTE: On the recommendation of the MBA Admissions Committee students may, at the time of admission, be granted advanced standing or exemption, to a maximum of eight half-credit courses toward the MBA degree for prior course credit. A request for advanced standing/exemption must be submitted with the application to the program.

Students in the MBA program may develop a more in-depth understanding in a particular area by completing a minimum of four (4) elective courses (beyond the core component, as part of the required electives) in one of the following designated fields (these do not constitute a professional designation). Students who wish to declare a field may do so when applying to graduate (only one field may be declared).

Note that not all courses for each field are necessarily offered each year.

The Toronto MBA program is designed to be responsive to the needs for management education at selected sites and is completed on a part-time basis over a three to four year period, on alternating Friday evenings and Saturdays. Classes are held on approximately 21 weekends per year. The annual start date is March/April. The program includes three major requirements: an integrated core curriculum, an integrated business research component, and 10 elective courses which are selected in part based upon the interests of the class.The courses include BU601, BU602, BU603, BU604, BU605, BU606, BU607, BU609, BU610*, and 10 elective courses.

Note: On the recommendation of the MBA Admissions Committee, applicants who, within the last 8 years, graduated from a recognized school in Canada with a BBA or BComm degree with a minimum B+ average in the final two years of full-time study, or those who hold the CMA designation and possess a minimum of five years work experience, may, at the time of admission, be granted exclusions for prior course credit from the integrated core curriculum (BU601, BU602, BU603, BU604, BU605, BU606, BU607, BU609), toward the MBA degree. Students who meet the requirements for such exclusions will be required to take BU610*, BU640 and 9 elective courses. See the Admission Requirements for specific eligibility requirements.

Management Accounting with a CPA Option

Requirements for Continuing in and Graduating from the Program
Students' grades are assigned in accordance with the grading system outlined under General Regulations.

All MBA students admitted as of September 1995 must achieve a minimum B- grade in all courses and achieve a B average or higher in order to graduate.

Awarding of Diploma in Business Administration to MBA Withdrawals
Students admitted to the MBA program after September 1994 may request the Diploma in Business Administration if they have successfully completed a minimum of four half-credit MBA courses and BU601 through BU607 and BU609, with a GPA of at least 8.0. Any student who receives the Diploma in Business Administration in this way and subsequently seeks to complete the MBA must reapply for admission to the program. Any students readmitted must meet the MBA requirements and relinquish the diploma before receiving the MBA degree.