Master of Business Administration

The Laurier MBA program stresses the skills and abilities to take effective action and to develop managers, not just people who know about management. Central to this philosophy is the belief that management must be problem and opportunity centred. While it is essential that managers know the theories and concepts of management, it is in the solving of problems that their contribution will be measured. 

The learning environment at Laurier enables students to develop the skills needed to be effective decision makers. The classroom becomes a crucible where students and their ideas are forged through team and individual activities. The interaction of class members and teaching faculty provides the stimulus for personal growth and learning. The presentation and defence of one's ideas, the exchange of ideas, and the critical evaluation by one's peers form an important part of the classroom process. 

The Waterloo full-time program begins in mid-August and continues for 12 months of full-time study. 

The Waterloo full-time program with co-op option begins in mid-August and continues for 20 months (3 terms of study and two terms of co-op).

The Waterloo part-time evening program, offered through late afternoon and evening courses, is structured for students who are already employed in business. The normal load is two courses per term for three terms a year. Students admitted to this program begin their studies in September. 

The Toronto weekend format program (MBA and MBA with CPA option) is offered Friday evenings and Saturdays on alternate weeks. The required components of these programs are the same as those in the full-time MBA program. Admission requirements are identical. The Toronto MBA is also available with the Master of Finance (Executive) program as a double degree program. Students are governed by the general regulations of the university, and any exceptions must be approved by the dean of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. 

All Toronto MBA programs are privatized and special fees apply. Students admitted to the Toronto MBA programs are expected to complete their full course of studies in the Toronto program. Students who elect to take specific MBA courses on the Waterloo Campus, do so under the terms and conditions, including tuition fees, of the Toronto program. Requests for transfers to Waterloo programs are only allowed in exceptional circumstances following a two-term withdrawal from the Toronto program. For further details, please contact the MBA office. 

Graduate Program Co-ordinator

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

 
Admission Requirements

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), 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.

Application Deadlines

Waterloo Programs: January 15 for international students, May 1 for all other applicants, though applications will continue to be accepted until the programs are full.
Toronto Programs: February 1, though applications will continue to be accepted until the programs are full.

 
Program Requirements

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.

 
The Waterloo Full-time MBA Program

This program provides a broad overview of the major areas of business activities and is delivered in an integrated fashion. Requirements include 8 half-credit and 2 full-credit required courses, a NFP practicum experience, and 8 half-credit elective courses offered over three terms.

Terms 1 and 2 are taught in an integrated fashion, where ten half-credit courses designed to provide a management point of view are completed. Students must complete term 1 before entering term 2. Registration in BU608* - Integrative Thinking: A Playbook for Managerial Action is required over term 1 and 2.

During terms 2 and 3, 8 electives are required, plus registration in BU610* - Applied Business Research. Comprising a classroom and a field component, this course consists of an applied business research project and a not-for-profit (NFP) 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 emerging markets, 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.

Term 1: BU601, BU602, BU603, BU604, BU605, BU607, BU608*, BU609

Terms 2 and 3: BU606, BU608*, BU610*, NFP practicum and 8 electives (or BU606, BU608*, BU610*, NFP practicum, BU680‡ and 5 electives) 

 
The Waterloo Full-time MBA Program with Co-op

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. Requirements include 8 half-credit and 2 full-credit required courses, a not-for-profit (NFP) practicum experience, and 8 half-credit elective courses offered over three study terms as well as the completion of at least one work term.

Term 1: BU601, BU602, BU603, BU604, BU605, BU607, BU608* and BU609. The courses will be taught in an integrative manner identical to the practice in the current full-time MBA program.

Term 2: BU606, BU608* and 4 electives

Term 3: students will enrol in co-op placement. Extending a placement to a second term (one 8-month placement or back-to-back 4-month placements) is possible with permission of the MBA Office.

Term 4: BU610*, NFP practicum and 4 elective courses.

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

 
Co-operative Education

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

 
The Waterloo Part-time MBA Evening Program

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 8 half-credit and 2 full-credit required courses; 8 half-credit electives and a required not-for-profit (NFP) practicum. 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, BU602, BU603, BU604, BU605, BU606, BU607 and BU609 functional area courses plus BU608* prior to enrolling in the elective courses and in BU610*. 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.

Term 1: BU604, BU607

Term 2: BU603, BU609

Term 3: BU602, BU605

Term 4: BU601, BU606

Term 5: BU608*

Terms 6,7: 2 electives each term

Term 8: BU610*, NFP practicum and 1 elective

Term 9: BU610*, NFP practicum and 1 elective

Term 10: 2 electives

 
Approved Fields for the MBA 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.

Accounting
Any 4 elective courses in accounting

Financial management
Any 4 elective courses in finance

Marketing
Any 4 elective courses in marketing

Organizational behaviour and human resource management (OB/HRM)
Any 4 elective courses in management and organizational behaviour

Operations management
Any 4 elective courses in operations management

Strategic management
Any 4 elective courses in policy

Entrepreneurship
BU611, and any 3 of the following: BU613, BU631, BU660, BU699, BU711, BU721

Supply chain management
BU635, BU645, BU682, BU685

International business management
Either BU661 or BU669, and any 3 of the following: BU612, BU635, BU643, BU690b - AISAM (Asian Intensive School for Advanced Management), BU690p - ESSAM (European Summer School for Advanced Management) 

 
The Toronto MBA Part-time Weekend Program

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 period of 2.3 to 4 years, 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 8 elective courses which are selected in part based upon the interests of the class. The courses include BU601, BU602, BU603, BU604, BU605, BU606, BU607, BU608*, BU609, BU610* and 8 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 BU608*, BU609), toward the MBA degree. Students who meet the requirements for such exclusions will be required to take BU610*, BU640 and 8 elective courses. See the Admission Requirements for specific eligibility requirements.


Terms 1-4: BU601, BU602, BU603, BU604, BU605, BU606, BU607, BU608*, BU609
Terms 5-9: BU610* and 8 elective courses + NFP Practicum

Fields in the Toronto Program (only; not available in the Waterloo program)

Management Accounting with a CPA Option

Terms 1-4: BU601, BU602, BU603, BU604, BU605, BU606, BU607, BU608*, BU609

Term 5: BU617, BU651

Term 6: BU627, BU747

Term 7: BU697u Intermediate Managerial Accounting, BU717

Term 8: BU637, BU667 + NFP Practicum

Term 9: BU517, BU767

Term 10: BU663, BU687

Term 11: BU527, BU537 

Term 12: BU777, BU787 

Term 13: BU677

     
    Academic Regulations

    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.