Master of Business Administration

• Graduate Program Co-ordinator
• Admission Requirements
• Program Requirements
• The Waterloo Full-time MBA Program
• The Waterloo Full-time MBA Program with Co-op
• The Waterloo Part-time MBA Program
• The Toronto MBA Part-time Weekend Program
• Concentrations for the MBA Program
• Academic Regulations

TBD
Contact lazaridisgradprograms@wlu.ca

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

• a four-year or three-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 MBA program who hold a BBA or BComm degree may be considered for course exclusions (see "Note" at the end of this section);
• applicants to the MBA program who hold a CPA, CFA or other professional designation may be considered for course exclusions (see "Note" at the end of this section);
  
• evidence of quantitative skills, through at least one of the following options: successful completion (within the last five years) of BU205: Introduction to Applied Statistics or BU255: Managerial Statistics, or an equivalent course as determined by the Admissions Committee, significant work experience (at least 2 years) in a paid role that requires quantitative knowledge and application; completion of the GMAT with a minimum score of 550 or GRE equivalent;
  
• 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 (usually minimum 7); TOEFL (usually minimum 573/230); TOEFL iBT: (usually 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).

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 Business Graduate Programs Office.

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 CPA designation or the CFA designation, may, at the time of admission, be granted exclusions for prior course credit from the core courses (BU601, BU602, BU603, BU604, BU605, BU607, BU609) toward the MBA degree. Students who meet the requirements for such exclusions will be required to take 6 electives and the BU610* capstone. See the Admission Requirements for specific eligibility requirements. Students who receive exemptions will have a residency requirement of two academic terms.

Direct Entry into the Waterloo Full-time MBA Program with co-op for Faculty of Arts HBA Programs: BA+MBA with co-op pathway

The BA+MBA with co-op pathway is a competitive direct-entry program. Only students applying for a Faculty of Arts Honours BA program at Wilfrid Laurier University will be considered for admission. The admissions cut-off for entry to the BA_MBA with co-op will be set by the Faculty of Arts in consultation with the Lazaridis School of Business and Economics. To qualify for admission to the Waterloo Full-time MBA Program with co-op, students in the pathway must:

• meet all of the requirements of the undergraduate program; 
• achieve a minimum of a 10.5 grade point standing in the final year of the undergraduate program (the equivalent of 10 half-credit courses);
• complete BU205: Introduction to Applied Statistics (or an equivalent course as determined by the MBA Admissions Committee) with at least A- standing;
• satisfactorily complete the Career Development and Experiential Learning Certificate offered by the Career Centre.

For students in the BA+MBA with co-op pathway, an application to the Waterloo Full-time MBA Program with co-op is required in the final year of completing the undergraduate program of studies. 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 Business Graduate Programs Office.

The MBA program usually requires the completion of seven core courses (BU601, BU602, BU603, BU604, BU605, BU607, BU609), six electives, and the BU610* capstone. The MBA program may be offered in a variety of delivery modalities including in-person, hybrid, and hyflex.

This program provides a broad overview of the major areas of business activities with the opportunity to specialize. The Waterloo full-time program is normally completed over 16 months of full-time study. Students will have the option to accelerate their program of study according to their needs.

The Waterloo part-time program, usually 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 over 28 months (2.3 years). Students admitted to this program can begin their studies in Fall, Winter or Spring terms.

Students in the MBA program may develop a more in-depth understanding by completing one of the following optional concentrations as part of their electives (not all electives may be available in all program formats and in every term):

• Demand-Supply Dynamics and Customer Insights
• Data-Driven Business-Intelligence
• Entrepreneurship and Innovation
• Financial Management for Professionals
• Strategic Leadership and Foresight

Students who wish to declare a concentration may do so when applying to graduate (up to two concentrations may be declared).

Demand-Supply Dynamics and Customer Insights
Complete three of the following courses (course offerings will vary by term): 

BU635 - Global Operations and Logistics
BU642 - Marketing Strategy
BU645 - Supply Chain Management
BU652 - Consumer Behaviour
BU662 - Marketing Research
BU665 - Advanced Business Analytics 

Data-Driven Business Intelligence
Complete three of the following courses (course offerings will vary by term):

BU618 - Personnel Analytics for Managers
BU655 - Managing Innovation and Technology Transfer
BU665 - Advanced Business Analytics
BU671 - General Managers in Action
BU702 - Data-Driven Marketing

Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Complete three of the following courses (course offerings will vary by term):

BU611 - Entrepreneurship
BU613 - Entrepreneurial Finance
BU631 - Social Entrepreneurship
BU635 - Global Operations and Logistics
BU661 - International Strategy
BU675 - Project Management
BU699 - Design Thinking 

Financial Management for Professionals
Complete three of the following courses (course offerings will vary by term):

BU620 - Managerial Decision Making
BU643 - International Financial Management
BU647 - Tax Essentials for Professionals
BU663 - Advanced Corporate Finance
BU673 - Investment Management

Strategic Leadership and Foresight
Complete three of the following courses (course offerings will vary by term):

BU614 - Negotiation and Conflict Management
BU628 - Leadership
BU678 - Human Resources Management
BU701 - Competitive Strategy for a Sustainable World
BU703 - ESG Finance
BU731 - Corporate Governance
BU741 - Corporate Strategy

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 must achieve a minimum B- grade in all courses and achieve a B average or higher in order to graduate.