Ever since the emergence of such a phenomenon as business education, generalist programs (general management) and the subjects that fill this course have been the cornerstone of any MBA school. Only after a good hundred years did the content of MBA programs begin to change, and various specializations appeared, for example, an MBA in hospitality, luxury goods management, information technology, etc. Therefore, it is no coincidence that most students choose generalist MBA programs.
Almost all Canadian business-schools offer generalist programs, but among them we should highlight the leaders that constantly appear in various international rankings. In the Financial Times ranking for 2005, the Canadian MBA schools Rotman at the University of Toronto, Schulich at York University, Ivey at the University of Western Ontario, McGill University, Sauder at the University of British Columbia, Queen’s University, and Molson at Concordia University took 21st, 22nd, 34th, 39th, 55th, 75th, and 81st places among the world's top hundred business schools.
Thanks to the fact that graduates of the generalist programs of these schools gain multifaceted knowledge in finance, accounting, human resource management, and marketing, this allows them to think strategically; they are in demand by banking structures, as well as other financial institutions and consulting firms.
A number of schools pay special attention to MBA programs in international business. At the same time, they practice different approaches to this field.
At the Saint John campus of the University of New Brunswick, students study the principles of doing business in an international context with an extended program in cross-cultural organizational strategies and corporate penetration into global markets. Graduates of this school go on to positions as executive directors, heads of international marketing departments, or in consulting.
The seventeen-month program at the University of Victoria places its main emphasis on a more refined awareness of global business processes through understanding cross-cultural differences. The curriculum includes unpaid internships, mainly in Malaysia and South Korea.
At Laval University, within the international business program, students can pursue an additional specialization, for example in international marketing. During the overseas internship, which is part of the curriculum, students work in various companies. After graduation, they find employment in international organizations, government agencies, and medium-sized businesses.
MBAs with a focus on technology and information are taught at the business schools of Queen’s University, Simon Fraser University, the University of Saskatchewan, the Sprott School at Carleton University, and the University of Alberta.
Queen’s program aims to instill in technical specialists the necessary set of knowledge for conducting modern business. The 12-month MBA program in science and technology is designed for specialists with an engineering, scientific, or technical education. Since representatives of these professions are mostly individualists, the main emphasis in training is placed on the ability to work in a team in order to create an atmosphere of cooperation among students while preserving a spirit of leadership. Students are prepared for work in areas such as information technology or project management. However, they can also function in other areas of business.
Simon Fraser and Saskatchewan specialize in biotechnology. Simon Fraser’s one-year program allows its students to choose a more narrow direction within the MBA course between technology management and biotechnology. In addition to general subjects, the curriculum includes legislative and regulatory acts, as well as familiarity with the latest scientific achievements in this field, such as genomics, proteomics, and bioinformatics.
The twelve-month program of the Saskatchewan business school examines biotechnology management issues at various levels, including topics of intellectual property, value management, and profit generation.
The main emphasis in the teaching at the Sprott business school is on managing innovation in an international context. The program focuses on e-business, enterprise development, leading transformational change, and innovation.
The program at the University of Alberta is called “Technology Commercialization.” Among similar courses, it is perhaps the most comprehensive. It has narrower concentrations in biotechnology, agribusiness, pharmaceuticals, microelectronics, telecommunications, food industry, healthcare, and information technology.
Programs with a focus on marketing can be studied at the DeGroote School of Business at McMaster University and at Brock University. Students in this stream study psychology, sociology, and the fundamentals of consumer behavior in greater depth. Graduates find work in marketing, brand management, as well as advertising and public relations.
Brock’s MBA program is the youngest in Canada. Nevertheless, from the very beginning it had four streams: accounting, finance, human resource management, and marketing. In order to involve their students in solving real business problems, they are offered the opportunity to work as consultants for owners of local companies.
MBA courses with an emphasis on entrepreneurship can be taken at Laurier University and the University of Calgary's Haskayne School of Business.
At Laurier, students are taught how to start a business from scratch, business planning, developing emerging opportunities, and accumulating resources. Issues related to franchising and the work of venture capital are also examined. Part of the program is interaction with local entrepreneurs to implement business ideas that arise among students during their studies. Thus, the business faculty acts as a kind of business incubator.
Another equally important support for this specialization is the university's opening of an entrepreneurship development center, in which MBA program students are actively involved.
The specialization at Haskayne focuses on working with the rapidly growing venture market, and therefore the curriculum includes a special course on the commercialization of new technologies.
The development of modern business is impossible without competent human resource management, so the MBA at Victoria's Royal Roads University offers a specialization in human resource management. Its program, aimed at HR practitioners, includes courses such as compensation and reward systems, transformational change, organizational change management, and strategic development.
Based on materials from Parta