MBA Degree
The MBA program at McMaster University was created in 1962, and boasts more than 16,000 alumni around the world. The DeGroote School of Business is also AACSB accredited - less than 5% of business schools worldwide earn this distinction in management education.
Canada’s first co-op MBA program was established at McMaster in 1973, and today is a premier choice for students who want to gain work experience while studying, and for employers who want to hire future business leaders.
Full-time, part-time and accelerated programs are also offered to give students the flexibility they need to continue their education and become leaders in the business world and the community. Classes are held at the Ron Joyce Centre in Burlington, Ontario in a state-of-the-art building designed to enrich the student learning experience.
Students interested in the MBA program can obtain full particulars on regulations, as well as full course descriptions, from the MBA Academic Calendar, available on the DeGroote School of Business MBA webpage at http://www.degroote.mcmaster.ca/MBA/registration.html.
The MBA current program consists of 20 courses; ten in year one and ten in year two. Twelve of the 20 courses are core courses, which all students are required to take. Traditional Full-time and Full-time Co-op students admitted in or after September 2016 will complete a redesigned Year 1 curriculum. This redesigned curriculum will begin with mandatory four-week intensive foundations modules which will convey baseline information regardless of undergraduate major or experience. There will be 5 required core courses in Term I which will be team taught with content integrated across disciplines. Term 2 will begin with a required Foundations Week focusing on professional development and skill-based workshops. Each student will also need to complete two required courses followed by a choice of 3 out of 5 core electives. The final 3 weeks of Term 2 will be Integration Weeks: students will be required to complete an integrating project to implement all of the knowledge and skills they’ve learned throughout the first year.
In year two, all students (regardless of when they were admitted) must select a specialization and complete courses required for that specialization. For specific information, see the MBA Academic Calendar.
Topics covered in the Selected Topics courses will vary depending on recent developments in the subject area and the research interests of the instructor(s).
There is no thesis requirement for graduation in the MBA program. However, a student in the second year may, with the prior approval of the appropriate instructor, Area Chair, and the Director of the MBA Program, undertake an original paper, research study or project in an area directly associated with his/her program of study. Credit for one second-year course will be granted upon satisfactory completion of the project.
Graduate Studies
In addition to the elective courses listed, students in Year 2 who wish to take graduate courses in other departments of the University as part of their MBA program may do so provided they secure approval from the particular department concerned and the Manager, MBA Programs, DeGroote School of Business.
Graduate students not registered in the Faculty of Business may enroll in MBA courses only with the prior approval of the Faculty of Business and their home department. Enquiries should be directed to the Manager, MBA Programs, DeGroote School of Business.