Rotman Launches Canadian Graduate Women in Management Conference
On February 1, 2017, for the first time, graduate business students and industry leaders from across Canada will have a chance to come together and discuss the most pressing matters facing the business community. The annual event, titled the Canadian Graduate Women in Management Conference, was organized by the Rotman Women in Management Association (WIMA) and will be hosted by the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto.
The theme of the inaugural year is “Men as Allies and the Parity Proposition,” which will highlight the role of gender inclusivity in expanding the discourse on gender equity. Attendees can expect to hear from a variety of speakers including Bruce Simpson, Director (Senior Partner) at McKinsey & Company, as well as Jennifer Reynolds, Head of Women in Capital Markets.
To get more insight, we spoke with Alex Walker Turner, MBA ’17 and Vice President of Communications at Rotman WIMA. Here’s what she had to say. Continue reading…
The Best Part-Time MBA Programs in Toronto
Earning a part-time MBA is increasingly becoming a more-and-more realistic endeavors for many working professionals. For many who are already employed at a job that they love, the flexible and affordable option of attending classes on a part-time basis can make perfect sense.
In Toronto, the commercial and cultural center of the Ontario province, there are options abound for pursuit of a part-time MBA. The city’s diverse business landscape provides rich opportunities to both current residents and those who may be planning to relocate.
The Top Finance MBAs in Toronto
The finance industry has always gone hand-in-hand in the MBA. Even as MBAs are becoming increasingly popular in other industries, finance is still the biggest MBA job sector and accounts for 22 percent of all MBA jobs, according to the 2014/15 QS TopMBA.com ‘Jobs and Salary Trends Report.’
The Toronto Metro—brimming with top-notch MBA programs with finance concentrations—is a great destination for any prospective MBA looking to breaking into the finance sector. Here are a few of the top finance MBAs in Toronto: Continue reading…
Rotman Students Perform Well in Renowned Case Competition
Fall 2016 was a successful semester at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management. A team of four students in the Master of Financial Risk Management program won an international case competition while two Rotman full-time MBA teams made the finals in two other case competitions. Continue reading…
Toronto MBAs That Don’t Require The GMAT/GRE
Current resume, two or more references, personal essays … these are just a few of the pieces that will be required of students applying for an MBA program. But perhaps the most stressful part of applying to an MBA program comes in the form of that GMAT/GRE—the daunting graduate admissions test which can take more than three months of continued preparation for a good score.
MBA applicants are often also working professionals with careers and families in addition to their business studies. For such students, finding time to prepare for and take the GMAT/GRE can be an immense hurdle to their continued education.
Thankfully, some MBA programs do not require all applicants to submit the GRE’s, or provide possible exemptions for some programs. Below are MBA programs in Toronto which do not require GMAT/GRE for admission:
Ivey Business School – Western University Canada
The GMAT/GRE may not be required for students applying to the Accelerated MBA Program after graduating from the Ivey HBA. Students with a 78 percent-plus average over HBA1 and HBA 2 combined are not required to submit GMAT scores to be considered for admission. Exemptions are also granted for Ivey’s Executive MBA program after taking prior academic work and professional experience into consideration.
Additional requirements for admission for both programs include a current resume with professional experience and references (students applying for the Accelerated MBA must include at least one reference from an HBA professor).
Wilfrid Laurier University – Toronto Campus
The part-time Alternate Weekend MBA at Laurier’s downton Toronto campus requires students to display strong quantitative skills, but does not necessarily require require students to complete the GMAT/GRE to be considered for admission. The GMAT is required, however, for students who earned their undergraduate degree outside of Canada.
Additional admission requirements for the Alternate Weekend MBA at Laurier include a four-year undergraduate degree, three professional references, proof of English proficiency and at least two years full-time professional experience.
Rotman School of Management – University of Toronto
The Rotman School of Management requires a GMAT/GRE score from most applicants to their part and full-time MBA, but will waive the requirement for any student who has already passed the CFA III examination. Candidates for the Executive MBA program at Rotman may be able to take the Executive Diagnostic Test (EDT) in place of the GMAT if they possess a four-year undergraduate degree.
Additional requirements for the MBA program at Rotman include an undergraduate degree, professional work experience, references, two written essays and invitation-only interviews.
Schulich School of Business – York University
The Kellogg-Schulich Executive MBA program may permit exemptions from the GMAT/GRE for applicants who already satisfy the program’s academic requirements. After a student applies, they will be advised as to the additional steps necessary for admission, and this may or may not include GMAT scores.
Additional requirements for the Executive MBA program include transcripts from any post-secondary institutions, resume, essay questions, two letters of reference, letter of intent and Company Letter of Support.
For more information on the GMAT and GRE in Toronto and other Metros see MetroMBA’s No GMAT and GRE Guide and Toronto MBA Programs that Don’t Require the GMAT or GRE.
Toronto MBAs that DO NOT Require Work Experience
Getting into a top-notch MBA program is a huge undertaking. You have to ace your test scores, provide glowing academic transcripts, garner appropriate letters of recommendation, write intelligent essays and somehow impress the admissions office during an interview. It’s a daunting task to say the least. And it’s even more intimidating if you’re a recent bachelor’s grad with little to no work experience.
If you’re sweating over getting into an MBA program, we’re here to make your decision a little bit easier. We understand that it’s enough to sweat the GMAT/GRE, you don’t need to sweat a job too. So, to help simplify your application process, we’ve vetted the top Toronto MBA programs to find the ones that don’t require you to have work experience.
If you’re interested in more schools that don’t require work experience for their MBA programs then see our MBAs without work experience guide or our Canadian schools that don’t require work experience for their MBA programs page.
DeGroote School of Business – McMaster University
Work experience is required for all international applicants and for domestic applicants applying for the full-time MBA and accelerated MBA programs. Domestic applicants do not need work experience when applying to the co-op program. However, only one year of full-time, continuous work experience is required. Also, for graduates from a North American university, DeGroote will consider an undergrad co-op or internship placement (totaling 12 months) in place of work experience.
As for why DeGroote requires work experience, they feel that their students are most effective when they’re able to pull from their own professional experiences and background. It helps its MBAs to be able to contribute to group work and discussions.
Ivey Business School – Western University Canada
The full-time and accelerated MBA programs require a minimum of two years of work experience. However, don’t let that stop you. The key for Ivey is that they want MBA candidates who can contribute to the classroom experience and discussions with maturity and context. Also, Ivey admits that they will accept applications with slightly less than two years of work experience. So, if you’ve only worked for a year and a half, you can still apply.
Rotman School of Management – University of Toronto
At the Rotman School, while two years of work experience are recommended, there is no minimum requirement for the full-time MBA program. That means that recent undergraduates are more than welcome to apply. However, all applicants should be aware that the average full-time MBA candidate has 4.1 years of work experience. As for the part-time MBA program, applicants are required to have two years of experience and most students have at least six years behind their belt.
Schulich School of Business – York University
If you’re interested in attending Schulich, a minimum of two years of relevant post-degree full-time work experience is required. However, that doesn’t mean you’re out of luck if you don’t have the necessary experience. The admission committee also accepts life experience. In special cases, you can apply for the MBA program is you have two years of experience volunteering overseas or you successfully completed a 2-year masters program. Also, co-ops or internships that were completed as a formal part of your degree, and noted in your transcript, can be counted for up to 12 months of work experience.
Ted Rogers School of Management – Ryerson University
While the Ted Rogers School requires two-years of work experience, there doesn’t appear to be a full-stop if you apply directly after undergrad. According to the school’s FAQ page, students can apply to the MBA program directly after undergrad, they just have to understand that preference will be given to applicants who have a minimum of two years full-time work experience.
Lazaridis School of Business and Economics Wilfrid Laurier University – Toronto Campus
If you’re a recent undergrad, the Lazaridis School can be a viable MBA of choice with no work experience, at least for those that decide to attend the full-time MBA program with co-op. For both domestic and international students, no work experience is required for the co-op and, in fact, the maximum amount of work experience allowed is two years (no exceptions). As for the full-time MBA program, two years of work experience is required and, unfortunately, part-time and summer employment does not count. However, the school will accept six co-op work terms during your undergrad.
So, to recap, for recent undergrads the best “no work experience” schools in Toronto are:
- The DeGroote School of Business does not require work experience for domestic co-op MBA applicants.
- The Rotman School of Management has NO work experience requirement for the full-time MBA.
- The Lazaridis School does not require work experience for domestic and international co-op MBA applicants.
