Canadian MBA Thread - Page 3

Overall they're probably 20-40K cheaper, all costs included, and both will be more eager to give scholarship/bursary money to good candidates than many of the Top 7 will be.

I don't necessarily think Canadian MBA's are fantastic value, just that they are a better value than most US MBA's for students wanting to stay in Canada after graduation.

You know,

I have considered either an EMBA or MBA from Haskayne. They have good number of their students who go on to very great things. It's also a three hour drive from my hometown, so if I did the EMBA, I'd drive in Thursday night, stay two nights at a hotel and drive back Sunday AM.

Calgary is a city where there is a lot of money to be made. Is Haskayne a good choice?

Thomas

Haskayne is close to energy, which is where money is being made right now. I think it's a lot like Rice in Houston -- the MBA probably isn't that great but it's proximity to a lucrative industry elevates it to a higher level.

One of my buddies is doing an MBA at Rotman but he doesn't get any advantages to people doing MBAs outside of Canada. I think Canada is a bit unique in that the local school advantage factor isn't as significant as it is in other countries.

I have to disagree. All other things being equal (MBA's from comparable schools, etc), the advantage is easily with the locals. There are selected MBA programs, the top 20 in the word or so which give you a solid leg up anywhere in the world. For the rest, staying local, developing contacts and networking is an advantage.

Can you elaborate more on your experience getting an MBA in Canada and how it's helped you land a job over someone with an MBA from the US or China?

edit: To clarify, my perception is based off of time working in Canada and abroad as well as my friends and family MBA experiences. I myself have studied at 4 internationally competitive schools that are very strong locally so I have a bias towards local schools but Canada is different.
Edited by Viktri - 4/20/12 at 12:51am

In the simplest of terms: location - you're right there and that makes easier to get a job. Companies do not favorably view candidates that need to relocate, especially from another country. To get to Canada from US or China you need a visa (unless you come under NAFTA) and that's hard to get - clear adv to locals.

Network - not only will you have a larger alumni network in and around the city where the school is, your own classmates can be useful.

Junior recruiters do not know about many internationals schools but they will know all local schools. They are often the major hurdle in job hunt and if you're coming from abroad (or even if you're already on the ground), you get points off

These are just a few things that come to mind. Again, I am trying to compare schools of equal standing and brand - not HBS or INSEAD against some provincial program.

Labor mobility is quite strong, especially in some areas like consulting, finance but in general, the guy from far away is at disadvantage.

Most people on Bay St are mostly from Rothman and Ivey.

i'm gonna have to disagree on this one, at my old firm, i cannot think of anyone who had a canadian MBA that wasn't from Ivey. To be honest, apart from Ivey, HBS and INSEAD were probably the only 2 schools that had a significant number of senior professional and almost all hiring since the crisis had been from intl schools. i think this is representative of the experiences friends had at other firms, i cannot think of a single analyst who actually went for a Canadian MBA

My anecdote -- I know three: one Western, one Georgetown, one Harvard

That's been my experience as well.

As for the previous discussion about McGill, I would advise against it. McGill's MBA recruits mostly foreign students wanting the MBA name from China/India, many of whom return home to begin their careers. It does not yet have the local clout or contacts needed to really get great value out of an MBA. My .02.