University of Alberta - School of Business

The first business school in Canada to receive accreditation from the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business, University of Alberta operates a full-time and part-time MBA on its Edmonton campus, an accelerated executive MBA, and a part-time program in Ft. McMurray. Integrating quantitative know-how with important qualitative skills, University of Alberta offers a “well-balanced education” through a mix of core course work and electives. Lectures are enhanced by “up-to-date case analyses,” and throughout the curriculum there is a “focus on interpersonal skills and relationships.” “There is a lot of group work in the MBA program,” and therefore, “who you choose to work with, identifying your working style, and how to work with others are all vital components of a success strategy for the MBA.” In complement to course work, students can participate in co-curricular opportunities, like the annual International Study Tour and MBA mentorship program. Students also note that the school’s excellent lecture series is “worth attending” and “case competitions are fantastic.”

“Since it’s a research university, most professors have PhDs”; however, the Alberta faculty comprises a “good mix of academics and professionals.” The classroom experience is generally rewarding, and “most professors are well-prepared and appropriate for their specific classes.” At the same time, some professors “deliver a better course than others and who you get is simply the luck of the draw.” Fortunately, the administration is receptive to student input, and “feedback is given from students to professors at the end of each term regarding the class and their teaching.” A current student assures us, “They truly care and listen to suggestions on how to make things better.”

When it comes to the nuts and bolts, things run smoothly at Alberta. “The MBA Programs Office does a great job behind the scenes,” and, for the most part, the “registration process for class is well-run, smooth, and easy.” At the same time, there is a bit of a divide between full-time students and their part-time counterparts. In many cases, “the part-timers do not feel as connected to the administration as the full-timers as we are not at school during the day.” On the flipside, part-timers praise the fact that the “parttime program is excellent—flexible around work schedules and amenable to work-life balance.” When it comes to the bottom line, students agree that the University of Alberta is an “excellent value.” “Highly-regarded” in the Edmonton area, tuition is inexpensive, the area offers an “affordable cost of living,” and the program is efficient (the full-time program can even be completed in as little as sixteen months).

Through the MBA Career Services Office, students have access to professional career coaching and myriad career management resources. For first-year students, Career Services also offers the workshops, “Business 504,” a crash course in career management. With 20,000 Alberta alumni, the school maintains a strong local network, and many corporate speakers, recruiters, and representatives visit campus. In fact, some students say “the network[ing] opportunities that are made available” are the program’s greatest strength. Unfortunately, part-time students often feel they weren’t invited to the party. A part-time student complains, “If there are company info sessions they are held during the day, so it is hard for part-time students to attend a lot of the sessions.”

Over the past five years, 90 percent of Alberta graduates had accepted a position within three months of graduation. Alberta graduates have been hired by Accenture, Alberta Economic Development, ATB Financial, Bell, Bearing Point, CEMEX, China Zheshang Bank, Deloitte, Ernst & Young, Edmonton Airports, Direct Energy, HSBC Bank Canada, Intuit, KPMG, Newell Rubbermaid, Parks Canada, Saudi Aramco, Sierra Systems, TD Canada Trust, and TEC Edmonton, among many others. Full-time graduates had an average starting salary of over $75,000 annually, and part-time students reported an average salary of over $95,000.

With a broad-based core and numerous areas of specialization, Alberta attracts students from “many different business and non-business backgrounds”—as well as from many countries across the world. While students are “very diverse in every aspect,” most agree that Alberta students are generally “knowledgeable, hard-working, respectful, and intel- ligent.” In the part-time program, “most classmates are busy people, majority married and working,” and they rarely have time to participate in extracurricular activities on campus. Spare time is squeezed even tighter because “all collaboration [has] to take place outside of normal business hours and outside of class time.” (Fortunately, the business school is well equipped, and “there is an MBA specific lounge and study area that is very useful for group work and activities.”)

Full-time students have a different take on life at Alberta. For them, “school life is filled with a multitude of opportunities, movies, social events, case competitions, [and] athletics.” In the evenings, “there are numerous social events put on by the MBA asso- ciation, which includes high-ranking guest speakers, free food, and great information.” A second-year student tells us, “Life at school is a lot of fun. I spend more time in group meetings and extra-curricular activities (e.g., case competitions) than in class.” Another student chimes in: “From the courses offered to the students in the program (55 percent international) to the social events and clubs to join, there is truly something here for everyone.”