Program and Structure
Executive MBA courses are in English. However, you can submit your written coursework in either official language, French or English.
Our professors are bilingual and there are many bilingual candidates in each year’s cohort.
Yes. In fact, you will have six diverse experiential learning opportunities in the program. The business consulting projects cover:
- Digital marketing
- Innovation and entrepreneurship
- Business development
- Entrepreneurship
- International expansion strategy
- International expansion market execution
In each of these six consulting projects, you will work with a real client and through your analysis, you will provide recommendations concerning their business opportunity or challenge.
Discover more about the Executive MBA consulting projects.
Our course offerings are bimodal. You have the option of learning in real time either in the classroom or online at any time.
If you prefer an in-person classroom learning experience, you can attend courses in Ottawa. International candidates require a study permit to attend in person.
If you prefer an online learning experience or can’t attend in person at any time, you can attend the courses through the virtual platform in real time. Choosing this virtual option will require you to log in from wherever you are in the world and join your in-person peers and professor in Ottawa. Classes are held from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time according to a pre-set schedule.
Whether you choose the virtual or in-person learning option, you will meet your full cohort in-person during the two mandatory international trips. You will travel to the location of each trip and actively participate with your peers during these exciting and immersive components of the program.
Our Executive MBA program was designed specifically so that you can study while working full time. Our weekly schedule is available before you apply to the program so that you can plan accordingly. You’ll spend approximately two days away from work each month.
You will also need to be away from work for a seven-day trip at the end of the first academic year (May) and a nine-day trip at the end of your second academic year (April or May).
We highly recommended that you be employed while in the program so that you can apply your knowledge and skills in real time.
However, you don’t have to work a full-time job. Those interested in using their time during a career transition to strengthen their skills by completing their degree are still be considered.
Yes, our program has AACSB, AMBA and EQUIS accreditation.
This triple crown of accreditation is held by only two institutions in Canada and only 1% of business schools worldwide. It ensures international recognition of our Executive MBA program.
The accreditations require us to meet the highest educational standards and continuously advance the quality of our programs. These standards cover areas from academic and professional engagement to diversity and community involvement.
Executive MBA teams are created by the program administrators, taking into consideration a mix of diversity in professional experience and demographics.
We use a team-based approach in all courses. Our program has been designed so that you learn to rely on the strengths of your peers, while reflecting and building on your own personal growth.
Your team typically consists of four to six members with whom you work closely throughout your program. There are opportunities within the curriculum to work with other members of your cohort on specific activities.
On average, expect to spend 20 to 25 hours each week on the program. This time commitment involves individual preparation, class days and teamwork.
The diversity within our classroom enriches your learning experience. Each person contributes a unique perspective shaped by their own personal, professional and academic experience and background.
The average age of our candidates is 38, with a range from 28 to 60 years. Our candidates are employed by a variety of organizations in the private, public and not-for-profit sectors.
While the minimum requirement for work experience is five years, our average years of experience for candidates enrolled is 15 years, with some marking over 30 years in their careers.
Candidates cite many drivers for pursuing their Executive MBA, including their ambition to:
- Attain a strategic focus across business functions
- Break into the executive suite or upper-level management
- Transition in their career through a promotion or change
- Start their own company or venture
You will experience a combination of teaching methods, including case studies, lectures, discussions, simulations, guest speakers and teamwork.
Each professor selects the best teaching method to provide you with the knowledge you need to meet the course learning outcomes. Each course in the curriculum relates to at least one of our program learning goals:
- Gain understanding of management foundations and the global business environment
- Gain understanding and integrating business functions
- Develop a strategic perspective
- Develop leadership, communication and teamwork skills for high performance organizations
- Meet the challenges of a global economy
- Provide value to the business community
Most of your classes will use a team-based approach for experiential learning opportunities, such as client-centric consulting projects, simulations, presentations, and case studies and case-based projects.
As an executive, it is important to understand the interrelations of business functions. The schedule is set in a lockstep format so that you compound your learning as you progress through the program. You will not pick an area of concentration or elective courses given that the strategic focus of your knowledge and skills from the program will be relevant across most functions, sectors and industries.
If you are interested in one area of business, you can identify projects, especially for the business development project, in a particular industry or business function that allows you to explore your area of interest more thoroughly, especially for the Business Development Project.
