Program and Structure
The Professional English MBA program offers courses in English, and the French Professional MBA program offers courses in French.
Due to the program format and the team-based learning style, you are expected to stay in your program option for the duration of your MBA. Some exceptions may be granted with the approval of the MBA Program Director.
Yes, you can complete the MBA full-time.
The professional MBA is a 24-month program with classes on evenings and weekends. Some exceptions may apply depending on the availability of electives and internships.
Yes, one of the mandatory experiential learning components in the Management Consulting concentration is the Management Consulting Project.
You will have the opportunity to put your skills and learnings to work with a real client who needs to solve a current problem or business case they are facing. The consulting project, worth 3 core units, is supervised by a Telfer professor who coaches you along the way and ensures your team stays on track throughout the term.
Our clients range over many industries and are matched by students’ interests and expertise. Students may also seek their own client and get approval from the MBA program director to ensure it meets the program's evaluation criteria.
Some of our past consulting project clients include:
- Export Development Canada (EDC)
- Happy Goat Coffee Co.
- Canada Post
- Spartan Bioscience
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
Yes, you can earn your MBA and a law degree at the same time.
We offer two joint programs to allow you to complete your MBA and law degree simultaneously: Joint LL.L.-MBA option (in French).
Yes, our Professional MBA is designed specifically so you can continue to work while studying.
No, you do not need to write an MBA thesis or have a thesis supervisor during your studies as this is not a part of the program.
Our MBA is course-based, focusing on giving you practical experience that employers value in their leaders.
No, while the professional MBA format allows for you to have a full-time job, it is not a requirement.
If you wish to take this two-year program, you are welcome to do so regardless of your employment status.
You are not required to take any out-of-faculty electives as part of your MBA program.
If you wish to expand the scope of your learning, you can take out-of-faculty graduate-level electives or directed readings with full-time faculty members, with approval from the MBA Program Director.
Yes, you can complete a paid MBA internship as part of your degree. Your internship counts for six elective units.
There are two ways you can participate in an MBA internship:
1) The Telfer MBA offers limited opportunities through our various partners. These positions are awarded based on your skills and compatibility with the employer.
2) You can also find an internship on your own and propose it to the MBA Program Director who will need to approve the position to ensure it meets the program evaluation criteria.
Yes, we currently hold MBA accreditations from AACSB, AMBA, and EQUIS.
This Triple-Crown accreditation is held by only two institutions in Canada and only 1% of business schools worldwide. It ensures the international recognition of our MBA program.
The accreditations require us to comply with the highest educational standards and to continuously advance the quality of our programs. These standards range from academic and professional engagement to diversity and community involvement.
At the start of your program, MBA teams are created by the Program Director and the Graduate Office who consider a mix of diversity in professional experience and demographics.
We use a team-based approach in most of our core courses as our MBA is focused on providing you with experiential learning and case application. Your team typically consists of five to six students, and you will work with that team throughout your program.
Your classes will range from 30 to 40 MBA students in the Professional English MBA program. Your classes will range from 15 to 20 MBA students in the French MBA program.
At the time of admission, students may transfer units to be granted exemptions or advanced standing for graduate courses in management previously completed as a regular student in a Canadian MBA program or similar program accredited by the American Association of Colleges and Schools of Business (AACSB), or equivalent.
Exemptions and advanced standing may also be granted for graduate courses previously completed in a University of Ottawa interdisciplinary program in which the Telfer School of Management is involved.
The maximum number of transferred units that can be granted as exemption or advanced standing is 24, and all students must complete a minimum of 30 units of MBA courses following admission to be awarded the degree. No exemption or advanced standing will be granted for courses completed more than five years ago or for which the grade was lower than B (70 percent).
At this time, you cannot transfer undergraduate units as no advanced standing is granted for undergraduate courses or work experience when applying to the program.
No, we do not offer MBA programs online, however, we offer a hybrid professional MBA in French.
For the professional MBA in French, if you reside in the National Capital Region, you are required to attend both in-person and online courses. If you live outside Ottawa, you may attend online distance learning courses at the same time as your on-campus peers.
No, the Professional MBA at Telfer is not a part-time MBA. It is considered a full-time program.
The professional MBA program retention rate is 93%, and the graduation rate is 88%.
The Professional MBA is designed for working professionals—you will be able to attend classes while continuing your day job at the same time. Classes will be in the evenings (1–2 times per week) and on weekends (every other weekend) and will allow you to complete your degree within two years.
Our Telfer MBA is a course-based program addressed to professionals who want to take the next steps in their management or leadership roles.
Our Master of Science programs, the MSc MGT and MSc HS, are two research-based programs. The MSc in Health Systems is delivered over 2 years—the first one for courses, and the second one for research. The MSc in Management has three program options, the research project (one-year), the research project with co-op, and the thesis (two-year).
Contrary to the MBA, our MScs do not require a minimum of three years of full-time work experience. You can apply directly to the MSc programs after completing your bachelor’s degree.
Both the Telfer MBA and MHA programs include core management units, which represent approximately 30% of the courses you will take.
If you are in the MHA program, you will learn fundamental business-management skills while focusing on essential areas in health management. Unlike in the MBA, you are required to complete administrative residency of at least four (4) months as an MHA student. This provides you with an opportunity to work in leading healthcare organizations, enable you to participate in management decisions, and experience day-to-day life in the healthcare system.
Our MBA student profiles are made up of talented and dynamic individuals with incredibly diverse professional and academic backgrounds from around the world.
- Average years of work experience: 8
- Age of youngest student: 25
- Age of oldest student: 54
- Average age of students: 33
- Percentage of students who identify as women: 41%
- Number of distinct nationalities represented: 10
- Percentage of International students: 21%
- Average GMAT score: 628
*As of the Telfer Global MBA QS 2020 report.
You can choose from a variety of MBA program options to suit your career objectives and schedule:
- Professional MBA (French or English)—Two-year program with evening and weekend classes to accommodate your professional work schedule.
- Executive MBA—21-month program specifically built for working executives.
- Joint LL.L.-MBA option—for you to earn both degrees, as a French-speaking student.
MBA specializations are known as concentrations at Telfer. Our English Professional MBA program gives you the opportunity to specialize in a field of business and develop your expertise in a specific area. These concentrations include Digital Transformation & Analytics, Finance, Management Consulting, and Sustainable Management.
In our French Professional program, you can complete the Management Consulting concentration. Each concentration requires you to complete a number of electives and additional certifications in their specific fields in order to obtain your letter of attestation upon graduation.
To look at the list of requirements and available electives for each concentration, you can consult our courses and concentrations page.
While each professor has their own teaching methods, all classes you experience are centered around our learning goals:
LG1 - Gain understanding Management Foundations and the Global Business Environment
LG2 - Gain understanding and Integrating Business Functions
LG3 - Develop a Strategic Perspective
LG4 - Develop Leadership, Communication and Teamwork Skills for High Performance Organizations
LG5 - Meet the Challenges of a Global Economy
LG6 - Provide Value to the Business Community
Most of your classes will use a team-based approach for experiential learning opportunities such as simulations, presentations, and case studies.
