The Best MBA Programs in Canada: University of Western Ontario – Richard Ivey School of Business MBA
The Best MBA Programs in Canada is an article series that discusses various prestigious MBA programs offered in Canada. Here are their respective parts: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4.
The Richard Ivey School of Business is regarded as Canada’s leadership school and is one of the Best MBA Programs in Canada. From the very first day of class you will be thrown into a sea of challenges. You will be introduced to complex material and you will soon realize that each class is a journey that will push you outside of your comfort zone. Before long, you will be introduced to numerous muti-faceted business challenges and learn that business problems rarely fit into specific boxes. Sometimes you will have too much information and sometimes too little – but as you progress through this MBA you will become comfortable making decision in the face of uncertainty.
The Richard Ivey School of Business offers multiple programs including MBA, HBA, Executive Development, Executive MBA
(EMBA) and PHD programs. This superlative business education is offered at campuses located at five different locations: London (Ontario), Toronto, Mumbai, Beijing, and Hong Kong. Ivey offers an interactive learning experience to students, which enables them to learn about administrative realities of the corporate world. Ellis H. Marrow became head of the Commercial Economics Department in 1922. After his appointment, he forged a deep bond with Harvard – his alma mater. He determined that the case-study method followed at Harvard was significantly effective and if one of the best Schools in the world was teaching this way then the Ivey MBA must be taught in this manner as well. This is why the MBA at Ivey is still taught using almost exclusively the case-study method.
The very first MBA program at the University of Western Ontario was taught in 1948. With extremely competitive faculty members who draw on their research insights and experience to educate the future leaders, Ivey is one of the best MBA schools in Canada. More than 24,000 degrees have been granted to the student, and alumni can easily be spotted all around the world, with about one in two holding superior management positions. Ivey has a very strong presence in Canada. This is the reason why countless recruiters come to the campuses from banking and consulting industries to hire Ivey graduates.
Best MBA Programs in Canada: Richard Ivey School of Business:
The MBA program offered at Ivey lasts for an entire year. Most part of the curriculum is occupied by the required main classes. Real-world projects, global learning opportunities and career management are also integrated into the course in order to provide learners an opportunity to apply their abilities in a genuine business environment. Students are given a choice to assemble their electives in the second half of the course. They can choose international management, health sector management, or take part in a new team venture. They are also offering accelerated program for learners who have already gained their bachelor’s at their school. The EMBA programs are offered at campuses in Hong Kong and Ontario. More than 300 case studies are utilized every year by the teachers to teach MBA students. While studying at Ivey, students live on campus as well as around the university. Since London is not a big city, most students have their social life based on campus.
A successful business career requires adequate business knowledge and solid foundation. Ivey’s MBA program teaches basic business techniques, and then takes learning to another level in order to develop leadership qualities of learners. Ivey is listed among the Best MBA schools in Canada, because it is the only institute that readies its students in a single year to take leadership challenges and makes them able to thrive in complicated economic conditions. The curriculum is particularly prepared to ensure career success.
Why Ivey’s offers one of the Top MBA Programs in Canada
Being one of the best MBA schools in Canada, Ivey has been producing business leaders for more than ninety years. Their motto
is to learn by doing. Best candidates are chosen from thousands of applicants and are immersed in an unusually active learning environment that increases their knowledge and experience tremendously. The Case Method Learning is in fact transformational that teaches the learners the sort of confidence and decision-making techniques that are highly preferred in every sector of business.
The Ivey MBA is one of the Best MBA Programs in Canada because it stands out in three key areas. The first is the way this MBA program is taught. Everyone knows that the best way to learn something new is to learn by doing. No amount of lectures, theoretical power points and 5000 page text books are going to change that. The Ivey MBA has adopted the Harvard way of teaching which is called Interactive Case Method Learning, this type of learning allows students to immerse themselves into real world situations and come up with creative solutions to minimize the problems. The second is who you are completing your MBA with, to get into Ivey you need a 665 GMAT score, more than $75 thousand dollars, and more than 5 years of real world experience. These criteria ensures that you will be completing your MBA with some really smart, competent and well connected individuals. When it is all said and done, the most important take away of your MBA are not the grades, essays, or assignment papers but the relationships you will form when going through your MBA. The Ivey MBA allows you to surround yourself with people who you want to form those relationships with. The third benefit of the Ivey MBA is the world class Alumni that came before you, once you get into this MBA program you automatically become part of an elite group of individuals that have graduated from the Richard Ivey School of Business. You can count of their support, influence and connections to help you succeed. Moreover, Ivey measures its success in the world of business by the achievement of their alumni. They manage the brands people use every day. Numerous companies discussed in Profit Hot 50 are started by Ivey’s alumni, and they are contributing in NGOs all over the world. They are known for their effective financial decisions and complex strategies. More than 40% of Ivey graduates are enjoying positions at Managing Director level.
Student Reviews:
Following are some negatives and positives based on the opinion of students (former/present) regarding the Richard Ivey School of Business:
- Pros
- Extremely supportive environment
- Adequate freedom to work
- A lot of room for growth
- Availability of interesting opportunities
- Good job postings
- Reasonable career development program
- Competent faculty
- Great team environment
- Cons
- Limited job postings
- Only 30-40 percent students get a job through Ivey recruitment process
- Students have to use alumni database for unofficial networking and recruiting
- Improper treatment by some senior professors
- Getting things done involves a number of unnecessary steps and approvals
Overall the MBA offered by Richard Ivey’s School of Business is a great place to learn about the business world. It has undoubtedly made its mark in the business-education sector. With the most suitable environment for both teachers and students, Ivey has earned its reputation as one of the best MBA programs in Canada.
Relevant Links:
- The Best MBA Programs in Canada – Part 1
- The Best MBA Programs in Canada – Part 2
- The Best MBA Programs in Canada – Part 3 (University of Alberta MBA Review)
- Top 5 Undergraduate Business Schools in Canada – Part 1
- ·The Best and Worst Party Universities in Canada
- What NOT to do on a Resume
