More flexible MBAs

Some options less time-consuming than the classic research Master’s degree make it “easier” to add a graduate degree to your resume. The EMBA, for Executive MBA, are accelerated training courses of two years or less intended for professionals working full time. Why sign up?

This type of general training has been designed for professionals who already have good managerial experience: the engineer who wants to move away from the technical side to become a business engineer, the HR specialist who wants to link his actions to the company’s accounting and financial environment, the business consultant who aspires to understand all the details of his mandates or SME owners.

In all cases, it is necessary to have been on the job for at least five years, sometimes more, to register. Project and team management experience is considered, in most programs, for management experience.

Executive MBA programs do not train specialists, but rather provide students with an in-depth understanding of various management functions. “Our students come to get added value through work based on real issues drawn from their professional environments [which allows them to] better understand, communicate and even challenge their colleagues,” explains André Gascon, Director of Graduate Programs at the Faculty of Administration Sciences at Université Laval.

“Studying by examining and resolving real cases not only makes it possible to enhance their studies with their employer, but also to transfer their learning by being involved in the organization,” adds Guy Cucumel, director of the MBA and executives at UQAM’s School of Management Sciences (ESG).

The program

While experience is at the centre of preferred pedagogical approaches, the sharing of knowledge and know-how is fostered through teamwork. Classroom courses are delivered on weekends, at varying intervals depending on programs, but everything is designed to facilitate a balance between studies, work life — full-time, it must be remembered — and family life. The keyword is flexibility. Moreover, it is easy to retake sessions if necessary. No wonder, in this context, the courses offered online are quite popular!

International students can also register; this is the case with the ESG UQAM programme, which is offered in 12 countries. “It’s a way for these students to get a valued North American degree without having to travel,” Cucumel says.

Costs

Prices vary widely, depending on the terms of government grants for programs and the content of stays abroad. For example, the cheapest Executive MBA at ESG UQAM, the lowest priced in Quebec, costs $8,400, while the one offered jointly by McGill and HEC Montreal requires some $91,000. In between, you have to pay $20,000 at Université Laval, $49,200 at the Université de Sherbrooke and $75,000 at Concordia.

It should be noted, however, that various expenses are included in these expenses: studying abroad, computer tools, course materials, meals during class days and access to the sports centre, among others.

“The investment is worth the cost,” believes André Gascon nonetheless. According to Université Laval’s calculations, “our students are promoted with an average salary increase of 10%.”

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