B.C. MBA OPTIONS

Researching businesses and business models that can be a force for good

Dr. Heather Hachigian’s research exists at the intersection of money, the marketplace and the common good — and that intersection is located squarely on Main Street.

Hachigian is an assistant professor teaching in the master of global management program and the graduate certificate in corporate social innovation at Royal Roads University. She’s exploring the free-market economy’s role in social progress.

“How do we allocate capital in a way that aligns with advancing society, investing in ways that make society more equitable and just, and more inclusive and more environmentally sustainable as well?’” Hachigian asks.

That shift requires what she calls “long-termism in decision making,” meaning businesses take actions that are conscious of the impacts of climate change and social inequality.

YOUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK

With funding from the federal Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, Hachigian and her associates are working in partnership with the City of Victoria, B.C. government and civic governments in other coastal communities to study the impact of incorporating social procurement policies into their agendas.

Buying goods and services based on the lowest price is “missing those opportunities to connect the procurement decisions with some of their other policy interests around promoting employment… or solutions to poverty,” she says.

“The lowest-price approach has been the dominant one for so long, there’s this big shift that’s needed,” Hachigian says.

Her goal is to provide a consistent and transparent measurement framework for making decisions that can be used by a variety of governments and other public-sector buyers, like universities and health authorities.

THE SOCIAL NETWORKS

Another of Hachigian’s research projects is developing a toolkit to measure the impact of social ventures: companies that address social and environmental problems. That could include producing and distributing products or services that address needs of low-income communities or individuals, or creating public benefits that are often left out of traditional business models.

One example she cites is D-Light, which distributes sustainable sources of electricity and lighting to some of the two billion people around the world without reliable access to electricity.

Hachigian says being able to measure the outcomes these ventures create is essential to attracting investors who want to see social impact returns along with financial ones. Impact measurement also ensures that ventures and investors are valuing and prioritizing the right things and can help ventures in achieving their social or environmental missions.

CANDY FOR THE GREATER GOOD

Hachigian’s project with Scale Collaborative explores the possibilities for keeping a small business alive after the departure of a founder. Main Street businesses “are a critical part of community infrastructure throughout B.C. and being lost at an alarming rate,” and “retiring or tired owners are often unable to find local buyers and face the hard choice of closing or selling at a discount to large, distant buyers.”

Coombs Country Candy, founded by Murray Lawlor, a Vancouver Island tourist attraction, ran for 26 years in Port Alberni until 2020, when Lawlor and his wife decided to retire. Lawlor sold the business — and his time-honed candy recipes — to the non-profit organization Community Futures Alberni-Clayoquot, which runs it as a social enterprise, re-investing some of the profits back into the community.

Hachigian says non-profits recognize the value of “Main Street” businesses to their communities and to themselves, including diversification of revenue. Her team has developed an toolkit to guide non-profits considering getting into business, and they’re holding workshops around Vancouver Island to share that information and encourage organizations to purchase suitable businesses “that are core to the community” rather than start social ventures from scratch.

“[We’re] not suggesting that non-profits and charities run in and save every business that’s about to close its doors,” Hachigian says, noting a crucial part of her research is developing criteria for identifying businesses suitable for transitioning to social enterprise. “We’re trying to get at those businesses that are core to community … that provide that sense of place and connection.”

Central to her work is the hope that “the research helps to surface real examples of business and investment models that meaningfully lead to advancing more inclusive societies.… A model of business of being a force for good.”

This profile was written by Richard Dal Monte and submitted by Royal Roads University.

Innovative MBA programs let students draw on a wealth of knowledge

Over the past 40 years, Simon Fraser University’s (SFU) Beedie School of Business has emerged as a world-class teaching and learning destination, renowned for its thought-leadership, gender-balanced cohorts and innovative MBAs.

We have been redefining success and making bold moves as a school of firsts: the first in Canada to offer an executive MBA (EMBA); the first in the country to offer a management of technology MBA; and the first and only university in North America to offer an Indigenous business leadership executive MBA.

SFU Beedie is supported by extensive partnerships with public, private and not-for-profit organizations. We are proud to develop diverse, broadly educated, enterprising and socially responsible leaders eager to make lasting contributions to their communities and organizations.

This ethos has made us a destination for inquisitive minds from across the globe seeking new ways of doing business. We have been named in the Top 10 business schools in Canada, the No. 1 innovative university in Canada, third in the world for entrepreneurial spirit and the No. 1 comprehensive university in Canada. All of this has earned us double accreditation, placing us among the world’s 1% of business schools with this distinction.

As we celebrate our past as a business school born from SFU’s radical roots, we look forward to continuing to inspire our students to “redefine radical” as the world seeks new ways of doing business and new kinds of leadership. For those wanting to lead change, we encourage you to learn more about SFU Beedie’s Segal Graduate School of Business.

FULL-TIME MBA IN DOWNTOWN VANCOUVER

With a small class and tight-knit cohort, the full-time MBA — which includes 12 months of academics and a four-month work term — helps students grow professionally and personally to realize their career potential. On average, 92% of graduates find a job within three months after graduation.

EXECUTIVE MBA — CANADA’S FIRST EMBA

For those who have already accomplished a lot in their careers, the EMBA is the catalyst that will give them the executive-level support and knowledge to unlock their full leadership potential. Students develop the confidence and capabilities to drive business strategy at the senior management level.

INDIGENOUS BUSINESS LEADERSHIP EXECUTIVE MBA

The Indigenous business leadership executive MBA program is designed by and for Indigenous people to reflect the realities of doing business with Indigenous communities in the modern-day economy. It is the only accredited MBA program in North America addressing Indigenous business, economic development and entrepreneurship. This cohort-based program supports mid-career Indigenous leaders from many Nations in learning business theory, and invites community wisdom and Indigenous worldviews to co-create transformational learning spaces.

PART-TIME MBA IN SURREY

Because students don’t have to quit their job to pursue the part-time MBA, they can bring their learnings to the office and their work challenges to the classroom. Of the 2018 cohort, 48% received promotions within four months of graduation.

MANAGEMENT OF TECHNOLOGY MBA

Optimized for tech, the management of technology MBA is the first of its kind in Canada and gives students all the cutting-edge business best practices they expect from a top-tier MBA, plus tools and contacts that will help them lead in the technology sector.

ALUMNI NETWORK FOR LIFE

Completing a program at SFU Beedie gives alumni lifetime membership into an exceptional group of more than 25,000 leaders, innovators and gamechangers around the world. Many SFU Beedie alumni remain highly engaged with the school, sharing their experience and expertise and giving back to the community. Visit beedie.sfu.ca/graduate to learn more.

This profile was submitted by Simon Fraser University’s Beedie School of Business.

Achieve an MBA with maximum flexibility and choice

There are no one-size-fits-all business solutions. There is no one-size-fits-all MBA, either.

Take Guylene Shaw. In 2018, she was looking to build on her accounting background and transition to a hands-on career making a difference in people’s lives. With an eye to a future PhD and teaching career, she started her MBA at Thompson Rivers University (TRU) in the thesis stream, focusing her research on the barriers that policy can place on access to cannabidiol (CBD) as a treatment for children with neurodiverse disabilities.

“I wanted my research to open up other possibilities and have my eye on health sciences. I was looking at the School of Nursing and the research happening in cannabis and pediatrics,” Shaw says. “It was so interesting to connect with parents and hear about their experiences, and it offered a lot of research opportunities with business implications as well.”

The TRU MBA is one of the most flexible programs in Canada. It’s designed for working professionals like Shaw — people who want a flexible schedule and the opportunity to specialize through a research project or thesis — as well as recent graduates. The course stream, which offers additional courses in advanced management topics and can be completed in as few as 12 months, is a great option for those looking to launch their careers quickly. And all students can complete the program in class at TRU’s Kamloops campus, online through TRU Open Learning (TRU’s online and distance education division) or through a mix of both.

After completing the MBA’s core courses, Shaw ultimately chose to switch from the thesis to the project stream, which she finished in December 2021. Her advisors suggested the move, pointing out that a project would allow her to specialize, but was a more manageable commitment while balancing school with a job and young family.

“I took four semesters for my research, so I was really able to be very in-depth and also take summers off with my children,” Shaw says. “But some of my cohorts, I know they chose the TRU MBA because they could finish it in 12 months, so it really is a program that is useful for so many.”

NEW HYBRID LEARNING OPTIONS

Recently, instructors in TRU’s master in environmental economics and management (MEEM) and master of science in environmental economics and management (MScEEM) have made changes that allow more students to participate in face-to-face learning without leaving their own communities.

“This term, we launched a hybrid classroom for all our MEEM and MScEEM 6000-level courses. So if you work in Toronto or Vancouver and can’t relocate to Kamloops, we’re able to give you as close to an in-class experience as we can,” says Joel Wood, associate professor in environmental economics and interim program coordinator.

In this hybrid model, TVs and microphones are set up throughout the classroom to allow students to attend via video conferencing and participate in lectures and small breakout groups.

“In my class right now, I have a student who is an online MBA student who takes his courses through Open Learning and is taking my environmental economics course as an elective. As an online MBA student, this allows him to broaden his experience in the program,” Wood says.

Wood says they’re currently collecting feedback with an eye to expand their online MEEM and MScEEM enrolments. It’s all part of their goal to attract the best students, whether they learn on or off campus, by providing opportunities to pursue research, networking and mentoring with business professionals and community leaders.

To learn more about the TRU MBA, visit tru.ca/MBA or contact mba@tru. ca. To learn more about the MEEM and MScEEM programs, visit tru.ca/eem or email eem@tru.ca.

This profile was submitted by Thompson Rivers University’s School of Business and Economics.

An MBA and executive MBA with connected cohorts and purpose-driven learning

The world needs people who are not only organizational leaders, but also agents of positive change. At Trinity Western University (TWU), MBA and executive MBA (EMBA) candidates are challenged to investigate not only how they do business, but why, through interaction among professionals from various sectors and industries.

“With our classmates, we share our learnings and experiences. We all have rich experiences in different industries and businesses. These are the lessons we cannot simply read from a textbook,” says EMBA candidate Sky Tong, who is an area sales manager for a national banking corporation.

To meet the needs of working professionals, TWU’s School of Business MBA programs work with candidates to design a personalized program that allows them to achieve their professional development goals, and that accommodates their busy schedules. Depending on the specialization, graduates earn their degree in 12 months to 18 months through full-time studies, or in 21 months to five years using a blended format.

The difference of a TWU MBA and EMBA program is the close network of like-minded professionals and small cohort sizes that provide individualized attention. Beyond gaining knowledge, graduates build connections with peers and faculty members that will last a lifetime. When things get tough in life, the TWU graduate is never alone.

“There are about six people I still keep in contact with from the program, and we all reach out to each other on various things,” says Grace Chiu, an MBA graduate and now senior manager of regional marketing at a national bank. “Plus, when you make connections with people who aren’t in the same industry, you also gain insights into other industries, which could also lead to other career paths.”

Thomas Spraggs, a 2013 MBA graduate who owns a law firm, says that TWU’s MBA “has been the most valuable education” in his academic journey and that “the program provoked reflection on ethical conduct in all aspects of business.” He adds: “These considerations have been personally fulfilling and have provided a renewed appreciation that business can be both ethical and financially rewarding.”

The concept of creating and doing business with purposeful vision is woven into the fabric of the Trinity Western experience. In fact, the TWU School of Business is a member of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, an organization that sets standards in the world of business education with the aim to create a generation of leaders who strive for global prosperity.

TWU MBA programs are offered at Langley and Richmond campuses. The program offers three specializations: international business, management of the growing enterprise, and non-profit and charitable organization management. Each specialization is tailored so that students can integrate their personal and professional goals into the courses and apply what they’re learning directly within their professional practice.

Trinity Western launched its EMBA program this past fall. Future students can apply now to be in the 2022 cohort of a new class of executive leaders.

ADMISSIONS

Tuition for the 12-to-18-month fulltime MBA with a specialization in international business is $36,225 ($805 per semester hour), plus additional travel costs for the international study trip. The international business specialization has a rolling entry throughout the year, allowing students to begin in any month.

Tuition for the 21-month MBA with specialization in managing the growing enterprise or non-profit and charitable organization management is $34,200 ($760 per semester hour). Students can start the program at the beginning of each term, allowing applications to be received year-round. The most common entry point is in August of each year. Scholarships are available. Tuition costs for the EMBA are $45,000. Students can start the EMBA in September of each year.

To learn more, email gradadmissions@ twu.ca or visit twu.ca/mba.

This profile was submitted by Trinity Western University’s School of Business.

UBC Sauder’s top-ranking innovative programs equip students to become responsible and effective leaders

The University of British Columbia’s (UBC) Sauder School of Business empowers students to transform their careers and develop the global perspective required to take on today’s complex business challenges. The school’s graduate programs are focused on developing not only technical and business skills, but also emotional intelligence, a trait sought-after by employers.

In 2021, UBC launched the Montalbano Centre for Responsible Leadership to promote responsible leadership as a core value, a skillset and as an emerging field of discipline. UBC Sauder is also home to the Peter P. Dhillon Centre for Business Ethics, which is the only Canadian business school taking a focused and comprehensive approach to business ethics teaching, research and outreach. Woven throughout the core curriculum, students are pushed to consider ethics, social and environmental sustainability as essential components to business strategy.

Ranked the No. 30 university in the world for business administration by ARWU Global Ranking of Academic Subjects 2021, and the No. 1 business program in Canada by Maclean’s University Rankings 2022, UBC Sauder is the only Canadian member of the prestigious Global Network for Advanced Management, a collaboration of 32 top business schools spearheaded by the Yale School of Management.

FULL-TIME MBA

The 16-month full-time MBA equips students to strategize like a CEO. Small class sizes and various mentorship programs are designed to support students in developing their personal career goals. UBC Sauder offers five career tracks: technology analytics leadership; finance; product and service management; innovation and entrepreneurship; and a custom track tailored to individual career objectives. An innovative classroom curriculum offers hands-on experiences and opportunities to learn from senior business leaders, as well as courses in ethics and corporate responsibility.

PROFESSIONAL MBA

UBC Sauder’s part-time professional MBA propels careers without taking students away from their current place of employment. The 24-month program is designed around a full-time work schedule: classes take place every two to three weekends, all exams are online, winter and summer breaks are included and three separate eight-day professional residencies help students deepen their network.

Through collaborative coursework and personalized career coaching, students develop an ethical leadership style, deepen their understanding of the inner workings of an organization and cultivate strategic thinking skills. Each year, students have the opportunity to connect virtually with MBA candidates around the world to collaborate on projects.

MASTER OF BUSINESS ANALYTICS

The 12-month master in business analytics (MBAN) includes data management, data analytics and decision analytics. As part of a global network, MBA candidates from around the world connect virtually to collaborate on projects and gain skills working in a global business setting. Students learn how to make strategically sound recommendations and data-driven business decisions.

MBAN candidates acquire the professional skills to complement academic accomplishments. All candidates participate in a four-month internship to consult on an analytical challenge faced by a partner company or non-profit organization. Students can apply for a traditional internship contributing to an analytics project on-site at a partner company in Vancouver. Past industry partners include Telus, Boeing Vancouver and the Fraser Health Authority.

COSTS AND APPLICATION DEADLINES

■ Runs from August 2022 to December 2023 ■ Cost for Canadian citizens and permanent residents: $51,417 ■ Final application deadline: May 3, 2022

■ Starts in January of an academic year; next intake is January 2023 to

December 2024 ■ Cost for Canadian citizens and permanent residents: $51,417 (UBC may adjust fees at any time with limited notice) ■ Applications for January 2023 entry will be accepted starting in January 17, 2022

■ Runs from August 2022 to August 2023 ■ Cost for Canadian citizens and permanent residents: $41,956. ■ Final application deadline: April 12, 2022

■ Runs from August 2022 to May 2023 ■ Cost for Canadian citizens and permanent residents: $31,425 ■ Final application deadline: April 5, 2022

Visit sauder.ubc.ca to learn more.

This profile was submitted by the University of British Columbia Sauder School of Business.

A diverse learning model at the University of Northern British Columbia is providing MBA students the confidence to face their business challenges head-on.

“The MBA at UNBC gave me the confidence to step out of my comfort zone,” says Shane Sienaert, a 2019 MBA graduate and wealth management director for Assante Wealth Management. “I now have the ability to create solutions to issues I might not have thought about before. After finishing the program, I am not intimidated by things I do not know.”

UNBC’s MBA reflects the versatile skillset required of today’s business leaders, with the intent of preparing students for the complex business world. It covers a vast range of topics, including business and corporate strategy, managerial economics, accounting, corporate finance, organizational behaviour, marketing, operations management, strategy implementation, financial management and project management.

The diverse range of courses gives students the essential knowledge and understanding to navigate the business environment they work in.

“The knowledge that you gain you are able to immediately apply in the workforce,” says Andrea Born, an MBA alumna. “It makes you a better person. It makes you a better business person.”

Beyond the various topics of study, students also find they benefit from being in a classroom with peers from diverse sectors. In fact, the MBA program places an emphasis on peer-to-peer learning through group work and is devoted to bringing together professionals from an assortment of fields. Graduates consistently state that being in a cohort with peers from different business backgrounds was the greatest advantage to them because they were able to experience new perspectives and acquire skills they would not have learned anywhere else. Being part of a unique cohort challenged them to think differently, try new things and connect what they learned to their own profession.

“The MBA will help you in any business to do things smarter,” says Sylvain Godbout, a 2017 MBA graduate. “It is a safe environment to try your argumentative self, to come out of your shell, to do things you are not normally comfortable doing.”

Students also have the option to conduct a capstone project with support from their instructors. This practical learning opportunity enables them to apply relevant theory to an actual challenge in their own company that they will work to overcome during their degree.

With the program offered in Prince George and Vancouver, students have the option to attend courses in either location, and those who travel for work are able to schedule class times around their career. Additionally, though it is a full-time degree, classes meet just one weekend a month, giving students even more flexibility to balance school with their personal and professional lives.

“Being a new father when I started the program there were other individuals that had families, so you really got to share that challenge with your cohort,” says Sienaert. “You could step up and help each other, or just know that sometimes it is tough to have a balance of everything and you are not alone.”

To learn more about the UNBC MBA, visit unbc.ca/mba or contact a program representative via email at mba@unbc.ca.

This profile was submitted by the University of Northern British Columbia.

Incorporating sustainability into business learning and leadership

Developing a meaningful career isn’t as simple as it used to be. The world is changing, and the future requires a different kind of thinking.

“I became interested in the finance sector during the sustainable finance course,” says Daan Arscott, an MBA candidate at the University of Victoria’s (UVic) MBA in sustainable innovation, commenting on a co-op work term in finance that he recently completed. “The emphasis on the finance sector’s role in building a sustainable future resonated with my values to create change with my MBA.”

Sustainable innovation is not an add-on in the UVic MBA. One of the first business schools to be fully carbon neutral, with leading researchers in sustainable business and supported by an established Centre for Social and Sustainable Innovation, the Gustavson School of Business has fully integrated these concepts and their real-world application into its offerings.

Offered in daytime and weekend program formats, the MBA in sustainable innovation is geared towards established professionals seeking a new way of doing business. Students learn new ways of looking at innovation, management and leadership through a curriculum designed with sustainability at its core. They are part of a community of creative thinkers who share a passion for sustainability and define for themselves what the future of business will look like.

DAYTIME PROGRAM STREAM

The daytime MBA takes place over 16 months and is an immersive, full-time experience. It is delivered in a unique block format consisting of three integrated courses taught intensively over a six-week period. The program is four terms, one of which is a co-op work term.

Students will collaborate closely with peers from all over the world. Real-world projects, integrated across different business disciplines, develop skills and decision-making.

Daytime cohorts are up to 40 students with one intake in September every year.

WEEKEND PROGRAM STREAM

The weekend MBA takes place over 24 months. The program is tailor-made to be manageable for working professionals. Regular classes — four weekends per term, 12 weekends per year — are blended with assignments and online teamwork between weekends.

Weekend students are practising professionals; people from backgrounds in large and small business, from startups to multinationals, from private sector to public sector, from for-profit to not-forprofit. What they share is the drive and experience to make a real difference in the world.

Weekend cohorts are made up of up to 24 students, with one intake in September every year.

PROGRAM FEATURES

Courses are taught in blocks of three courses at a time. Integrated projects put learning from courses into practice through simulations, actual clients, impact investing portfolios and industry analysis. All students also complete a team-based capstone consulting project with a client.

Throughout the MBA, students participate actively in a professional development course. They develop their long-range life and career vision, and actively work towards it while in the program.

The UVic MBA in sustainable innovation is affordable. The total cost (including tuition, program fees and travel costs for the international project) is approximately $35,000 for domestic students.

UVic’s Gill Graduate School offers two full-time, one-year pre-experience master’s degrees. These graduate programs enable students to further their post-graduate studies right after their undergraduate degree. Like all Gustavson programs, these degrees are cohort-based, and provide students with a rigorous academic program and experiential learning opportunities through a sustainability-focused lens.

MASTER OF GLOBAL BUSINESS (MGB)

With a focus on cross-cultural skills and global business knowledge, the MGB program includes an academic component with study modules in three countries and a global internship.

MASTER OF MANAGEMENT (MM)

Designed for non-business graduates pursuing careers in diverse organizational settings, the MM program develops collaborative minds, nimble thinkers and creative problem solvers capable of tackling today’s complex societal and organizational issues.

For more information, visit uvic.ca/ gustavson.

This profile was submitted by the University of Victoria’s Gustavson School of Business.

Redesigned program emphasizes critical thinking, digital literacy and a growth mindset

The master in business administration program at Vancouver Island University (VIU) is disrupting the traditional educational model. Recently redesigned, the program draws heavily on active learning and boasts an integrated curriculum, with the goal of ensuring graduates can leverage the challenges of an increasingly complex, digital, interconnected world. The program equips students to act as global citizens by incorporating financial, social and environmental perspectives in organizational and business decisions. In addition to disciplinary knowledge around accounting, finance, management, economics and marketing, the program emphasizes critical thinking, ethical decision-making, technical and digital literacy and the development of a growth mindset.

VIU’s faculty of management is defined by six fundamental values: teaching excellence, intimate class sizes, applied focus, faculty-student interaction, an international outlook and an unrelenting drive for academic and employment success. The MBA program begins with an introductory module that builds a strong learning cohort and a common foundation around intercultural and learning literacies. Students are given every opportunity to shine, empowered by career coaching, work-integrated learning, internships and hands-on experiences.

AN INTEGRATED LEARNING EXPERIENCE

The MBA learning pathway reflects the increasingly integrated nature of management. A series of intensive modules are designed to build upon each other, incorporating critical elements of the business disciplines. The focus is student engagement with — and application of — knowledge to address the challenges of tomorrow’s business landscape. A two-week break at the end of each semester ensures downtime to support knowledge retention, career exploration and optional field school opportunities. Upon successful completion of coursework, students undertake a four-month internship. Working with an industry mentor, they identify a significant organizational problem that will be used to write an applied business project under faculty supervision.

DIGITAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL SAVVY

The VIU MBA is one of the most technologically integrated programs in Canada, with data analytics embedded in research courses and four dedicated, technology-focused courses. Students explore phenomena such as surveillance capitalism and digital media management, and graduate with specialized expertise on how the digital and technological landscape influences an organization’s entire value chain.

DYNAMIC GLOBAL SETTING

Students in VIU’s MBA program experience a dynamic global setting with peers and faculty from all over the world. The diversity of the students and faculty provides a relevant global perspective for today’s business world. VIU faculty members bring a unique combination of industry-based expertise and international experience into the classroom, providing academic rigour to real-world examples and cases from their own experience.

Program graduates are confident leaders with the ability to navigate the complex, integrated nature of demanding careers that require a growth mindset and creative and critical thinking as foundational skillsets. VIU offers an ideal program for the adventurous, the ambitious and those wanting to embrace the digital age. To learn more, visit viu. ca/mba.

This profile was submitted by Vancouver Island University.