Frequently Asked Questions

Whether you graduate from the FastTrack MBA or the regular MBA program, you'll receive the same degree at convocation.  There is no difference on your parchment, all students will receive a Master of Business Administration degree.  

In terms of the program, the FastTrack MBA program is designed for students who hold an undergraduate business degree. The MBA degree is typically 60-credits (20 courses).  With the FastTrack MBA, students would need to complete a minimum of 36-credits (12 courses).  Based on the grades of the core courses you completed during your undergrad, FastTrack MBA students would be required to complete between 12 and 17 courses to meet their MBA requirements.

For the most part, the application requirements are the same between the FastTrack MBA program and the regular MBA program. The main differences are that applicants will need an undergraduate business degree with a 3.2 GPA from a recognized Canadian or US university as well as three years of post-graduate work experience.

If you've graduated from the University of Alberta Bachelor of Commerce program, you would not need to include a GMAT or GRE score as part of your application.

Typically, no.  Applicants would need three years of post-graduate work experience after completion of their BCom degree. Work experience is an important qualification for our FastTrack program and is something we require from applicants. There are a number of reasons we require applicants to have professional experience prior to entering the FastTrack MBA program. Being able to draw on professional experience allows you to actively contribute to in-class discussions and draw parallels between business principles and your prior organizations' practices. Work experience is also beneficial when it comes to post-MBA employment outcomes. 

We do recognize some students may pursue their undergraduate degree later in life or gradually complete their studies on a part-time basis.  Depending on the circumstances, we may be able to consider applicants with significant professional experience who recently completed their undergraduate degree in Business.

There are numerous benefits associated with earning an MBA in combination with already holding a BCom degree. BCom grads are eligible to complete a reduced course load, meaning not only will the length of their Master’s degree be shortened but tuition costs will also be reduced. In addition, upon graduation from the MBA program, students will likely be eligible for a higher salary and/or promotion at their existing organizations. MBA grads are also prone to take on more managerial and leadership positions while also having the ability to accelerate their career path. This is due to the dedicated career support and one-on-one career coaching made available to MBA students. And finally, the MBA program will increase and diversify both students’ professional and personal network.

There are a number of differences between undergraduate business classes and graduate-level business classes. MBA classes tend to be more collaborative while BCom classes fall more in line with being lecture based. MBA classes are hands-on and incorporate learning from your peers’ experiences as well as the professors’.  With MBA students coming from a wide range of backgrounds, you'll get exposure to many different industries and disciplines.

MBA classes also integrate more real-life learning into classes with cases and the ability to work with live organizations.  In addition, students have the opportunity to select different Career Tracks or areas of focus in their MBA program that differ from the major or minor they selected in their BCom program and are able to tailor their program to their career goals and interests. 

While you may get to take courses from some of the same professors you loved during your undergrad, a number of professors teach exclusively within the MBA program.  With MBA students coming from a wide range of backgrounds, you'll gain exposure to different viewpoints and perspectives.  With a different focus in courses, different professors, and a very different class composition, there is minimal overlap with your undergraduate experience.

The benefits of pursuing an MBA degree go beyond what you'll learn in the classroom.  The MBA is great tool to build and broaden your personal and professional network.  Building an accessible and supportive local network will pay dividends well into the future.  

One other benefit for UAlberta BCom grads, you would be eligible for a GMAT/GRE waiver with an undergrad GPA of 3.0 or higher.