THE
DEGROOTE M.B.A.: INSPIRING INNOVATION AND DISCOVERY
Innovation, vision, and forward thinking are
what make a great institution. The DeGroote School of Business is the
epitome of those qualities.
McMaster University and the DeGroote School of Business have earned a
strong reputation as a centre for academic excellence in the areas of
innovation and research. Since 1952, McMaster University has offered an
internationally recognized program in business. In 1992, the School of
Business became the first named business school in Canada, thanks to the
generous support of entrepreneur Michael G. DeGroote. Our benefactor’s
financial leadership, along with that of other major supporters, ensures
that the DeGroote School of Business continues to be recognized as an
international leader in innovative approaches to teaching, learning, and
working within the business community.
As Canada’s premier co-op M.B.A. school, our experiential philosophy
provides all of our M.B.A. students with a competitive advantage through
valuable work terms, case study instruction, and research symposia.
Working with industry professionals in the day-to-day operations of
business gives our students real-world experience to augment classroom
theory.
Paul Bates, Dean
Programs and Curricular Focus
The DeGroote School of Business at McMaster University has earned a
strong reputation as a centre for academic excellence in the areas of
innovation and research. An integral part of the innovative culture is
the focus on experiential learning that enables students to gain
hands-on experience that not only stimulates learning, but also leads to
personal development and discovery.
Highest ROI in Canada - Canadian Business Magazine reports DeGroote
offers the highest Return on Investment of 131% of any MBA Program in
Canada. DeGroote MBA students continue to score among the highest in
North America in a recent Major Field Test (MFT) conducted by the
Educational Testing Service (ETS) – the largest educational assessment
in the world.
Leadership, ethics, and innovation are an integral part of the
curriculum, and a wide range of program options are available to enable
M.B.A. students to acquire a business education appropriate to their
individual needs. DeGroote offers innovative areas of specialization
including eBusiness, management of innovation and new technology, health
services management, and strategic business valuation. DeGroote also
offers the traditional areas of concentration—accounting and financial
management services, finance, supply chain management, strategic
marketing, and a general M.B.A., along with a CMA/MBA specializing in
managerial accounting.
Those students who are interested in combining an M.B.A. education with
developmental, career-oriented work experience find the co-op program
very appealing. The co-op experience provides both the student and the
School with a continuing interaction between the classroom and the
workplace, as job-site experience is integrated into the classroom in a
variety of ways. Each year, a limited number of co-op positions are made
available to international students.
Lauded year after year as one of the country’s “most innovative”
research-intensive universities, McMaster and the DeGroote School of
Business boast faculty members who are committed to turning their ideas
and insights into innovative solutions and taking them forward into the
marketplace.
Students and the M.B.A. Experience
Students in the M.B.A. program are one of the program’s best resources
and one of the reasons for its high acclaim. Typically successful
applicants’ GMAT scores for the 200 students in each entering class
range upward from 600; have backgrounds in engineering, social sciences,
science, business, kinesiology/health sciences, and humanities; and work
experience in a variety of sectors. Students come from across Canada and
a dozen other countries.
The University and Environs
McMaster University is located in the city of Hamilton—a safe,
cosmopolitan city and a hidden treasure among Canada’s major centres.
Hamilton is small enough that students feel a sense of belonging to the
community yet large enough to provide all the amenities of a larger
city, such as restaurants to suit any taste, and a wide variety of
entertainment and sports facilities. In addition, the cost of living in
Hamilton is quite affordable in comparison to living in Toronto.
Situated on the shores of Lake Ontario, Hamilton is home to the
world-famous Royal Botanical Gardens, numerous wildlife areas, parks,
and miles of waterfront trails. McMaster’s own beautiful campus is
situated in the west end of the city on approximately 300 acres of
natural parkland. The campus atmosphere is friendly, casual, and
multicultural, with students from as many as seventy different
countries.
Hamilton is a 1-hour drive from Niagara Falls and Toronto. For those
choosing to commute, the McMaster campus is close to major highways and
convenient transit service is available from Toronto.
Facilities
M.B.A. students who wish to become traders, investment advisers, or
risk managers have an opportunity for hands-on experience. The Allen H.
Gould Trading Floor, located in the DeGroote School of Business,
comprises twenty-one state-of-the-art computer terminals and three
Trans-Lux display boards. These deliver real-time data from all Canadian
exchanges, the Chicago Board of Trade, and the New York Stock Exchange.
This equipment provides students with the opportunity to experience how
the markets work and to develop the skills demanded by today’s volatile
business environment.
Facilities for the School’s e-business classes include two computer
labs equipped with a total of thirty computers loaded with the latest
software. In addition, a new, state-of-the-art classroom featuring a
total of fifty-five computers provides students with opportunities for
hands-on learning.
Placement
The DeGroote Centre for Business Career Development (CBCD) partners
with a broad base of employers. It delivers seamless, on campus company
information sessions and career recruiting. Employment support services
are provided for summer, full-time and immediate job opening
opportunities.
Admission
The DeGroote School of Business takes great care in reviewing each
individual application. While academic performance and test scores are
important measures, the School considers other critical variables with
equal weight:
1. proven leadership capabilities
2. workplace experience
3. ethical maturity
4. business aptitude
5. community involvement
6. breadth of character
7. overall contribution to society
The overall GMAT score is considered in its totality. Verbal and
quantitative results are also separated, enabling a complete
understanding of skills.
In addition, successful candidates typically have a minimum B average in
each of the most recent two years of university studies.
A typical registrant will have a minimum of one year work experience.
This work experience is varied. The School is interested in not only the
type of work, but also the quality of that work and the full scope of
professional and personal activities.
Each year, a small number of applicants who do not have an
undergraduate university degree are accepted into the program. Such
applicants must have very extensive work experience (a minimum of seven
years) to be considered for admission.
Finances
Financial assistance is available to qualified students in the form of
teaching assistantships, scholarships, bursaries, and loans. Preference
is given to advanced-level students in awarding teaching assistantships,
while the majority of scholarship offers are made to entering students.
A number of scholarships valued from $1000 to $10,000 are available to
qualified students as entry and in-course scholarships
Application Facts and Dates
The deadline for applications is June 15th each year for entry in
September. Application may be made online via the School’s Web site
(listed below) or students may contact:
DeGroote Student Recruitment Centre
McMaster University
1280 Main Street West
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada L8S 4M4
Phone: 905-525-9140, Ext. 27024
E-mail: mbainfo@mcmaster.ca
Website: http://www.degroote.mcmaster.ca
