Evening Haskayne MBA

[ickyflex]

Anyone currently taking it?

Would love to hear class recommendations

[killramos]

I am currently taking it, is there anything specific you are interested in?

I haven't taken many electives so far if that's what you mean, but I took investment and portfolio management which was a good class. However, it seemed that it was fairly redundant with the intro finance class. The people who struggled the most with it were, IMO, people who had intro finance exempted from their BCOMM undergrad.

Let me know if you have any questions on the program.

[ickyflex]

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I am currently taking it, is there anything specific you are interested in?

I haven't taken many electives so far if that's what you mean, but I took investment and portfolio management which was a good class. However, it seemed that it was fairly redundant with the intro finance class. The people who struggled the most with it were, IMO, people who had intro finance exempted from their BCOMM undergrad.

Let me know if you have any questions on the program.

I already have my BCOMM so was actually just curios if there were some electives people have taken that have really been interesting over the standard typical classes one takes. A lot of new ENTI/REAL classes, so wasn't sure if they are any good!

[Buster]

Is there a big benefit to doing an MBA for a Bcomm grad?

[ickyflex]

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Is there a big benefit to doing an MBA for a Bcomm grad?

Would I choose this route if it were out of my own pocket, likely not.

Work said if I do it they will pay so that's the big reason why.

Also, the other benefit is I have to do 11/20 courses so I can crush the MBA in a year if I choose or at latest 16 months and i'm done. No GMAT either.

[Buster]

Really?

I'm not sure I'd be advertising that if I was Haskayne. Maybe there is some validity to putting more stock in a name-brand program.

But if it's easy, and work pays for it, and you weren't otherwise planning to get the letters, why not?

[ickyflex]

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Really?

I'm not sure I'd be advertising that if I was Haskayne. Maybe there is some validity to putting more stock in a name-brand program.

But if it's easy, and work pays for it, and you weren't otherwise planning to get the letters, why not?

It's a new thing as of this year (Jan 2018 Start).

Core program is 3 years 20 classes (non BCOMM). Accelerated was 5 exempt courses (15/20, 2 year program). It has since been reduced to 11/20 and a 16 month term to incentive companies to send people into the program. MBA cost for me right now is standing at about $17k to the company.

I am planning on utilizing resources on campus to get the best out of the experience instead of just crushing it for letters, which is why I was asking for class advice.

In a perfect world a BCOMM can likely take the Executive MBA (Network like a champ there), or the Queens (Exit Calgary).

That's realistically why i'd do it as a BCOMM

[Buster]

I'm not saying you are doing anything wrong personally. It's just that they are doing exactly what they would advise their students against doing: dilute the long term reputation of the brand for short term enrollment goals.

[infected]

I guess money talks.

[ickyflex]

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I'm not saying you are doing anything wrong personally. It's just that they are doing exactly what they would advise their students against doing: dilute the long term reputation of the brand for short term enrollment goals.

I think the problem is Calgary is boxed off from the rest of the world so the program was heavily tailored to O&G before. Now it's introduced Real Estate/Entrepreneurship etc. I think they are in a transition period to try and create some new types of grads that aren't so focused on O&G. The way I see it, the accelerated program cut out the redundancy to try and cut out the dilution. Does a BCOMM really need to take entry level ACCT/FNCE again. Likely not, now I don't have to. I get to pick and choose 11 classes of interest to me and learn what I want to learn. That to me makes a lot more sense and gives Business grads a condensed program that can accomplish increased enrollment but value to well to BCOMM applicants.

They have a ton of new resources as well with the introduction of the Hunter center for Innovation and are doing a lot of cross faculty projects (med students working with MBA's to launch start up medicine companies).

That's where I see the value of what they are trying to accomplish.

The main reason I said what i said earlier is because as at today it's all new, there is time to build this all out further to be a clear cut win, but as at today it's maybe 25% of where it's trying to head. I'm not going to wait 5 years to do my MBA though especially when the opportunity to get it done for free is today. So I totally get both sides, but I think it'll take time to create a new stigma around the Haskayne MBA, because arguably what they had before is worse than what they are doing now.

[austic]

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It's a new thing as of this year (Jan 2018 Start).

Core program is 3 years 20 classes (non BCOMM). Accelerated was 5 exempt courses (15/20, 2 year program). It has since been reduced to 11/20 and a 16 month term to incentive companies to send people into the program. MBA cost for me right now is standing at about $17k to the company.

I am planning on utilizing resources on campus to get the best out of the experience instead of just crushing it for letters, which is why I was asking for class advice.

In a perfect world a BCOMM can likely take the Executive MBA (Network like a champ there), or the Queens (Exit Calgary).

That's realistically why i'd do it as a BCOMM

to be honest 17K and less time commitment makes this much more of an attractive incentives to companies. I never saw the value in an MBA as I am a BCOMM CPA in a senior management role but for the cost I could likely get that approved by our CEO as the networking and client building would be worth it. I might consider this now so honestly is a smart idea for the university.

I also volunteer through an industry association that works with most of the major schools developing courses and its crazy how education institutions SAIT, Universities etc are struggling with enrollments now that companies cut there training budgets and student hiring numbers.

[killramos]

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I already have my BCOMM so was actually just curios if there were some electives people have taken that have really been interesting over the standard typical classes one takes. A lot of new ENTI/REAL classes, so wasn't sure if they are any good!

I have heard alot of good things about New Venture Finance if you can make the schedule work, I would really like to take it.

You will have alot more flexibility being a BCOMM since you have so many fewer required courses and can schedule your electives in those slots. For those of us taking the full program its really tough to get enough electives in to even graduate let alone be able to pick and choose what you want to take.

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Really?

I'm not sure I'd be advertising that if I was Haskayne. Maybe there is some validity to putting more stock in a name-brand program.

I have had some conversations with fellow classmates about this and its definitely an issue.

No interview, no GMAT, No work experience requirements, and half the courseload, and half the cost and you come out with the same MBA as everyone else. My class is full of people taking this route.

Its just a cash cow from Haskayne to sucker their former students to come back and collect a few more letters who otherwise wouldn't, and shouldn't, have bothered. Even the EMBA is a bit suspect, considering all the courses are exactly the same as the regular program ( except the profs have all made a bunch of hints that they make it even easier to pass), you are just paying more for the E and a different course schedule.

Lots of other issues with the program being too easy etc, pretty much impossible to fail anything.

It was actually funny about how dodgy they are about their lax entrance requirements when you have them in the same room about other schools at MBA recruitment conventions etc.

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I'm not saying you are doing anything wrong personally. It's just that they are doing exactly what they would advise their students against doing: dilute the long term reputation of the brand for short term enrollment goals.

End of the day I dont think anyone takes an MBA from Haskayne for any reason other than the location. I think the university has just realized that and the entire program is just a revenue tool for them at this point. Personally I was never going to apply anywhere else, so I just try and make the best of the program. You get out of it what you put into it imho, once you accept you are just paying for the letters it doesnt bother you as much.

Not being a BComm myself I have no idea of the kind of glass cielings they have so can't comment on its use. I do think they were tired of too many of their students being Engineers.

[Buster]

Ya, I'm not trying to shit on it or anything. Hell, I didn't even start putting MBA on my business card until a client of mine pointed out that I probably should. I still refuse to put it on my email signature.

[ickyflex]

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Ya, I'm not trying to shit on it or anything. Hell, I didn't even start putting MBA on my business card until a client of mine pointed out that I probably should. I still refuse to put it on my email signature.

I don't think anyone would take it that way either. I mean i'd run your same argument on the CFA. Letters in business to me have very questionable value lol

[Buster]

CFA is a bit different for me. If I'm facing a CFA, I know that person faced a mountain of shit to get those letters. It also means you are empowered to do certain things. I don't have my CFA - I've thankfully navigated to a spot where I didn't need it. But if I had it, I would certainly put it on my business card.

[killramos]

I agree on the CFA if you earned that I would be putting it behind your name especially if working in an industry where it is valuable.

[Perceptionist]

I have mixed views on the accelerated program. On one hand, I think they are diluting the brand by lowering entrance requirements and requiring less courses to get the same degree. On the other hand, I believe many of the intro courses are somewhat repetitive to Bcomm grads, and for students in the evening program, a full 20 courses can take a really long time. Many of the part-time/evening students I met that were 2+ years into the program were checked out and ready to move on with their lives. I think the best solution would be enforcing entrance requirements (no one should be in the program without a minimum GMAT score, undergrad GPA, and an interview), and failing more students that don't show up and participate in class.

As for class recommendations, I would say that individual professors make a much greater difference on the experience than the specific material. A few really great professors/courses I would recommend are Dr. Vredenburg for Social/Env Issues, Elias Foscolos for M&A, and Leighton Wilks for Business Negotiations. Specializations are over-rated; take classes that you are interested in and those that will round out your skills. If those courses get you a specialization, that's great but no one in industry will notice and it becomes trivial from my experience.

[lasimmon]

Have a few buddies currently doing this program. Something I would like to do in the future, but at this time I can not.

[killramos]

So, funny story with this talk about the new program and exemptions.

All the BComm grads in my cohort are currently trying to stage a coup against the dean because the new program allows them to take fewer classes and skip all the required courses haha.

The rest of us taking the full program and paying the full 40k are just like

Talk about a backfire...

[ickyflex]

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So, funny story with this talk about the new program and exemptions.

All the BComm grads in my cohort are currently trying to stage a coup against the dean because the new program allows them to take fewer classes and skip all the required courses haha.

The rest of us taking the full program and paying the full 40k are just like

Talk about a backfire...

My coworker was just telling me about that! I was like well shit lol.

I mean I get it and they should have totally had a plan for the prior classes.

Still though lol