Earning an MBA can seem like a daunting challenge, but it’s normal to feel nervous. You are about to jump head first into a program with the most ambitious, competitive, and brilliant of your peers. The good news is that in Canada, the ball is in your court, with numerous ways you can attend b-school that work around your life. Whether you want to dive right in and walk away with superior credentials within a year or study on evenings or alternate weekends while you continue to work, it’s possible to strive for the next stage of your career on your own schedule.

1 Year Fast Track

This program is designed for students who know exactly where they want to go and won’t let anything stand in their way. There are a number of specializations you can take (although you can also keep your elective courses generalized), and critics disagree over which is the better path to take. If you already have a lot of work experience and you want to keep working in your industry at a management level, specialize your 1 year MBA. Common specializations include:

• Accounting


• Financial Management


• Supply Chain Management


• Marketing


• Organizational Behaviour

The 1 year MBA comes at a lower tuition than 2-year programs, and you can get back to work (with higher salary expectations) sooner.

Coop MBA

The Lazaridis School of Business &Economics formerly known as the Laurier School of Business & Economics was the second business school in the country to offer an MBA degree with an internship program. If you’re going directly into your Masters from a BA or if you’re changing careers with little to no relevant work experience in the field, a coop is an important way to gain experience and build relationships with potential employers. With very strong ties to the business community the MBA with Co-op at Lazaridis offers candidates the unique opportunity of gaining work experience while pursuing the MBA degree. This program allows students the chance to work in different areas of the work force and helps them decide what they may like to do with their careers.

Entrepreneurship

In addition to an abundance of internship opportunities, students are also close to the innovative tech hub centered around Kitchener-Waterloo, where tech startups and incubators abound in an innovation-friendly economy. If you want to earn your MBA and start your own company, find out about innovative entrepreneurship programs at https://lazaridismba.ca/. The program allows you to earn credit for starting your company, but more importantly, they also have programs in place to help you find funding for your project, and even find your company space at the Communitech Hub startup incubator.

Part time: Evenings or Alternate Weekends

Another way to earn your degree is to study on evenings or alternate weekends while you continue to work. This may geographically limit you to a b-school in commuting distance, but it allows you to continue your career and offset the cost of studying by continuing to work. You’ll be busy, but most programs are nevertheless designed for people who want to balance work, school, and family. Whichever path you take, you’re taking the right first step toward your future career.