Best Canadian universities for MBA and management programs

As an international student, a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) or a degree in Management, Business, or Marketing from a Canadian university can add immense value to your professional career. Whether you’re planning to work in Canada after your education or return to your home country with international credentials and a global management outlook, a Canadian degree can put you on a path to success.

MBA and Masters’ programs in Business or Management streams are graduate programs, which means that you can only apply to these after completing your undergraduate or Bachelor’s degree. However, you can get an early start by opting for undergraduate programs in Management or Commerce in Canada right out of school. Many Canadian universities accept international students who’ve been educated in other countries, but the fees and eligibility criteria for domestic and international students usually differ.

If you aren’t sure about the universities you should be targeting, we’ll showcase some of the best Canadian universities for MBA and Management, the programs they offer, including Marketing, Commerce, and Business, the fees for international students, and the broad admission requirements you’ll need to meet.

In this article:

Eligibility criteria for admission into management programs in Canada
Top Canadian universities for MBA and Management programs

Haven’t narrowed down on a study program in Canada?
Find out more about the best Canadian universities overall and read our tips on choosing the right study program.

Eligibility criteria for admission into management programs in Canada

Undergraduate programs in Commerce and Management

For admission into undergraduate programs in Canada, you’ll typically need a good academic background and a high school equivalent diploma. University admissions are generally competitive, so the better your academic grades, the higher your chances of receiving an offer of admission.

If English isn’t your first language, most post-secondary schools will require you to take the IELTS or TOEFL test to assess your language skills. Depending on the university and program you’re applying to, you may also need to have studied certain subjects in school, such as high school level English and mathematics.

Many Canadian universities also take into account your previous extra-curricular achievements, such as participation in sports or volunteer work. Once your application is selected, you may need to sit for one or multiple rounds of interviews.

MBA or Graduate programs in Management, Business, or Marketing

For graduate programs like MBA or Masters programs in Business or Management streams, Canadian universities will require you to have an appropriate Bachelor’s degree or its equivalent from your home country. You’ll also need a good GPA, as well as a Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) or Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) score that is over their minimum threshold. GMAT is usually the preferred option and while most schools don’t disclose their GMAT cut-off, you can check the average scores of former or current students who were accepted into the program to get a better idea of what your target score should be.

In most cases, you’ll only be eligible to apply for an MBA in Canada if you have at least two years of work experience with supporting professional references, in addition to your undergrad degree. Other admission requirements may vary, but will often include an essay submission and video or personal interviews.

Note
As an international student, you might not be eligible for Executive MBA programs. Executive MBA programs, unlike traditional full-time MBA programs, are meant for business executives and typically require applicants to have eight or more years of professional experience and a full-time job on a valid work permit in Canada.
If you’re planning to apply for a part-time MBA program on a study permit, you will not be eligible to work while studying and may not be able to complete any required work placements.

Top Canadian universities for MBA and Management programs

Note
Unless otherwise specified, the fees listed in this section are total program tuition fees for students applying in the admission year 2022-23. As an international student, you will also need to account for non-tuition fees, taxes, and living expenses. Please check your university website for the latest fee estimates.

According to the QS Global MBA Rankings for 2022, 11 Canadian universities feature in the global top 200 list for MBA, Management, and Business programs. These are: