Great Alternatives to MBA programs in Canada

Choosing a masters program when planning to study abroad in a country like Canada is a big decision. When students want to switch industries, secure a managerial role, or earn a higher salary, the default choice is to apply for MBA programs. But once students start their research, they are hit by the realization that getting into top MBA programs in Canada is a tougher than they thought.To have a truly competitive profile for top universities, students must take the GMAT (or GRE) and score more than 650 (315 in GRE) on 800, have 3-4 years of relevant work experience in reputed companies and must have the patience to go through an application process that has multiple stages, and which could take up to 6 – 8 months. What’s more is that if they secure an admit – they must arrange funding for their MBA program. This is easier said than done as the average tuition fee for top MBA programs in Canada is Rs 60 lakhs. The average fee even for an average MBA program is Rs 40 lakhs.

So what do you do if you want all the benefits of an MBA, but don’t want to go through the long, taxing process of securing an Admit and paying large sums of money? We’ll lay out some amazing programs (not in any particular order) you can pursue in Canada which are easier to get into, won’t burn a hole in your wallet but still offer comparable job prospects.

MBA Alternative #1: Marketing focused programs

Students who wish to work in retail marketing, digital marketing or sales can opt for a Post Graduate Diploma or Post Baccalaureate diploma in marketing. Such programs teach students subjects like marketing research, consumer behaviour, marketing analytics, sales and negotiations and event planning. Students can also choose a wide variety of electives from different areas like strategy, accounting, and finance to gain some understanding of these other domains. Students graduating from such programs can expect to earn between Rs 35 lakhs – Rs 50 lakhs annually on completion of graduation.

Here are a few great options for students looking to pursue a career in marketing in Canada:

Institute	Program	Total Tuition Fee	Undergraduate Eligibility Criteria	Min Undergraduate Percentage	Minimum English Language Test Scores
Canadian Institute of Management &Technology	Post Graduate Diploma – Sales & Marketing	Rs 9 lakhs	3 or 4 Year Diploma or Degree	50%	IELTS – 5.5 TOEFL – 80 PTE – 50 Duolingo – 85
Okanagan College	Post Baccalaureate Diploma – Marketing	Rs 17 lakhs	3 or 4 Year Degree	60%	IELTS – 6.0 TOEFL – 79 PTE – 56 Duolingo – 105
Langara College	Post Degree Diploma – Marketing Management	Rs 15 lakhs	4 Year Degree	50%	IELTS – 6.5 TOEFL – 88 PTE – 56 Duolingo – 110

MBA Alternative #2: Business Analytics focused programs

Companies are increasingly relying on business analytics to make data driven decisions. An analyst’s role is to improve a company’s marketing, product, operations and processes by analysing customer and team data and then generating insights. Students learn courses in data management, prescriptive and predictive analytics, communicating insights and leading data driven organizational change in such programs. These programs tend to be quant heavy and are thus well suited for those who love Math. On graduation, students get jobs as analysts in large organizations or consulting firms and earn between Rs 40 lakhs – Rs 55 lakhs annually.

Here are some popular programs for those interested in a career in Business Analytics in Canada:

Institute	Program	Total Tuition Fee	Undergraduate Eligibility Criteria	Min Undergraduate Percentage	Minimum English Language Test Scores
Cape Breton University	Post Baccalaureate Diploma – Business Analytics	Rs 18 lakhs	3 or 4 Year Degree	70%	IELTS – 6.5 TOEFL – 80 PTE – 59 Duolingo – 120
University of Windsor	Master of Management – Business Data Analytics	Rs 23 lakhs	4 Year Degree	70%	IELTS – 7.0 TOEFL – 100 PTE – 68 Duolingo – 120
Okanagan College	Post Baccalaureate Diploma – Business Analytics	Rs 17 lakhs	3 or 4 Year Degree	60%	IELTS – 6.0 TOEFL – 79 PTE – 56 Duolingo – 105

MBA Alternative #3: Finance / Accounting focused programs:

At the masters’ level, several Canadian programs teach core finance subjects like Accounting, Financial Management, Economics, Valuation and Applied Portfolio Management. These programs generally align their curriculum to the CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) exam’s curriculum. Even without taking the CFA though, students can expect to be recruited by audit and consulting firms like KPMG, PWC, Deloitte and EY or by the Corporate Finance departments of multinationals. Students graduating from such programs earn Rs 35 lakhs – Rs 50 lakhs per year. They can significantly increase their earning potential by qualifying the CFA exam on graduation.

Here are some popular programs for those interested in a career in Finance / Accounting in Canada:

Institute	Program	Total Tuition Fee	Undergraduate Eligibility Criteria	Min Undergraduate Percentage	Minimum English Language Test Scores
University of Windsor	Master of Management – International Accounting and Finance	Rs 23 lakhs	4 Year Degree	70%	IELTS – 7.0 TOEFL – 100 PTE – 68 Duolingo – 120
Nippising University	Post Baccalaureate Diploma – Finance	Rs 23 lakhs	3 or 4 Year Degree	50%	IELTS – 6.5 TOEFL – 83 PTE – 58
Brock University	Master of Professional Accounting	Rs 28 lakhs	4 Year Degree	75%	IELTS – 7.0 TOEFL – 80 PTE – 60 Duolingo – 115

MBA Alternative #4: Supply Chain Management focused programs

Here are some popular programs for those interested in a career in Finance / Accounting in Canada:

When you buy something on Amazon – chances are that it was be manufactured in a different continent, and yet, you get it undamaged and within a week. This is possible due to the magic of large, complex – but reliable supply chains. Students who wish to pursue a career in supply chain management learn logistics, planning, sourcing, supply chain automation techniques and inventory management among other subjects. Such students are likely to work in large retail or e-commerce organizations on graduation and can expect to earn Rs 40 lakhs – Rs 60 lakhs annually.

Here are some popular programs for those interested in Supply Chain Management in Canada:

Institute	Program	Total Tuition Fee	Undergraduate Eligibility Criteria	Min Undergraduate Percentage	Minimum English Language Test Scores
Kwantlen Polytechnic University	Post Baccalaureate Diploma – Supply Chain Management	Rs 15 lakhs	3 or 4 Year Degree	50%	IELTS – 6.5 TOEFL – 88 PTE – 61 Duolingo – 110
Canadian College for Higher Studies	Post Graduate Diploma – Supply Chain and Logistics Management	Rs 8 lakhs	2 Year Diploma, 3 Year Diploma / Degree, 4 Year Degree	50%	IELTS – 6.0 TOEFL – 79 PTE – 55
University of Windsor	Master of Management – Logistics and Supply Chain Management	Rs 23 lakhs	4 Year Degree	70%	IELTS – 7.0 TOEFL – 100 PTE – 68 Duolingo – 120

MBA Alternative #5: Project Management focused programs

Those who pursue a program in Project Management study subjects that enable them to plan, track and measure key results for large projects. They study subjects like risk assessment and management, manpower planning, operations management, cost control and forecasting. Some programs prepare students to take the certification exams that lead to a PMP (Project Management Professional) or CAPM (Certified Associate in Project Management) designation. Students are typically recruited by real estate, tech or energy companies and earn between Rs 45 lakhs – Rs 65 lakhs annually.

Here are some popular programs for those interested in Project Management in Canada:

Institute	Program	Total Tuition Fee	Undergraduate Eligibility Criteria	Min Undergraduate Percentage	Minimum English Language Test Scores
Vancouver Island University	Graduate Diploma – Project Management	Rs 13 lakhs	3 or 4 Year Degree	55%	IELTS – 7.0 TOEFL – 93 PTE – 65
Liaison College	Post Graduate Diploma – Project Management	Rs 7 lakhs	3 or 4 Year Degree	50%	IELTS – 6.0 TOEFL – 46 PTE – 54 Duolingo – 90
Royal Roads University	Graduate Diploma in Project Management	Rs 11 lakhs	4 Year Degree	60%	IELTS – 6.5 TOEFL – 88 PTE – 60 Duolingo – 115

MBA Alternative #6: Core Management focused programs

Some students wish to work in core management jobs like strategy. For such students – pursuing a graduate program in management is the best option. On graduation, these students retain the flexibility to work in most departments in any kind of organization. They learn subjects like strategy, organizational design, basics of finance and marketing and operations. While the previous types of programs described in this article aim to produce specialists, these programs produce generalists. Students are recruited at junior to mid managerial positions in organizations and earn between Rs 40 lakhs – Rs 65 lakhs annually.

Here are some popular programs for those interested Management in Canada:

Institute	Program	Total Tuition Fee	Undergraduate Eligibility Criteria	Min Undergraduate Percentage	Minimum English Language Test Scores
Trent University	Master of Management	Rs 18 lakhs	4 Year Degree	77%	IELTS – 6.5 TOEFL – 93
Cape Breton University	Post Baccalaureate Diploma – Business Management	Rs 22 lakhs	3 or 4 Year Degree	70%	IELTS – 6.5 TOEFL – 80 PTE – 59 Duolingo – 120
Royal Roads University	Master of Global Management	Rs 21 lakhs	4 Year Degree	73%	IELTS – 6.5 TOEFL – 88 PTE – 60 Duolingo – 115