Why not consider Ivey? I always considered Ivey to be Canada's premier business school.

In terms of Academics: it's an excellent choice. The curriculum at the schools you listed are on par with the best in the world.

In terms of Job prospects: Canada's economy has been a rockstar during the recession, but considering your background with Banking you may expect too much. I don't know how well Toronto pays in comparison to places like Sydney, HK, Sydney or Tokyo (i actually don't know), but I know Toronto pays less than top US financial centers. So if you're looking for a lucrative opportunity in comparison to what Merril Lynch used to offer, it's probably not enough for you. Canada's banks have been heavily regulated from the beginning. Not a single bank took a single dollar from the government. Not a single bank in Canada went under. But the reason is because its heavily regulated, which usually also correlates to lower pay on average. The US and UK are moving heavily towards more regulation, so in comparison, in the future, Canada may be just as competitive. But if you're stuck on the mindset of "lucrative" pre-recession types of opportunity, Canada probably can't compete.

Of course if you're looking for stability, Canadian banks have been posting large profits this year (double to triple digits, depending on the bank).

Going to a Canadian school with strong traditional ties to said banks would definitely provide a strong entry point. The question is, will working in Canada provide you with what you want? I know of bankers making 7 digits in Canada, it's not uncommon. But if you're the type to want to push the 8 or 9 digits, it's usually harder in a more regulated market like Canada's (provided stability though). Of course maybe you could be the pioneer that changes that, depends on your skills I guess.

To the original poster, I am considering the same thing... Having lived in California all my life, I considered some schools here but affordability-wise, these are looking less and less like options.

I don't see why an MBA in Canada is a bad idea - generally they're cheaper (although McGill's move to privatize their program might drive prices up,) and the quality is on par with some of the best international schools, if you're looking at Rotman, Queen's, etc.

Also, according to the article on this site:

http://www.find-mba.com/article/391/mba-programs-in-canada-maple-trees-bacon-and-business-schools

international students can easily get one-year work visas after graduation. This is much, much easier than say going to school in the U.K. and trying to get a work visa after graduation.

The other consideration is where to go - Toronto has a lot of business, Montreal and B.C. do as well - but Toronto's economy has held strong. I guess it depends on what industry you're looking at... Goldman Sachs - meaning investment banking?


<blockquote>So I recently finished B.A in Economics with a Minor in Political Science...
I was also the Department Assistant for the Economics department my sr year. I tutored all Economics classes at the undergraduate level and even the Managerial Economics class for the MBA program.
I also interned with Merrill Lynch working with a team of financial advisers for 7 months.

And now here I am with a degree and a lil experience watching Merrill get bailed out and perform like shit... the only jobs available are selling insurance and financial products from insurance companies... only commission bullshit....

anyway the mkt is not done with beatings.. Sachs is being sued...

balls to all this...

The realm of Academia is the safest place to be - GMAT - and back to school for me !!!

I am considering MBA's in Canada
specifically John Molson school of business
Rotman
Schulich
Queens

how wise a decision is this?

consider my visa situation....
Indian citizenship
Singapore green card
U.S F1 - to OPT work permit currently
never had issues going or working anywhere so a Canadian citizenship is not the goal... I am looking for a lucrative opportunity..

thoughts??? </blockquote>

@Richard - I agree with you....
and yeah I still want to continue my ambition in banking but I am trying to switch my focus from Financial Advising to a more analytical position.
Toronto or Montreal look to be the places for such stuff, Toronto more so .....

Hi spliph,
have you considered applying for canadian PR?
there are few advantages to have canadian PR:
1. Cheaper tuition fee
2. Eligible to get a loan from local bank
3. Once you work, there's a 5% contribution to your pension fund
4. If you like canada much, you can convert to citizenship after 3 yr of working there. Note that you do not need to convert citizenship as canadian gov accept dual citizenship.

Note to you: i am also a singaporean pr.


at retail_richard,
i want to elaborate at one of your facts.
If one's degree is 1 yr long, you can get 1 yr work visa.
However, if your degree is 2 yr ( ie. Rotman), you'll get a 3 yr work visa. Thus, it is an advantage for foreigners to go to rotman despite higher tuition fee.