mba in consulting canada

Last Updated on July 30, 2023

This post explores the relevancies of Mba In Consulting Canada, how to get into consulting in canada, mba in product management canada, rotman mba consulting and consulting mba rankings.

Open your door to the world of consulting with our three-course MBA in Consulting program. By the time you complete your studies, you’ll be able to bring fresh insights and innovative ideas to any business situation. You’ll also have acquired the skills that consulting firms are on the lookout for, such as business problem solving, strategic thinking, deep-dive analysis, and strong written and verbal communication.

MBA Consulting Program | Gardiner Centre | Memorial University of  Newfoundland

What is an MBA in Consulting?

An MBA in consulting teaches students to refine the strengths that consulting firms will be on the lockout for, such as business problem solving, communication, corporate strategy skills and analysis of business situations and issues.

What You Need to Study an MBA in Consulting

Each consulting-tailored MBA program will have different requirements. Generally, most b-schools will require the following:

  • Three to five years of professional experience (although this can vary)
  • An undergraduate degree
  • A good GMAT/GRE score
  • Employers’ recommendation

MBA in Consulting – Course Content

MBA programs tend to feature consulting classes both in the core curriculum and through electives, which will help you fine-tune your unique strengths and business acumen.

Generally, consulting MBA students will take some or all of the following courses:

  • Consulting
  • Business Strategy
  • Asset Valuation
  • Business Communication
  • Business Ethics
  • Supply Chain Management
  • Negotiations
  • Corporate Strategy
  • Innovation Management/Strategy
  • Organizational Behavior
  • Financial Accounting
  • Quantitative Analysis
  • Operations Management

MBA in Consulting – Cost

Costs for a full-time MBA with a consulting specialization at a top 10 school vary from US$60,000 to over US$140,000.

Mba In Consulting Canada

We begin with Mba In Consulting Canada, then how to get into consulting in canada, mba in product management canada, rotman mba consulting and consulting mba rankings.

Are you one of our hyper-focused high schoolers that’s considering a career in business? There are several reasons you might consider pursuing higher education in Canada.

Some prospective students are attracted to the lower tuition prices and higher acceptance rates of top Canadian schools versus stateside schools. Others love the exceptional international flair found in cities like Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver. You might love the fact that Vancouver is consistently listed as one of the world’s most livable cities and Montreal as one of the world’s best cities for international students. For some of those reasons, or maybe due to a strange affinity for cold weather, there are many top business students who enroll in universities in Canada every year.

Below is our list of top 10 Canadian undergraduate schools for those hoping to launch a career in management consulting. We’re excited to be launching a new MC Rankings series of posts in the upcoming months – so stay tuned!

1. University of Toronto (Rotman School of Management)

Consistently ranked as one of the top 25 universities in the world and as the top university in Canada, U of T hosts 80,000+ students across its 3 different campuses – it’s larger than most cities in Canada! With a broad range of academic programs and a top-3 North American university library (giving Harvard and Yale some key competition), the school has developed quite a prestigious reputation.

All 3 of the MBB firms as well as several of the Big 4 and Tier 2 firms (Accenture, Deloitte, Ernst & Young, KPMG, Mercer,PwC) have their offices within 2 miles of the university’s downtown campus, providing extraordinary opportunities for interactions between university students and the firm.

In addition, and perhaps more importantly, all of the top 3 firms (and numerous other firms including the ones mentioned above) consistently recruit from the University of Toronto, making it an ideal launchpad to break into consulting.

2. University of Western Ontario (Richard Ivey School of Business)

The University of Western Ontario (commonly called Western University by Canadians) is located about 2 hours southwest of Toronto in London, Ontario and has 28,000+ students.

Although UWO offers a wide variety of academic programs, MBB firms only recruit students from the Richard Ivey School of Business. Richard Ivey ranks among the top Canadian business schools making it a suitable school for Canadians looking at breaking into consulting.

3. Queen’s University

Situated roughly halfway between Toronto and Montreal, QUEEN’s University is located in KINGston, Ontario. (Man, these Canadians seriously can’t get enough of royalty!)

Queen’s has a student population of 24,000+ students, which is smaller than most of the universities listed above (the exception is HEC Montreal). McKinseyBCG, and other firms love recruiting from Queen’s University, although Bain doesn’t recruit nearly as heavily from there.

4. McGill University (Desautels Faculty of Management)

Consistently ranked among the top 25 universities worldwide and also among the top 20 most beautiful university campuses, McGill University is another strong candidate for those looking to break into management consulting.

Although located in the bilingual city of Montreal, Quebec, McGill is considered an English speaking university and therefore knowing French is not mandatory (unless enrolled in McGill’s law school). If French is your strong suit, however, you may choose to submit assignments and exams in French.

McGill has 34,000+ students with about 20% of them being internationals. As McGill is a top ranked university, MBB and numerous other firms target top McGill students to fill their Montreal and Toronto offices. McKinsey and BCG’s Montreal offices have particularly strong ties to McGill.

5.  HEC Montreal

HEC Montreal is the oldest management school in Canada; it is Université de Montréal’s independently affiliated business school. The school trains 12,000+ students a year and attracts recruiters from all 3 MBB firms and numerous other consulting firms.

Unlike McGill, proficiency in French is a MUST for undergrads as programs offered are either bilingual (English and French) or trilingual (English, French, and Spanish).

6.  University of Waterloo

The University of Waterloo is located just over 1 hour west of Toronto and has a student population of 31,000+ students.

The school was initially founded with the intent of training technicians and engineers in 1957. Since then the school has consistently had a strong academic programs that have drawn recruiters from McKinsey and Bain and other firms, though not from BCG.

7. University Of British Columbia (Sauder School Of Business)

Finally, a school outside of Ontario and Quebec joins the party. UBC is the top West Coast Canadian university and is located in the beautiful city of Vancouver. The school has 55,000+ students. It’s located on a picturesque peninsula and is situated 1.5 hours away from world class skiing slopes.

Because UBC boasts a top business program, you might ask why UBC isn’t ranked higher on our list. The answer lies in a variety of factors. One is that Toronto and Montreal are the biggest business hubs in Canada, which in turn means that the 2 cities have a significantly higher demand for management consultants than Vancouver does.

Evidence of this is seen in the fact that none of the MBB firms have an office in Vancouver although several other firms like AccentureDeloitte, Ernst & Young, Mercer, PwC do. McKinsey’s Calgary office, however, does consistently recruit from UBC.

8. York University (Schulich School of Business)

York University, like many other top universities, is located in Ontario, and more specifically, in Toronto. The school has a student population of 54,000+ students and has a business school with a fun name, Schulich.

Bain is the only of MBB firms that recruits from York and it recruits specifically from Schulich.

9. University of Alberta

U of A is the coldest university on this list. Located in Edmonton, Alberta, the university has an average winter temperature of 5F (-15c) and recorded lows of -45F (-43C).

Don’t be scared too quickly though, as Edmonton is one of the most economically well-off cities in Canada and is also home to one of the world’s largest malls, West Edmonton Mall. U of A has 40,000+ students and is ranked in the top 100 universities worldwide and in the top 5 in Canada – although it’s only #9 on our Canadian Schools for management consulting ranking. McKinsey’s Calgary office recruits from U of A consistently, though Bain and BCG don’t.

One side note about McKinsey’s Calgary office: if hired there, expect to work with a substantial number of clients in the oil and gas industry due to the fact that energy is Alberta’s largest industry.

Top 20 MBA colleges in Canada - Fees, Salary, and GMAT score

10. University of Calgary

The University of Calgary is located in Southern Alberta, where the temperature is more manageable than Edmonton and the world-renowned national park, Banff, is only 1.5 hours away.

U of C hosts 31,000+ students and has strong academic programs that draw recruiters from McKinsey and BCG and other firms, although not Bain.

Conclusion

That’s our list of top 10 schools for management consulting in Canada. If we were 18 and preparing to attend a school in Canada with the prospects of being a consultant, we’d aim for the top 5 schools. That’s just our 2 cents though – maybe you enjoy being really cold (if so, see option #9).

Again, Canada has top universities that provide launchpads for management consultants. Though these top Canadian universities might not be quite as prestigious as Harvard, Stanford, or other Ivy League U.S. colleges, they provide an option for those who enjoy lower prices, higher acceptance rates, great quality of life, and vibrant international culture.

how to get into consulting in canada

Next, we consider how to get into consulting in canada, mba in product management canada, rotman mba consulting and consulting mba rankings.

HOW TO BREAK INTO CONSULTING

Consultants are known for their long working hours, lots of traveling as well as their ever-changing projects. However, consulting is a good way in which you can earn new skills and grow professionally.

Whether you are new, interested in the consulting industry or an experienced consultant searching for a full-time opportunity in the consulting industry, it can be an uphill task to land an internship or a job in the sector.

Consulting roles, which are in high demand from many companies and individuals are very prestigious as they come with very attractive salaries and benefits.

Therefore, if you want to break into the consulting industry, you need to be aware where to find the consulting jobs and learn about the consulting companies that recruit new entrants in the consulting industry.

So, you need to follow these steps if you want to break into the consulting industry.

Acquire the necessary skills and knowledge

All successful people in the consulting industry agree that it is vital for all new entrants in the industry to equip themselves with the relevant consulting skills and knowledge.

One of the best ways to gain the necessary knowledge and equip yourself with these skills is by acquiring an MBA or CFA part 1. You should understand that CFA part 1 or MBA would be an added advantage to you, regardless whether you have the necessary experience or not.

However, you should understand that doing CFA part 1 or MBA is not a prerequisite for finding a consulting job.

But, of these courses can make you be a potential candidate, particularly if you possess the specific industry qualifications and experience which consulting firms ask for.

The main reason behind this is that you get to possess some of the necessary skills, like communication, management, leadership, problem-solving and working under pressure or stress amongst others.

Prepare a good cover letter and a strong resume

Yes, you might possess all the necessary qualifications, but you can fail to be noticed particularly if you do not present all your qualifications effectively. To do this, you must prepare very strong and impressive resume and cover letter.

For your resume to stand out, it must start with your relevant experience on the first page as well as your experience and quantifiable achievements.

If you want your potential employer to notice you, then you must express all your accomplishments related to the consulting industry. You should ensure that you outline all your important skills in the resume, as they will set you apart from all other applicants.

Furthermore, you should understand that a well-written cover letter can play a major role in landing you that consulting job compared to the resume. A cover letter presents you with the only opportunity to sell yourself to the employer.

Therefore, put in mind that a carefully written cover letter is very important than any other document you present to your employer, including the resume.https://9464729cffbbd20cb45ab14c51c56695.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html

Acquaint yourself with the professional consulting job-hunting process and interviews

As a new consultant entering the industry, it is important for you to get to know how the professional consulting and job-hunting process is.

When looking for a consulting job opportunity, it is important to ensure that you explore all the available options, including online platforms.

In addition, you will really need to prepare for the interview process, as this is where you will get an opportunity to convince your employer why he or she should hire you.

Therefore, you will need to be prepared to answer some questions about your personalities as well as about your previous experience. Your interviewer might also ask you some questions to test your communication and problem-solving skills.

In addition, you should be prepared to answer case questions during the interview, as your interviewer will be interested to know how you can handle certain situations.

Find a good mentor in the consulting industry

Finding a seasoned professional to be your mentor can prove to be a major benefit for someone who wants to break into consulting. A good mentor should be someone with tons of experience, insight, and knowledge in the consulting industry.

He or she should be in the position to assist you in exploring your consulting career as even assist you in developing strategies on how you can find better-consulting job opportunities.

Actually, it is of the utmost importance to know how much your mentor can assist and support you before you even venture into the consulting industry. Furthermore, it is good to understand that mentors can be very busy at sometimes.

Therefore, it is important not to ask them to do things that you can do personally.

Become a member of a consulting club

The main purpose of a consulting club is to assist students to be connected to potential employers and learn more about the consulting industry.

A consulting club can help you to have a better understanding of the new trends in the consulting industry, connect you to several consulting firms.

Furthermore, a consulting club can help you to get ready for the recruitment process of a consulting job. This mostly happens through social events as well as workshops directed towards professional development.

Network with people in the consulting industry

It is important to understand that you must network with people in the consulting industry if you want to break into to the sector.

Mostly, networking comprises contacting people, like relatives, friends and even acquaintances you met at a workshop, consulting club or career fairs.

Networking assists you to share important information and details about the consulting industry and learn more about prospective job leads, as well as develop relationships.

Actually, networking in the consulting industry should become a part of your daily life. Your consulting network should always be ready whenever you need it, be it for job searching or even moving up the ladder in your consulting career.

Because you do not know when you might require it, you should always ensure that you maintain an active consulting network, even when you do not need it at the moment.

Look for a consulting internship and get the best out of it

Landing an internship in a consulting firm is one of the best ways to join the consulting industry.

Getting an internship at a consulting company can assist you in the following ways:

  • You get the opportunity to learn more about the lifestyle and what it takes and means for a person to be a consultant
  • You can be lucky and get a full-time consulting job after your internship period ends.

mba in product management canada

Now we look into mba in product management canada, rotman mba consulting and consulting mba rankings.

Best MBA Programs for Product Managers

#1: NYU, Stern School of Business

Their full-time MBA program offers a specialization in Product Management, with courses from Data-Driven Decision Making to Innovation and Design. What I love about this program is that you can easily blend courses from 26 different specializations, such as FinTech or Management of Technology and Operations, to focus your Product Management MBA further.

#2: Carnegie Mellon University, Tepper School of Business

With a Technology Strategy and Product Management track that emphasizes development, application, and management of cutting-edge technologies, this program serves as a foundation for a hardware and software industry Product Management role. What I love about this program is the dual focus on strategic analytics and leadership development, both important foundations for the Product Manager role.

#3: MIT, Sloan School of Business

With two tracks available for product: one for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, and one for Enterprise Management, you will gain valuable insights into product management from different aspects of firm size. What I love about this program is the availability of a dual-track to earn an MBA alongside a Master of Science degree with their Leaders for Global Operations program. This program leverages a six-month internship with a partner organization to equip students with experience in management, engineering, and leadership.

#4: UC Berkeley, Haas School of Business

With several applied innovation electives available, including Product Management, Product Design, and Lean Launchpad, coupled with a core curriculum focused on data-driven decisions and leadership, this program has all the basic elements needed for a successful Product Management career. What I love about this program is the combination of experiential learning from the applied innovation courses coupled with the traditional academic courses.

#5: UCLA, Anderson School of Management

With a specialization in Technology Leadership available, which includes courses such as New Product Development, Technology Management, and Innovation, this program brings an in-depth technology expertise to the foundational curriculum. What I love about this program is the dedication to global viewpoints sustained throughout the curriculum.

#6: Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management

Their Technology Management pathway includes a huge breadth of courses in Product Management, Product Marketing Management, and Business Operations/Strategy. What I love about this program is the cross-disciplinary approach to teaching, recognizing that organizational problem-solving does not happen in siloed functional areas. This fits perfectly with the role of the Product Manager as we must constantly work across functional areas in our role.

#7: UT Austin, McCombs School of Business

Their one-year immersion program focused on the intersection of business, technology, and innovation is not truly an MBA; it is an MS in Technology Commercialization. However, its tight focus on product entrepreneurship deserves a place in this list. What I love about this program is that it is offered with a flexible schedule for working adults and specifically addresses how to take new technologies and turn them into practical products.

Graduate Admissions Consulting for MBA, MFin, LLM, MiM, and EMBA

rotman mba consulting

Shaping the future of business

The best consultants combine intellectual horsepower with natural people skills. At Rotman, the academic and industry expertise of our strategic management faculty will help you develop quantitative and qualitative tools to excel in your consulting career.

Description

You will learn how to analyze cross-functional business problems and to justify your recommendations, applying appropriate frameworks and a diverse set of quantitative and qualitative tools.

Topics Covered

Specific topics covered are the consulting industry, problem solving methodologies, the management of change in organizations, advanced issues in strategic management, and the development and presentation of proposals and reports.

Career Paths for Consulting Major

The topics covered in this major are critical for entry into the consulting profession whether with a large, medium, or small consulting firm, as a sole proprietor or as an internal consultant in a large company.  The skills will apply in both the for-profit and not-for-profit sectors. In addition, the topics covered will be useful for managers who will work with or manage outside consultants.


“Employees arriving in a high-profit time may do better in the long-run because of a wealth of work opportunities.”

—András Tilcsik, assistant professor of strategic management at the Rotman School, in an online thought piece on consulting


Requirements to complete the major

Choose at least one course from the core category and at least two from the elective categories.  A minimum of 4 courses is required.

Core courses

  • Management Consulting
  • Healthcare and Life Sciences Consulting: Field Application Project (previously Healthcare Systems Consulting)
  • Management Consulting Practicum
  • Strategic Change and Implementation

Elective courses

  • Corporation 360°
  • Advanced Value Capture Strategies: Theory and Applications
  • Communications Strategy
  • Financial Statement Analysis
  • Business Analysis and Valuation
  • Corporate Strategy
  • Supply Chain Management
  • Operations Management Strategy
  • Analytics and Operations Consulting (not offered)
  • Organization Design
  • Aligning People and Strategy
  • Catastrophic Failure in Organizations
  • Strategic Networks
  • Business Problem Solving: A Model-Based Approach

Activities outside of class

Clubs

  • Rotman Management Consulting Association

Case Competitions

  • George Washington University International MBA Case Competition
  • Simon Graduate School of Business Case Competition
  • John Molson MBA International Case Competition

Flexible Internship Program

The Rotman Full-Time MBA Program provides a unique opportunity for students to integrate and apply management knowledge gained within the program through a 4-month internship. Students are required to complete the course “Applied Management: Placement” in conjunction with a work placement which may be done in the Summer, Fall or Winter terms. Depending on their academic area of concentration/major and career objectives, students will be guided on the best work term option to secure a placement with an employer. Throughout their work placement, students will benefit from enhanced communication with their host employers, tracking of project deliverables and feedback from faculty supervisors.

Career Preparation

  • Consulting industry day
  • Lunch and Learn series
  • Consulting workshop series
  • Case interview preparation workshops
  • Mock consulting case interviews

Notable Alumni

  • David Donnan, Partner, AT Kearney
  • Jill Black, President & Sole Proprietor, J.E. Black Company Ltd.
  • Joanna Rotenberg, EVP, Chief Marketing Officer and Head of Strategy
  • Kathryn Skelton, Director, Category Management, Womenswear, Holt Renfrew
  • Lawrence Scott Global, Chief Strategy Officer | Vice Chair | Managing Partner, Deloitte
  • Mark Eleoff, Associate Partner, Accenture
  • Sean Samieian, Principal, Infosys Consulting

consulting mba rankings

A job in management consulting is one of the most popular—if not the most popular—career step for recent MBA grads. Sometimes people already working in consulting get an MBA as a way to advance their careers in the industry; others use the MBA as a gateway into the sector.

For many consulting-minded MBAs, top firm destinations including the “Big Three” consulting firms, which are the three largest consulting firms by revenue—McKinsey & Company, Boston Consulting Group, Bain & Company—otherwise known collectively as the “MBB firms,” However, there are also many jobs available in other firms like A.T Kearney and Accenture, as well as smaller niche-oriented and regional consulting companies. Consulting-minded MBAs might note that the larger firms often break their offerings down into functional areas; for example, a consulting company might offer services in operations consulting or technology consulting. Above all, the best MBAs for consulting will most likely have recruiting relationships with—and a strong alumni presence in—consulting firms.

An MBA in Consulting can also lead to a job as an internal consultant, who advises firms on strategy and development, from the inside.

Business schools rarely offer MBA specializations in Consulting—or even specialized MBAs in Consulting—however, some offer specializations in Strategy or Strategic Management. Most MBA programs also feature relevant classes in their core offerings. Some MBA programs offer students the opportunity to do a consulting project as part of the program. 

The best MBAs for consulting will offer a range of curriculum important to the field, such as classes in strategy and business development. Strong business schools for consulting will also have good connections with management consulting firms, and may even hold on-campus recruiting sessions with the firms.

Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois 

Although the school does not offer an MBA concentration in Consulting, it does offer a major in Managing Organizations. Generally, over thirty percent of any given Kellogg MBA cohort goes into the consulting industry. In 2020, three of the top hiring companies of Kellogg MBAs were consulting firms McKinsey, Bain, and the Boston Consulting Group, who, combined, recruited over 100 Kellogg MBA graduates. 

University of Virginia (UVA) – Darden School of Business

Charlottesville, Virginia 

Forty-one percent of 2020 Darden MBA grads went into the consulting field, working for firms like A.T. Kearney, Deloitte Consulting, and Bain & Company. Darden offers an MBA concentration in Strategy Consulting. 

Cambridge, Massachusetts 

Over 31 percent of Sloan’s 2020 MBA cohort went into the consulting industry, with many getting hired by either McKinsey (20 grads), Boston Consulting (36), or Bain (13). Almost 40 percent of all MBAs got jobs with a consulting or strategic planning function.

Yale School of Management (Yale SOM)

New Haven, Connecticut 

Over 36 percent of 2020 Yale MBAs went into functional roles in consulting—either internal consulting or external. Yale grads are regularly snapped up by McKinsey, Booz Allen Hamilton, and the Boston Consulting Group. 

University of Western Ontario – Richard Ivey School of Business

London, Canada

Forty-one percent of 2020 Ivey MBAs went into the consulting industry – the highest rate of all Canadian business schools surveyed by FIND MBA. Many of the school’s graduates end up in the Toronto area, where there are headquarters for many management consulting firms. The school’s MBA offers a range of consulting-oriented electives in the Corporate Strategy & Leadership area.

IESE Business School – Universidad de Navarra – Madrid Campus

Madrid, Spain 3 Followers 105 Discussions

IESE’s MBA provides a proven record for transitioning students into the consulting sector. Some 33 percent of last year’s IESE MBA class ended up in consulting firms (even though only 12 percent of the class had any previous experience in the field.) Grads have gone into consulting firms such as AT Kearney, Roland Berger, the Boston Consulting Group, and others.

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