Ivey - HBA or MBA

Why would you go get a second undergrad degree when you already have one from McGill?

Hmm...maybe my post wasn't clear.

Basically, I would like to do my MBA, not HBA, at Ivey. However, I'm wondering if the strength of Ivey's name is built off of its HBA, rather than its MBA, degree. In other words, how strong is their MBA for finance as opposed to other Canadian schools like Rotman?

Therefore, I'd appreciate some comments on their MBA.

Queens MBA is ranked higher in everything that I've read.

My comments might be one-sided, but then I get to be. Others can give you their perspectives.

The HBA program is probably better respected than the MBA program. Their MBA program competes with global programs such as the big U.S. programs and, while the best in Canada, doesn't have the access of some of the other schools. The HBA program is a very similar program and does not compete with most big U.S. programs as they tend not to have undergraduate programs. The biggest difference between MBA and HBA is the experience of your classmates, it has a huge impact on your learning.

It is interesting that you are looking at prestige as your main metric (at least on your post). I personally think it is somewhat less important than other metrics, but to answer your question, I think the Ivey MBA has the top reputation, particularly in investment banking (the topic of this board). This is probably where the one-sided thing comes in, so I hope you get other perspectives.

Having said that, I do think you should focus (and you might well be) on other aspects, including type of instruction you are looking for (i.e., case study versus lecture), the composition and experience of your classmates and in-class experience (talk to people, visit campuses and attend classes), the overall experience (Toronto versus London - positives and negatives on both sides; small town, contained class (i.e., you get closer with your classmates) versus big city, close to bay street but classmates are not close and "disperse" after class is over), quality of profs (meet them, research their research), the size and capability of career services (talk to them), the alumni network and ability to access them (talk to them, particularly those in the industry you want to go into). In my opinion, the biggest thing is your classmates, followed by alumni, followed by career services, followed closely by quality of profs and the rest.

Do your homework. It is a really important decision and it is up to you. Talk to alumni from the schools you are talking to and get their perspectives. You will find one-sided comments (such as mine) but those people are telling you that they loved their experiences and recommend it highly. Not the worst thing to hear about a school. The decision is yours. Find out what metrics are important to you (I hope you are looking deeper than prestige; but again I think Ivey wins on that metric) and research those.

Good luck!