Target Programs in Canada

hi everyone,

i got my BA in Finance in Manchester, UK and i was just wondering if anyone could suggest some target programs/schools like an MBA or a M.A in Financial Economics. i know the usual five are Ivey, Schulich, Rotman, McGill and Queen but i was wondering if anyone had any advice on what program would be best to try and break into IB in Canada after graduation. internships, analyst/associate roles, etc. I went for an interview with Vlaad & Co. last week and the person i spoke with suggested MFE at UofT. all your input is much appreciated.

 

I recently researched all of the above schools for an MBA. From what I know, UoT is the best for finance in Canada. I was not attracted to it since it's a two-year program plus I already have a solid background in finance and would like a more general program. If you lack work experience in desired field, Rotman also has advantage over Ivey/Queens since you can have a summer internship (Ivey and Queens are one-year programs). Ivey and Queens are also solid programs and have good placements. Schulich also has a concentration in financial engineering within its MBA. I'd say it depends a lot on your situation and goals - do you need an internship? If yes - Rotman or Schulich.

 

You named them all yourself.. The only thing I could add is that McGill is the highest-paying MBA and is located in Canada's most vibrant and cultured city (I welcome any rebuttals). That being said, if you specifically wish to orient yourself toward investment banking and don't really care about the city you're in, Queens or Schulich (however it's spelled) would be the way to go. Their placements rates are slightly better. You also forgot UBC.. Oh and I've heard bad things about Rotman

 
Best Response

@Pancakes, you have to qualify what you mean by "bad things". Can you elaborate, instead of leaving us hanging?

I think Rotman is the best program in Canada. Why?

Quality: The program is top-notch, arguably the best in Canada, especially when it comes to finance. Based on my conversations with alumni and folks in the industry, Ivey has been sliding, while Rotman has surged to the top over the past few years. When it comes to consulting, Ivey has a slight advantage, given that it's been around longer (meaning that top partners in Canada tend to be Ivey alumni, who then tend to continue recruiting from Ivey). However, this has been changing as well, and Rotman is extremely strong in consulting as well.

Program length: The 2-year program would really work well in your favor, as it gives you an opportunity not only to do a summer internship, but to also strengthen your network (especially as you're from the UK - there is very little chance that you'd get an excellent job after your 1-year MBA program out of Ivey and Queens, as you would need to build your network from scratch).

Location: If you're planning on living and working in Toronto, Rotman again has the goods. Smack in the middle of downtown Toronto, opportunities to network are boundless. Ivey is 2.5 - 3 hours away from Toronto, and when it comes to working in Bay Street, even the little things count when you're not even able to grab a cup of coffee with a potential employer or alum.

In short, Rotman is the way to go.

 

wow thnx guys. i kinda figured that Rotman was the way to go because like dudguy pointed out im starting to network from scratch. also the internship is going to be key and from what you guys have said it looks like Rotman is the only BS that offers one. i live in downtown already so the location for me is perfect.

@pancakes, i didnt really consider UBC because from what i read its not really a target for the IB field. but ill take a look. any suggestions on what program? i know they have an MS or MA in Econ but dont think they have anything more technical. im doing my CFA L 3 this june so i want something thats either MBA or slightly quant oriented.

i got one follow up question tho. would you guys suggest an MBA given my position? or something like an MA or Masters of Fiancial Econ from Rotman. the MFE seems ridiculously competitive and since my grades aren't superb im going to have to nail it on my GRE to even have a chance. also if anyone knows any more programs that have an internship op and are 2 year i would love to hear your thoughts.,

again thnx a million this info is really helping me out

P
 

Check out Schulich MBA - it is also two year, so you can get an internship. You can also take a certificate in financial engineering as part of your MBA. Besides, the cost of Schulich is a lot lower than Rotman's. I personally don't think Rotman has that much an advantage over Ivey/Queens/Schulich. Even with a one-year program you can get enough networking (especially at Ivey, which has the best alumni base). If you have strong previous background in finance (at least 2-3 years in IB/PE/HF etc. plus taking CFA LIII), I think a one-year program could give you a better ROI.

 

Rotman and Schulich MBA have almost identical access to Finance recruiting, but I would give Rotman an edge for Finance. Schulich's advantage is that its ROI is much higher, the curriculum is excellent, so if you have finance experience already, choose Schulich, but if you have little experience and are looking to break in for the first time, Rotman is probably a better bet.

The Schulich Post Graduate Diploma in Financial Engineering gives you both the qualities of an MBA and a MFE or MFIN program in one.

Rotman is in a much better location that Schulich (suburban toronto) and is part of the beautiful UofT campus, however social life at Schulich is arguably better, there are a lot of parties and getaways and what not, the girls are probably better looking too, with a higher percentage to boot.

 

@ hawkua and dec-jun-jun

awesome! so it sounds like schulich would be an even better option, especially because i dont really have any quant experience and would love to get some exposure. from what you guys have said Ivey seems to be the place to network , ill have to move to london tho which i guess isnt that big of a deal. much much thanks for your input. im gonna try and do some research on the requirements for Ivey, Schulich and Rotman. from what i've seen, it seems like Rotman is going to be my reach and Ivey my safety. thanks again for all the input guys =)

P
 

@ saulgoodman I think you should also consider what you want to do after IB. Are you interested in quant strategies or derivatives? Then I think Rotman or Schulich would be better. However, Ivey seems to be focused on value investing (the most popular finance class there is Value Investing and professor takes a few top students for a meeting with Buffet every year). Disclaimer: I was accepted to three of the five schools you mentioned and will start my MBA at Ivey this year. I choose Ivey because of the shorter duration and focus on value investing, which is more interesting to me.

 

@hawkua hmm thats a good point. honestly, i'm not really sure where i want to end up, right now the goal is position myself in such a way that i will be able to at least break into the industry and then see what happens. the only thing that makes me hesitant about ivey is the fact that its only 1 year. i would actually want a longer program for a couple of reasons; getting an internship while still studying and waiting for the economy to pick up again.

as for canada being non-target, well we cant all live a great life in a country with 8.5% unemployment and a govt that refuses to cooperate to get shit done. hopefully we can all be as enlightened as our south of the boarder cousins

P
 
saulgoodman:
as for canada being non-target, well we cant all live a great life in a country with 8.5% unemployment and a govt that refuses to cooperate to get shit done. hopefully we can all be as enlightened as our south of the boarder cousins

ZING!!!

... WSO stinks of canadian pride today lol

Get it!
 
The Boss:
America invented modern finance. On behalf of America, you're welcome.

Thank you... yall may have started it but we are now becoming the best at it... OOOOOOH CANADA!!!!

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/international-news/ca…

"Mark Carney... The Bank of Canada Governor is expected to be tough in his role as chairman of the Financial Stability Board"

"Mr. Carney is the first Canadian to hold a position of such global reach, and his appointment was viewed by analysts as a reflection not only on him but also on Canada’s relatively smooth emergence from the 2008-09 crisis"

Get it!
 

Do all these statements about schools that are good for masters hold true for Undergrad? So would Rotman be almost as good as Ivey for undergrad or is undergrad completely a different story?

 

UT not really. UBC unless you are in the PMF. McGill has some representation a bit more so in US than Canada because Americans think its "Harvard of the North". Ivey and Queens both give you best shots going into US and I would say Ivey places better in US west coast. Waterloo is for more quantative majors and not exactly a target in Canada.

 

I heard that Rotman's MBA UofT has a lot of top canadian firms recruiting there and is actually KNOWN not ranked or whatever but known as one of the best schools for Ibanking and finance. Schulich is more for marketing. Queens and Ivey is good !

 

Canadian banks recruit from pretty much all decent business schools across the country.

US/International BBs are a bit more picky and recruit only from the top schools such as Western, Queen's, McGill, UofT and York.

 

I'm from Canada and went to Queen's for undergrad. I can pretty much say that when I went for final round interviews, all the Canadians kids are from either Richard Ivey or Queen's. You can say that Canadians students are at a slight disadvantage to US schools. But in my graduating year, we had four people landing Goldman full-time IBD offers. And many more in other top BB. And that's the 2008 intake.

So from my experience, top Canadian students compare very favorably to ivy league grads. But only if you're the top students in top Canadian universities.

 

McGill seems a little overrated from my humble opinion. People say it is the "Harvard" of Canada. hmm ... McGill is a great school but talking strictly business/finance, it is still behind Ivey/Queen's.

I was a Queen's Commerce so I can only talk about business/finance degrees in Canada. I'm certain in terms of overall ranking across all fields, McGill is definitely one of the top.

 

If by "harvard" of Canada you mean it's the best all-rounder, then yes, both UT and McGill are top. But for instance, if you look for specific subjects, they're not always the best:

Engineering: Waterloo Business/Finance: Queen's/Ivey Journalism: Carleton Medicine: UT Mathematics: Waterloo

Almost everyone who applied to McGill and UT in my high school got in (probably >30 in a class of 100). But only two got into Queen's Commerce and two got into Ivey. Just throwing it out there... both UT and McGill got the best international prestige for good reasons.

 

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