Why Lazaridis?

Real-time education based on practical experience.

The Lazaridis Difference

Why us and not one of the dozens of other Master of Business Administration (MBA) programs around the country? Since 1976 we have been at the forefront of delivering innovative professional management programs. We offered the first one year MBA in Canada; the first alternate-weekend part-time format in downtown Toronto; and pioneered the integrated MBA curriculum design.

Each of our different program offerings has been designed around delivering the best student experience possible. We understand that it's not necessarily what you learn but how you learn that is the key to building lasting personal growth and capabilities.

At the Lazaridis School our goal is to empower you with the tools and skills necessary for you to build your career and succeed on the path of your choice. We realize that intellectual agility and personal flexibility are the most critical attributes for our rapidly changing world, not completing a one-size-fits-all professional program.

Our focus is on providing real-time education based on practical experience and applicable academic research. Field projects, professional development and hands-on learning practicums all support in-class content delivered by industry experienced senior faculty members. We expect our part-time students to utilize their program experiences immediately, and our full-time graduates to make positive contributions on the first day in their new position.

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"The Lazaridis MBA will be one of the most interesting, eye-opening and challenging experiences you ever have."

Alex Ni (MBA, CPA, CMA), Chief Technology Officer at Trapeze Group

Special Features of the Program

Professional Development and Career Services

To support our academic program we provide numerous professional development opportunities to assist you in planning the next stages of your career growth:

  • Strategic career consulting to help you in your job search or career advancement planning.
  • Workshops designed to enhance your personal brand building abilities. Among workshop themes are recognizing transferable skills, interview preparation, network building, resume writing and negotiation skills.
  • Alumni panels, industry guest speakers and employer recruitment events are available to all MBA candidates throughout the program to utilize the extensive Lazaridis alumni community.
  • Alumni employment services are available to all Lazaridis MBA graduates. More than 2,000 immediate job openings come through our career centre annually.

Applied Business Research Consulting Project

Gain valuable hands-on experience tackling real-time business issues in the applied business consulting project. You and your team will provide consulting services to a client facing immediate management decisions. More than 1200 organizations have participated in the project. With faculty supervision, you will draw upon the knowledge and experience you acquired in the MBA program to work with industry practitioners to help resolve the issues they are currently facing.

Not-for-Profit Practicum

Laurier’s core mission to inspire lives of leadership and purpose reflects a long-standing commitment to community and philanthropic service. A LinkedIn study ranked Laurier graduates #1 in the world in volunteerism. The Lazaridis MBA is proud to continue this tradition and mission. While MBA students often engage in volunteer activities on their own, the MBA program requires all candidates participate in a field-based community service project at a not-for-profit organization of your choice.

International Summer School

During the spring term, you will have the opportunity to attend summer school in a foreign country for an elective credit. The term allows you to network with fellow MBA candidates from around the world while gaining valuable insights in business thinking and perspectives in a foreign country.

You can choose to attend the European Summer School in Advanced Management (Essam), Euromed in France, or a summer school destination from a pre-approved list of accredited universities.

For Employers: Get involved with the Lazaridis MBA

Are you an employer of a company or not-for-profit organization looking to work with our MBA students? Add the benefit of the Lazaridis MBA to your organization by partnering with us in one of four ways:

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AACSB Accreditation

The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) is a global, non-profit membership organization devoted to the advancement of management education. AACSB-accredited schools have the highest quality faculty, relevant and challenging curriculum, and provide educational and career opportunities that are not found at other business schools.

The Lazaridis School of Business and Economics is AACSB accredited. AACSB accreditation represents the highest standard of achievement for business schools worldwide. Less than 5% of the world's 13,000 business programs have earned AACSB Accreditation. AACSB-accredited schools produce graduates that are highly skilled and more desirable to employers than other non-accredited schools.

"The Lazaridis MBA integrated core is challenging, but without a doubt will be one of the greatest learning experiences of your life."

Kimberely Larsen (BBA, MBA, co-op)

The Integrated Core

The “integrated core” curriculum is the first thing you will need to do when you start the Lazaridis MBA at Laurier. It is especially relevant since it teaches students the eight foundational areas of business. Our teaching methodology of these fundamental areas is guaranteed to change how you think and perform in the business world. Many business programs state that they teach this way, but Laurier is the only business school that incorporates all eight of the core fundamental courses in a seamless and holistic delivery style.

The knowledge gained through the integrated core reflects exactly how the real world works and will allow you to analyze real-life case studies in the classroom. Through international case competitions and our personal and professional development workshops, you will be taught presentation skills. For more than 30 years, Laurier has been a true leader in delivering the integrated core teaching model. It has allowed our MBA candidates to develop every aspect of their individual potential and further their careers and lives.

The Lazaridis MBA and the integrated core will change your life. It will change how you think and it will create a new confidence in you that will last a lifetime.

Integrated Core Study

  • Integrative Thinking
  • Strategic Management
  • Marketing
  • Financial Management
  • Organizational Behaviour
  • Operation Management
  • Economics
  • Accounting
  • Business Analytics

Collaboration and Teamwork: Essential to Your Success

Students will work in teams for the duration of the integrated core term(s). With diverse professional and academic backgrounds, from all over the world, you can expect to be among exceptionally talented individuals. You can also expect to participate in lively discussions and debates, giving you the opportunity to engage in open and meaningful dialogue in a welcoming environment.

Teams will also collaborate on specific projects together during the core and demonstrate their ability to think strategically and across all of the functional areas of business.

  • Company Project: Performing a strategic and financial analysis of a company and proposing whether to buy, hold, or sell stock.
  • Live ICE (Integrated Case Exercise) Project: A case competition in which teams present a strategic recommendation to a real company and their executives facing a current business issue.