One-Year MBA Program Overview

One Year. Maximum Impact.

In today’s competitive landscape, the best investment is one that delivers immediate results. Our one-year MBA is a high-impact launchpad for the next generation of business leaders.

Focused entirely on real-world application, the University of Alberta MBA equips you with the tools to solve complex challenges in real-time. Through dedicated career coaching and an intensive capstone experience, you will emerge ready to achieve your career goals with a degree that works as hard as you do. 

You also have the opportunity to pursue your MBA alongside other programs through our formal combined degrees.  

Program Outline

In just one year, you’ll master the essentials of management across eight core courses. You’ll broaden your outlook with an international course and bring it all together by tackling a real-world project in your capstone. To make the degree your own, you can choose four electives that align with your passions, graduating with a toolkit built for where you want to go next. Explore the Full-Time MBA Outline.

Orientation

Your MBA journey begins in August with a week designed to launch your career from day one. Orientation is more than just an introduction — it’s a deep dive into self-reflection and team building. You’ll connect with your cohort to build a professional community that supports you through this intensive year and follows you throughout your career. Start your degree with a clear vision and a network that lasts a lifetime

Core Curriculum

The foundation of the MBA program, through the core courses you'll develop and strengthen your business knowledge.  

This course provides an integrated introduction to financial and managerial accounting, emphasizing the role of accounting information in reporting, planning, and decision-making.  Students will learn the concepts and purposes underlying financial reporting, including the preparation and interpretation of key financial statements. Students are introduced to cost behaviour, activity-based costing, and the use of relevant financial data for decisions related to production, marketing, and capital budgeting. Additional topics include budgeting, variance analysis, performance evaluation, and management compensation systems, with an emphasis on aligning accounting systems with organizational strategy.

This course begins with a survey of graphical and numerical techniques available for studying and describing data. Following an introduction to probability distributions, an overview of statistical inference for means and proportions is provided. Regression, analysis of variance and decision analysis are then utilized to analyze data and support decision making. Time series models are also briefly discussed. The data and decisions analyzed throughout the course will be representative of those commonly encountered by managers.

This course focuses on economic decision making at the level of the firm and consumer, utilizing demand and supply analysis to help understand a variety of economic and managerial issues. Formal models of managerial economic problems will be developed and used for purposes of analysis. The course will also deal with public economics, regulatory economics and introduce issues of information economics and strategic behavior. The theory of public choice and public goods will be used to analyze a variety of public economic issues. The course will also cover macroeconomic issues including: measuring macroeconomic variables, sources of economic growth, business cycles, interest rates, exchange rates, government debt, and other topics.

Business is an integral part of society. This course examines the complex, two-way relationship between business and society, with a focus on how leaders navigate competing demands across social spheres. Students explore historical and contemporary perspectives on the role of business in addressing urgent challenges in society, leadership and community. Case studies equip students to assess the responsibilities and opportunities for leadership in building more sustainable and resilient businesses that incorporate Indigenous perspectives.

Fundamental concepts in asset valuation are discussed within the context of simple asset pricing models and efficient financial markets. This course introduces the valuation of financial assets such as bonds and stocks. Further topics include the issuing of financial securities, leverage, dividend policy, cash management, and derivative securities.

This course commences with an examination of core marketing concepts, including strategic marketing planning, segmentation and the marketing mix (product, price, place and promotion) and the integration of these concepts into a marketing plan. Specific focus is then provided to developing pragmatic skills regarding marketing effectiveness.

The purpose of SEM 501 is to explore the complex and dynamic world of leading people. Using an evidence-based approach, this course offers an informed view of the practical challenges encountered by leaders at various organizational levels. Key topics include the acquisition, development, and retention of talent, building organizational culture, team building, effective knowledge exchange, fostering innovation, promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion and facilitating change. Topical issues like employee health and well-being, organizational ethics, artificial intelligence and leading in remote or hybrid work environments will also be considered.

The first part of this course examines the formation of business strategy. It recognizes the complexities and messiness of strategy formation and explores how organizations actually develop strategies. The second part examines the evolution, determinants, and relevance of alternative ways of organizing. Contemporary ideas (e.g. re-engineering, the learning organization, virtual organizations) are critically reviewed.

Elective Courses

While our core curriculum provides the foundation, our electives give you the freedom to build a degree that matches your specific career ambitions. You’ll choose four elective courses to dive deeper into the topics that matter most to you—whether that’s supply chain, technology, sustainability, or negotiations.  

International Experience

Business today has no borders, and neither does your MBA. Our international experience requirement ensures you gain a truly global perspective by taking your learning outside the classroom. You can choose to travel abroad to meet with international firms and see global trade in action, immerse yourself in a new culture through an exchange at one of our partner business schools, or take a deep dive through our global business courses. Whichever path you choose, it’s an opportunity to develop the global mindset you need to lead in any market.

Provides students with an introduction to the tools they will require to succeed in the increasingly international business world. Serves as a basis for other more advanced courses in International Business, covering such topics as Country Differences, International Trade, Foreign Direct Investment, Regional Economic Integration, The Foreign Exchange Market and International Business Strategy and Operations. This course will also cover selective topics in international macroeconomics.

Examines the changing global business environment and how it impacts international business decision-making. Covers such topics as Trends in Globalization, International Business in Canada, Managing Multinational Corporations, Importing and Exporting, International Labor Markets and the Market for Skills, International Financial Markets, Financial Crises, and Corporate Governance in Different Countries.

Take your learning on the road with an international study tour. These faculty-led trips give you a rare look into the boardrooms of global companies. From the bustling markets of China to the innovative business landscapes of Europe, you’ll see how trade happens on the ground and gain a perspective that only travel can provide.

Explore Study Tour Destinations

Sometimes a change of scenery is the best way to spark new ideas. A short-term exchange gives you the best of both worlds: the UAlberta MBA foundation with the added perspective of a prestigious international partner. You’ll immerse yourself in a new academic culture, tackle subjects from a different point of view, and build a network of classmates from around the globe. It’s a high-impact way to broaden your horizons without slowing down your momentum.

View Exchange Partners

MBA Capstone Business Project: Your MBA in Action

The U of A MBA culminates in a high-stakes, applied capstone project. This is your opportunity to lead a project with real-world consequences, applying every strategy and tool you’ve mastered to a professional challenge.

How will you make your mark? Choose the path that fits your career goals:

Step into the world of venture capital and deep-tech entrepreneurship. Through the Creative Destruction Lab (CDL), you’ll work alongside seasoned mentors and founders of seed-stage science and tech companies. You won't just study innovation; you’ll help scale it—evaluating business models and providing the strategic analysis needed to bring world-changing ideas to market.

For those driven by social impact, Business on the Frontlines takes you where business is needed most. You’ll partner with organizations in vulnerable or post-conflict regions to tackle complex economic challenges. Whether you’re working to alleviate poverty or foster local entrepreneurship, you’ll see firsthand how business leadership can transform communities and build a more resilient world.

Bridge the gap between theory and the boardroom. In our Applied Learning Capstone, you’ll act as a strategic consultant for a real-world organization. You’ll work directly with leadership teams to solve a pressing business problem—delivering data-driven recommendations and a roadmap for growth. 

Outside the Classroom

The MBA experience extends well beyond the classroom. Through courses focused on professional development, dedicated one-on-one career coaching, active student-led clubs, and exclusive networking events, you’ll build the relationships and leadership skills that define a successful career. It’s an immersive experience where you’ll challenge your perspectives, expand your circle, and create lasting connections with the leaders of tomorrow.

What You Can Expect

  • Professional Development.
    Part of the MBA program, our BUS 501 and BUS 504 courses offer workshops in areas such as networking with purpose, optimizing your own and your team's strengths, storytelling, resilience, and identifying and applying your career values.  
  • Experiential Learning.
    Step beyond the textbook and connect directly to the business world. Through networking events, industry treks, or case competitions, you’ll gain the real-world confidence and professional connections to lead in any environment.
  • Personalized Coaching.
    Our certified coaches are your personal thought partners and guide you in the discovery of your own brand and career direction by using personal assessments, meaningful conversations, and providing tactical advice.
  • Student Groups.
    Whether you are looking for leadership opportunities, to develop your network, support a community cause or connect with fellow students, student groups are an essential part of campus life.