MBA Redesign

1
MBA Redesign

• Faculty Preview
• May 5, 2006

2
Overview

• Mandate
• Process to date
• Preview of Proposal
• Comprehensive but high level overview
• Need for consultation over the summer concerning
  curriculum details
• Implementation Timeline
• Next Steps

3
Mandate

• Shorter program in classroom hours credits
• Probably smaller in number of students
• Significant differentiated not just improved
• More focused
• Remain publicly financed

4
Emergent Vision

• McGill Mobility as working brand
• International
• Collaborative Leadership
• Experience-based
• Resourceful

5
Process

• Review of historical documents
• PEP, MBA Advisory, SECOR
• Team Faculty, Admin, Students, Alumni
• Team members ideal states
• Benchmarking / reviewing outside current
  programs
• Canadian, European, US, Aspen
• MBA3, MMM, MMF, Japan, IMPM
• Weekly meetings and 3 offsite day meetings
• Surveys Alumni, Recruiters, Students, Faculty

6
Process (2)

• Numerous consultations
• MBA Advisory Board
• Alumni focus groups
• Executive teaching W. Polushin, D.
  Wells, E. Lifson
• Alan Le Blanc
• Placement Office
• Reflective Papers from first-year students

7
External Environment

• Declining enrollments for MBA programs
• Questioned value of MBA
• Financial picture (program losing money)
• Increased competition from specialized programs
• Difficulty in placing students in Montreal
  

8
Preview of Proposal

• Shorter core (concentrated, integrated, and
  cross-functional)
• Reduced credit (45 required credits, down from
  60)
• Experiential Focus
• Fewer Concentrations (now streams)
• Targeted Recruitment and Selection
• Pay for service approach (e.g.- Pay for
  internships)
• Career planning from first contact
• People-centered for students and faculty
• Remedial Program including tools, communication,
  combined with acculturation / intro to Montreal

9
Target Student Profile

• Primary Design Target Crossovers
• Professional moving into management
• Specialists moving up
• International students changing careers
• Non-profit to business
• Customizable for others
• B-Comms
• Specialists (CMA, CFA)
• Part-timers

10
Program Perspective
Curriculum
core
streams
experiential
11
Core Highlights

• One full term, down from three trimesters
• Balanced, rather than comprehensive, core
• Some topics disappear, others added
• Dual/multiple ownership of modules
• Integrated through coordination, case
  competition, later projects for full-timers
• Hands-on/Practitioner involvement
• Upfront remedial session (2-3 weeks)

12
Core Modules (15 weeks)
Tools in Use MS / AcctG
Value Chain OPS / IT / MKTG
learning appropriate tools
creating value
Global Markets STRAT / MKTG
Resources FIN / OB
prevailing in global markets
optimizing return on resources
first half
second half
13
Streams, Not Concentrations

• Current Program
• 8 concentrations plus general
• 70 course offerings
• Issues/shortcomings of existing program
• Minimal coordination
• Lacks differentiation in marketplace
• Not economically viable

14
Proposed Streams
15
Streams Characteristics

• Joint Design (except for marketing, two or more
  areas each)
• Other areas invited to offer courses
• Demand-based offerings
• 6 courses needed for concentration, leaving 4
  electives
• Substantial reduction, to around 40 courses

16
Practicum Service Options

• Practicum Options
• Up to 15 additional credits (Extra for
  supervision)
• Exchange program
• Projects faculty/ practitioner supervised and
  compensated
• Internships
• Possible Bring your own Project (BYOP)
• Value Added Service Options (Extra )
• Career counseling upon entering program
• Advanced and ongoing communication
• Language training partner provider

17
Faculty Timeline
1. Core Stream Design
3. Experimentation
4. Marketing
First offering of new core - Aug/Sept 2008 First
offering of new option streams - Jan. 2009
18
Implementation

• Curriculum Discussion is Faculty Responsibility
• Core (area co-owners lead design)
• May 2006 to Oct. 2006
• Oct.Mar. 2006 agreement on curriculum at
• Faculty Council,
• Academic Committee
• University and Grad Faculty
• Experimentation in Current Program with
  practitioners, regular coordinating meetings,
  tools in use exercises, more recent cases.
• Marketing materials of new program (Jan.-April
  2007)
• Market to new class of 2008

19
Faculty/Admin shared responsibilities

• Student Hands-on Experiences
• Placement
• Selection and recruiting students
• Alumni Involvement
• Program Leadership

20
Next Steps

• Two open meetings of the MBA Redesign Team May
  10 and 17, 1130 to 130 in Room 204 and 402
  respectively
• All back-up material (surveys, articles, etc.) on
  Website by Monday. (Url to be distributed)
• Please email questions and discussion points to
  help shape agendas for open meetings.

21
Team

• Francesca Carrieri
• Susan Christoffersen
• Louis Gialloreto
• Meg Graham- Chair
• Lili De Grandpré
• Mark McVittie
• Denise Perreira
• Saibal Ray
• Nancy Wells
• Thanks also to Russell Seidle Brian King for
  their support.