MBA Program Overview

Laurentian University’s online MBA program is being offered through an exclusive arrangement with the Insurance Brokers Association of Canada (IBAC). This unique opportunity will provide CAIB or CPIB designation holders who are in good standing with their IBAC member association with access to an affordable MBA that provides the flexibility needed to balance education, career and family life.

Based on the university’s on-campus MBA, the online graduate degree brings the proven track record of the MBA program to a wider audience. The combination of no on-campus requirements and a comprehensive online delivery system provides students with the flexibility required to complete coursework wherever and whenever they choose.

The online MBA program recognizes the knowledge gained through the completion of the CAIB and CPIB designations. The focus of the online MBA program is on business topics and skills that brokers need in order to advance in their careers and build their businesses: strategy, organizational behaviour, marketing, operations, accounting, finance, and economics. Electives, including advanced courses for individuals with an undergraduate business degree, accommodate a wide range of student interests and backgrounds.

The comprehensive web based delivery of Laurentian University courses allows for both independent study and collaborative learning. Knowledgeable faculty foster a progressive learning environment in which students are able to closely interact with both their instructors and an extensive network of management peers.

In addition to key educational components, the program also promotes teamwork and builds the leadership skills necessary to succeed in today's competitive business environments.

MBA Program Requirements

The admission requirements of the CAIB or CPIB designations will provide advanced standing for the first 12 credits of the 60-credit MBA degree program. The balance of the degree program (48 credits) is through the completion of the MBA core courses as outlined below.

MBA Core Courses 

Applicants who submit transcripts indicating the completion of university level studies in the above subject areas will be assessed for advanced standing. Generally, applicants with the equivalent number of credits and a 70% average in courses taken less than 10 years ago will be provided with advanced standing. Advanced standing decisions are made by the Laurentian University Admission Committee and communicated to applicants with their letter of offer.

Although advanced standing may be provided for all COMM 5000 level courses, Laurentian University MBA students will still be required to complete a minimum of 30 credits to receive the MBA degree. This means that students, who are provided with more than 18 credits of advanced standing for COMM 5000 level courses, will be required to replace these credits with MBA electives.

Applicants who completed university level studies towards their CAIB or CPIB designations will be assessed for advanced standing following the above process. As each applicant is already provided with 12 credits of advanced standing for the designation, the Admission Committee will request that the applicant complete the equivalent number of MBA elective credits provided in advanced standing.

For example: An applicant with the CPIB designation in Personal Lines applies to the online MBA program and has completed the following elective courses at a university: Marketing, Sales Management and Communications. The applicant would receive 12 credits of advanced standing for the CPIB designation.

If one of the CPIB electives completed is assessed by LU as equivalent to a LU MBA required course – in this case, potentially the COMM 5305 marketing course, the applicant would not be required to complete the COMM 5305 course but would be required to replace these credits with a 6 credit MBA elective.

MBA Course Delivery

The Laurentian University online MBA program is delivered through a comprehensive web based delivery system. No travel to Laurentian University is required throughout the program.

The online MBA core and elective courses make extensive use of the Internet and discussion forums, encouraging students to take an active part in their learning experience. Students are usually required to complete online group projects and to participate in weekly online discussions with other students and the course instructor. Most of the discussions will be asynchronous where students log on at different intervals in the day to post and respond to messages. Some courses will include some synchronous/live events which will be announced ahead of time. These events will be offered at different intervals in order to accommodate students in different time zones.

In each online course, students will be divided into groups of 4 to 6 students. One instructor will be responsible for a class of approximately 36 students (6 groups). Course administrators are appointed to interact with instructors and ensure quality and consistency of course delivery across sections. Students will routinely communicate with their instructor and, if necessary, with the course administrator.

All courses are delivered over a 13-week period in four sessions annually: 

Six-credit online MBA courses typically consist of 11 modules, while three-credit courses will consist of approximately 6 modules. Each module requires approximately 20 to 25 hours of collaborative and individual work to complete.

Evaluation of the learning process varies with each course. Course grades will include marks for individual and group work, participation and contribution to discussion forums, and a final examination (with the exception of the Research Project or Thesis). At this time, the final examination must be written in-person. Examination sites are set up throughout the country in order to ensure short travel times and accessibility. Students will be informed individually of the examination location and details.