I was thinking of applying to DeGroote after I finish my undergraduate degree. It's one of the few schools that doesn't require prior work experience because it offers co-op.

Has anybody on here graduated from DeGroote? What were your experiences like? Would you recommend it? They have a bunch of interesting specializations you can choose from. Right now, I was thinking of specializing in Health Services Management or Management of Innovation and New Technology (MINT). If anyone has specialized in these fields please let me know.

Also, how competitive is it to get in? I've talked to several people and they've all told me I could get in with my 70% GPA as long as I get 600 or above on the GMAT

I wouldn't do the MBA right out of undergrad. If you look at most schools, they want at least 3 years work experience before they would even consider you. As an MBA is for professionals who want to get into management, you would need some work experience before you are ready to take that step. Also MBA is very case study based, which is all about you putting yourself in a manager's shoes, being put in certain circumstances and making decisions and then justifying them. You can't make proper decisions as a manager if you don't have any work experiences to draw from. This is just a money grab from MAC. A lot of undergrads do an MBA right after school because they think they will be able to find high paying white collar jobs afterwards. A lot will be disappointed because the thing that employers look for most is work experience. They won't care if you have an MBA when you only have one year of co-op experience. They will take a person with only an undergrad, but more work experience every single time. Its very tempting but I wouldn't advise against it. Just because you have a masters degree doesn't mean an advantage in the job market.

I know someone who just did it because they had nothing else to do after a BSc + coop - no decent job prospects, he didn't want to go to grad school, he didn't get in to med school, he didn't want to try any other professional schools, he took a year in college to get a health policy certificate, and then ended up doing an MBA at Mac just because he didn't know what else to do. The MBA didn't help at all in terms of job prospects. It really only gives you an advantage if everything else (i.e. job experience) is equal. That said, if you know you want to go into management, I don't think it would really hurt either.

Thanks for the input. I keep hearing good things about the program from people who have taken it but I wanted to hear what you guys had to say.

I agree that having experience is a huge factor in getting a job. With that being said, the program offers a co-op option which I am planning on taking. That will give me a year's worth of work experience to add to my resume.

Side note: I haven't done much research about MAC because I didn't end up applying here for my undergrad. Without being bias because I know most of you probably go here, how does it compare to universities such as Waterloo, McGill, Queens, Western, UBC etc. Not just in terms of just business but as a university as a whole.....

Thanks

I'm pretty much in the same shoes as your friend. I don't know what to do after I graduate. All I know is that I eventually want to get my MBA so my logic since I'm already in "school-mode" I might as well tackle it now rather then later.....

If you have quality work experience and know you can become a manager then by all means. But dont waste 2 and half years doing something that has will add no value

I'm not necessarily saying I want to become a manager. The program has several different specialization options to choose from which would hopefully land me a job. Also, a lot of the specializations lead to different designations which makes you even more qualified.

Here is an info graphic I just found about the program:
http://cbcd.degroote.mcmaste r.ca/f...ation-2013.pdf
(If I end up making $65,000+ after I graduate then I would be extremely happy)

I don't know if this was mentioned in the posts but usually to get a managerial-type position you need some experience in order to get familiar with the job and to be able to make the right decisions.
Since mostly likely you will not get a management position right out of university you can do it on a part-time basis, so by the time you graduate you have enough experience to be promoted to higher level positions (not necessarily management).
An MBA will definitely open up the doors for many opportunities in your future career. You just have to pick the right path and mostly likely you will succeed

Originally Posted by pdogg

Here is an info graphic I just found about the program:
http://cbcd.degroote.mcmaste r.ca/f...ation-2013.pdf
(If I end up making $65,000+ after I graduate then I would be extremely happy)

Those stats are based on half (51 out of 103 students) of the graduating class from one year...not very representative. Take it with a grain of salt.