As a public research university ranked #5 among Canada’s Best Comprehensive Universities by Maclean’s (2023), Carleton University is conversant with academic innovation with Carleton’s Sprott School of Business (Sprott) a leading example. The business school leverages the university’s location in Ottawa as a thriving global city and G7 capital by applying contemporaneous workforce-relevant input from business leaders to shape the curricula for its well-regarded Master of Business Administration (MBA) program.
When Sprott decided to offer the on-campus MBA program in an online format to better reach an underserved audience of nontraditional adult students, their leadership searched for an experienced partner to expedite that process. Joining with Academic Partnerships (AP) was an innovative approach as Carleton became one of the few universities in Canada to work with an outside online facilitator.
Emphasizing the Student Experience
In partnering with AP, Sprott expected to extend their brand reach both within and beyond the Ottawa region and help generate sustainable revenue. Beyond pursuing a significant opportunity for growth in the Canadian market for fully online programs, the business school was determined to demonstrate its commitment to successful student outcomes at every level.
Dr. Dana Brown, Dean of the business school, explains, “This program is unique because it brings the best of our MBA education and the experience that we’ve had in this field for years and it combines it with the latest technologies to create a really engaging experience for our online learners. Our program is taught by world leading faculty and our students online are given all the support that we give each of our students at Sprott School of Business.”
Excelling in Outcomes
In designing unique opportunities for students to learn at the forefront of social and technological innovation, Sprott launched their online MBA in March 2022, to enroll students for the first term beginning July 4, 2022.
Interest in the program was immediate and outstanding, exceeding the University’s expectations for enrollments. The current online portfolio of the General MBA, MBA Business Analytics, MBA Finance, and MBA Management and Change has:
- Resulted in inquiries from ALL provinces and territories in Canada (10 provinces and three territories)
- Received inquiries and enrollments in all four concentrations
- Recruited 348 NEW students into the program in just four starts, less than one year in market
Following on the success of the online MBA, both the Sprott business school and other schools within Carleton University are considering offering additional programs in an accelerated online format to extend Carleton’s and AP’s shared mission of providing a quality education in accessible ways.