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In our eighth annual Executive Survival Guide, we show you how to do business with an egomaniac, build a brand like Drake, climb the corporate ladder (without stepping on anyone), avoid Snapchat snafus and ditch underperformers—gently. If you're looking for a slightly more formal education experience, we'll also help you find the right EMBA or MBA program.

Alberta School of Business
University of Alberta

Location: Edmonton
Tuition: $67,000
Number of students accepted: 26
Male/female ratio: 73/27
Average work experience: 13.7 years
Duration: 22 months

Go here if…you’re a senior-level manager looking to accelerate your career. The program is designed to develop innovative leaders looking to enrich their organization’s value or prepare for a new career.



Alberta School of Business/Haskayne School of Business
University of Alberta/ University of Calgary

Location: Edmonton and Calgary
Tuition: $65,800
Number of students accepted: 46
Male/female ratio: 60/40
Average work experience: 7-20+ years
Duration: 20+ months

Go here if…you’re looking to network with senior leaders in business and the public sector. The speaker series offers an intimate setting for students to chat with top executives (past speakers include WestJet’s Clive Beddoe and Forzani Group’s John Forzani).



Athabasca University

Location: Athabasca, Alberta
Tuition: $45,000
Number of students accepted: 253
Male/female ratio: 65/35
Average work experience: 4+
Duration: 16+ months

Go here if…you’re into hockey or health care. The university has partnerships with the Business of Hockey Institute and the Canadian College of Health Leaders, and offers a special EMBA specifically for accountants.



Beedie School of Business
Simon Fraser University

Location: Vancouver
Tuition: $52,500
Number of students accepted: 45
Male/female ratio: 69/31
Average work experience: 18 years
Duration: 20 months

Go here if…you’re looking to make lasting friendships. Beedie’s three EMBA options (Americas, Aboriginal Business and Leadership, and Northwestern B.C.) are cohort-based, with students working in the same teams throughout their studies.



École des sciences de la gestion
Université du Québec à Montréal

Location: Montreal, China, Vietnam, Poland, France, Tunisia, Algeria, Cameroon, Mali, Mexico, Peru, Dominican Republic
Tuition: $6,707
Number of students accepted: 291 (plus 488 international)
Male/female ratio: 58/42
Average work experience: 9 years
Duration: 24 months

Go here if…you want to study in the City of Lights and earn a double degree with Université Paris-Dauphine in France, or study in one of 12 countries.



Haskayne School of Business Global Energy EMBA
University of Calgary

Location: Calgary
Tuition: $110,000
Number of students accepted: 25
Male/female ratio: 80/20
Average work experience: 7-20+ years
Duration: 22 months

Go here if…you’re looking to become a global energy leader. Students complete six modules around the world, including London, Doha, Houston, Beijing/Shanghai and, of course, Calgary and the oil sands.



Ivey Business School
Western University

Location: Toronto and London, Ont.
Tuition: $102,000
Number of students accepted: 55
Male/female ratio: 70/30
Average work experience: 14 years
Duration: 15 months

Go here if...you like a hands-on approach. Ivey uses case-method learning, where students dive into real issues, make and defend real decisions, take action—and learn how to become more effective leaders.



John Molson School of Business
Concordia University

Location: Montreal
Tuition: $75,000
Number of students accepted: 20
Male/female ratio: 70/30
Average work experience: 13 years
Duration: 15+ months

Go here if…you’re looking to develop healthy living habits. Students determine their health and wellness needs through the program’s JMSB Healthy Executive Model.



Levene Graduate School of Business
University of Regina

Location: Regina
Tuition: $46,860
Number of students accepted: 20
Male/female ratio: 55/45
Average work experience: 15 years
Duration: 18 months

Go here if…you want a cohort-based program of seasoned professionals that studies a variety of cases, from isolated issues facing a single manager to systemic issues confronting an entire organization.



McGill University/HEC Montréal

Location: Montreal
Tuition: $89,000
Number of students accepted: 46
Male/female ratio: 52/48
Average work experience: 19 years
Duration: 15 months

Go here if…you’re bilingual (it’s a must for students) and a fan of management thinker Henry Mintzberg—his multidisciplinary vision of management dominates.



Peter B. Gustavson School of Business
University of Victoria

Location: Victoria
Tuition: $32,127
Number of students accepted: 11
Male/female ratio: 73/27
Average work experience: 14 years
Duration: 24 months

Go here if…you’ve got weekends free. The program includes 20 intensive weekend modules delivered monthly on campus, book-ended by two week-long on-campus experiences, plus a one-week project abroad.



Rotman Omnium Global Executive MBA Program
University of Toronto

Location: Global (four continents)
Tuition: $102,000
Number of students accepted: 27
Male/female ratio: 63/37
Average work experience: 5 years
Duration: 18 months

Go here if…you want to earn a degree while travelling the world. Business managers participate in two six-week modules in North America, East Asia, South Asia, Europe, South America and the Middle East. Students can expect to do business in some of the world’s most exciting markets while having the flexibility to maintain their careers in their home country.



Rotman School of Management
University of Toronto

Location: Toronto
Tuition: $111,000
Number of students accepted: 70
Male/female ratio: 78/22
Average work experience: 8 years
Duration: 13 months

Go here if…you’re looking for a market-relevant curriculum that combines group work with self-development insights and strategic know-how. Students do regular 360-degree peer and self-evaluations to better understand their competencies and skill requirements.



Rowe School of Business
Dalhousie University

Location: Online/Halifax/various locations
Tuition: $36,610
Number of students accepted: 45
Male/female ratio: 65/35
Average work experience: 5 years
Duration: 36+ months

Go here if…you’re a mid-career professional who wants to focus on financial services or leadership, and is looking for flexibility: Online courses are combined with face-to-face components held across Canada.



Sandermoen School of Business
University of Fredericton

Location: Online
Tuition: $24,500
Number of students accepted: 190
Male/female ratio: 64/36
Average work experience: 16.3 years
Duration: 29 months

Go here if…you’re looking for the same level of collaboration you’d get in a classroom, without ever having to step inside one. This fully online EMBA allows students to maximize a global learning experience anywhere in the world.



Schulich School of Business/ Kellogg School of Management
York University/ Northwestern University

Location: Toronto and Evanston, Illinois
Tuition: $115,000
Number of students accepted: 49
Male/female ratio: 57/43
Average work experience: 14 years
Duration: 18 months

Go here if…you want to build an international network—the program draws 400 students from around the world. Plus, the Financial Times has ranked it the top EMBA in Canada nine years running.



Sobey School of Business
Saint Mary’s University

Location: Halifax
Tuition: $52,000+
Number of students accepted: 20
Male/female ratio: 75/25
Average work experience: 10 years
Duration: 18 months

Go here if…you’re a senior manager or exec looking to up your international bona fides. Students take part in an overseas trade mission to help Atlantic Canadian businesses succeed in emerging markets.



Smith School of Business
Queen’s University

Location: Across Canada, with residential sessions in Kingston, Ont.
Tuition: $98,000
Number of students accepted: n/a
Male/female ratio: 66/34
Average work experience: 14 years
Duration: 16 months

Go here if…you’re looking for a support team. Students can choose to sign up for the Queen’s Executive Coaching program, where, in addition to their team coach, they work with an executive coach, a career coach and a lifestyle coach.



Smith School of Business/Johnson Graduate School of Management
Queen’s University/Cornell University

Location: Across North and South America, with residential sessions in Kingston, Ont., and Ithaca, New York
Tuition: $133,394
Number of students accepted: n/a
Male/female ratio: 82/18
Average work experience: 13 years
Duration: 17 months

Go here if…you want to forge relationships with classmates from across Canada, the U.S. and Latin America, and broaden your opportunities and alumni network with degrees from two schools.



Telfer School of Management
University of Ottawa

Location: Ottawa
Tuition: $75,000
Number of students accepted: 37
Male/female ratio: 67/33
Average work experience: 14 years
Duration: 21 months

Go here if…you’re looking to work for the Facebooks and Apples of the world. First-years work with client organizations in Silicon Valley. Second-years travel internationally to identify and develop strategies for an organization’s potential entrance to new markets.



Université de Sherbrooke

Location: Longueuil, Que.
Tuition: $49,000
Number of students accepted: 32
Male/female ratio: 61/39
Average work experience: 2 years
Duration: 18 months

Go here if...you’re fluent in French. The program emphasizes work/school/life balance, and students can expect an EMBA based on a competency-based learning approach.



Université Laval

Location: Quebec City
Tuition: $17,000+
Number of students accepted: 35
Male/female ratio: 52/48
Average work experience: 17 years
Duration: 22 months

Go here if…you’re looking for a hybrid program that combines distance and classroom learning, plus additional studies at a partner university in the U.S. In second year, students get 360-degree personal feedback on their management style, with a follow-up after completion.



University of New Brunswick

Location: Saint John
Tuition: $18,000
Number of students accepted: 120
Male/female ratio: 61/39
Average work experience: 7 years
Duration: 12 months

Go here if...you’re looking for a small-town experience, plus specializations in entrepreneurship and technology management, project management, and international business (whose students can earn a dual Master of Science from Burgundy School of Business in France.)



University of Prince Edward Island

Location: Charlottetown
Tuition: $36,090
Number of students accepted: 20-25
Male/female ratio: 60/40
Average work experience: 14 years
Duration: 20 months

Go here if…you want to learn evidence-based management (EBMgt). UPEI is a recognized pioneer in EBMgt—teaching students how to leverage research findings to make more informed decisions. The program also offers two specializations: biotech and entrepreneurship, and innovation management.