Right in line with SFU’s mandate to engage the world, the Beedie School of Business is extending its reach by introducing a new program: the Executive MBA Northwestern BC.
The new program, which will commence this fall and take place in Prince Rupert, is specifically tailored to providing the business and management skills needed for industries such as extractive resources, engineering, liquefied natural gas, and other related industries.
Mark Selman, the program director, stated that there is a high demand for business and management skills in Northwestern BC.
“The Executive MBA Northwestern BC program will focus on giving students extraordinary skills in business, logistics, and management — skills that are required for today’s competitive market. We also want our students to gain the entrepreneurial skills required for expanding BC’s industries and to provide economic development for First Nations,” said Selman.
The three-year program will take place at specific training institutions, colleges, and other various locations in Prince Rupert, Terrace, and Kitimat. However, students will also be able to attend lectures through virtual classrooms.
Selman explained, “Prince Rupert is the ideal location because its economy is one of the central points in global trade networks. It is a fast growing economy, and this is due to Prince Rupert’s port and how low its shipping costs are.
“There are also a lot of communities in Northwestern BC that need training in business and management,” he continued. “Workers and management often have experience in different areas such as mining, forestry, or hydroelectric power, but they’re lacking graduate-level business knowledge. We want to be able to provide this knowledge to people working so that we can see these emerging economies succeed in competitive markets.”
“We also want our students to gain the entrepreneurial skills required for expanding BC’s industries.”
Mark Selman,
program director
SFU’s Beedie School of Business has offered an MBA similar to this one in the Northern BC in previous years. “In the past, we have offered programs in Terrace and Kitimat. We want individuals to not only have experience in these industries, but to have proper training in business and management so they can meet the demands of new projects,” said Selman.
The courses included in this program are similar to other MBA programs, involving topics on accounting, marketing, economics, leadership, finance, policy, and governance. However, this program is primarily focused on applying these topics to BC’s northwestern industries and course work will include traditional learning, case studies, and simulations.
Courses will be taught by a team of SFU’s distinguished professors who specialize in business, marketing, finance, resource management, organization, and strategy.
While the program has had many applicants with backgrounds in science and engineering, the entry qualifications are not restricted to people who have studied those disciplines.
“There are a number of students with science and engineering backgrounds who’ve applied, but this doesn’t mean that prospective applicants require a degree in science or engineering,” emphasized Selman.
“Ideally, students will have an undergraduate degree, some professional experience, and a desire to further their skills.”
