The Professional Master of Business Administration (PMBA) is a part time program intended for students who expect to continue their professional employment during the completion of the program. The PMBA is designed to prepare graduates to analyze problems, to make decisions, and to manage, motivate, and lead people and organizations. Courses are primarily delivered on weekends. In addition to regular courses there are three 8-day in-person professional residencies.
Admission Requirements
Admission to the Professional MBA Program is competitive and takes into consideration a variety of criteria: previous academic performance, GMAT/GRE test scores, professional experience, maturity, and fit.
Applicants must hold an undergraduate degree with a minimum overall B+ average or 76% or recognized equivalent from an accredited institution. Admission to the program is competitive and generally requires an academic standing higher than the published minimum. If the applicant has sufficient professional experience or presents sufficiently high GMAT/GRE scores, a lower average may be accepted, subject to approval of the Director of the Robert H. Lee Graduate School.
Applicants must hold the equivalent of a four-year bachelor’s degree. Three-year bachelor’s degrees are accepted from Australia, New Zealand, the U.K. and Europe. Additional details on acceptable international credentials are available here.
Applicants must present minimum GMAT or GRE score:
- 550 GMAT with at least a 50th percentile in the quantitative and verbal sections of the test; or
- 155 GRE score on each of the verbal and quantitative sections.
Applicants from a university outside Canada in which English is not the primary language of instruction must present evidence of English language proficiency. Tests must have been taken within the last 24 months at the time of submission of your application. Acceptable English language proficiency tests for the PMBA are:
- TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language): 100 (Internet version)
- IELTS (International English Language Testing Service): minimum overall band score of 7.0 with no other component score less than 6.0
- MELAB (Michigan English Language Assessment Battery): minimum overall score of 84
- PTE (Pearson Test of English - Academic): minimum overall score of 70
- CAEL (Canadian Academic English Language Test) minimum overall score of 70
Applicants must present a minimum of 2 years of full-time work experience gained after graduation from the bachelor’s degree.
Evaluation for admission is based on academic records, Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) scores, full-time work experience, essays, & letters of recommendation. Applicants being seriously considered for admission will be contacted by the Robert H. Lee Graduate School for an interview either in person or by Skype or phone.
Upon accepting an offer of admission to the Professional MBA Program, students will be required to pay a non-refundable deposit, which is applied to the first installment of tuition fees.
Program Requirements
Completion of the PMBA program requires 42 credits of course work completed over 24 months. This includes:
- Mandatory Orientation
- 13.5 credits of Foundational courses
- 15 credits of Professional Residencies. Three 8-day in-person mandatory residencies, each valued at 5 credits.
- 13.5 credits of Advanced courses
In year 2 of the program, advanced courses can be completed from courses offered in the PMBA program, the MBA program, the International MBA Program, and selected global learning opportunities offered by the Robert H. Lee Graduate School. Each student’s coursework must be approved by the Robert H. Lee Graduate School office. A complete list of the courses required for successful completion may be obtained from the Robert H. Lee Graduate School.
Each PMBA student is paired with a Career Coach from the Hari B. Varshney Business Career Centre, who meets regularly with the student throughout the program to help clarify and achieve career goals.
Global Learning Options
A variety of short summer study abroad programs and global opportunities via Global Network for Advanced Management options are available in year two of the program.
Academic Policies
Refer to the Academic Calendar for academic regulations.
Contact Information
Please contact the Robert H. Lee Graduate School for more information.