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Program details
The MSc program in management is designed to produce graduates who have in-depth, rigorous training in their chosen management field that prepares them for employment or doctoral work.
Management (MSc)
Expected duration: 2 years
Tuition and fees: Program fees are assessed in the first two terms of study, followed by a continuing fee in the third and any subsequent terms. (refer to Graduate tuition and fees)
Students will spend at least the first year of their program in full-time residence. During this time, they will acquire substantial breadth and depth of knowledge in their chosen area of specialization and supporting area through graduate course work in the Asper School of Business and in related faculties in the University.
Areas of specialization
Five areas of specialization are offered:
Actuarial Mathematics
The Warren Centre for Actuarial Studies and Research offers a Master of Science (MSc) in Management. The Warren Centre is accredited by the Canadian Institute of Actuaries (CIA) University Accreditation Program. Our MSc program prepares students for careers in industry, government, consulting, and research firms, and for continuation on to PhD programs. It is one of the few programs in Canada and the Warren Centre has been designated a Centre of Actuarial Excellence (CAE) by the Society of Actuaries (SOA).
Students in the MSc program receive training both in knowledge (by completing 18 credit hours at the graduate level) and in supervised research (by completing a thesis or practicum). Research areas include risk theory, risk management, applications of stochastics in insurance, statistical learning, stochastic optimization and control, variable annuity and registered index-linked annuity, and pension economics. The focus is on learning advanced mathematical and statistical techniques to model, measure and manage financial risks in the insurance and finance fields.
Marketing
The MSc program in Marketing is designed to equip graduates with comprehensive and rigorous training in the field, empowering them to undertake impactful research projects. This foundation prepares students for successful careers in industry or further academic pursuits in a doctoral program.
MSc students engage in a diverse range of courses, including marketing theory, consumer behavior, and research methods, alongside subjects from non-business fields such as economics, statistics, and psychology. Through marketing seminars, students explore the latest scholarly work in the field while developing their own research ideas and methodologies. The thesis component allows students to create original research projects under the mentorship of faculty members. Additionally, students gain valuable teaching experience by assisting faculty in delivering marketing courses.
Finance
The MSc in Finance is a research-focused graduate program designed to equip students with strong quantitative and analytical skills, as well as a thorough understanding of finance theory and research methodologies. Students benefit from small class sizes, fostering closer interactions with faculty members and peers. Through this program, students engage deeply with core finance concepts in asset pricing and corporate finance, preparing for careers in financial research or advanced academic studies, including those aiming to pursue a PhD.
Students in the MSc program in Finance develop advanced analytical and technical skills through rigorous coursework in financial economics, econometrics, asset pricing, and corporate finance. The program offers collaboration opportunities with faculty, and students receive hands-on experience applying quantitative methods, culminating in a thesis based on their research interests.
Business Administration
The department of Business Administration offers both doctoral and research masters’ (MSc) programs in management. Our faculty are highly engaged scholars, working on a wide range of topics spanning disciplines (from Strategy and Organizational Behaviour to Entrepreneurship and Global Management) and research methodologies. Students and faculty use a wide variety of methods, ranging from ethnographies to lab experiments, and from the creative use of archival data to longitudinal surveys and experience-sampling methods.
Our faculty have published in the most widely-recognized journals, including Academy of Management Review, Journal of International Business Studies, Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, Human Relations, Administrative Science Quarterly, Organization Studies, Organization Science, Journal of Applied Psychology, and Journal of Management Studies, among other top management outlets.
The MSc program can prepare students for doctoral studies at Asper or other institutions, or prepare students for research-oriented roles in industry. Students can craft their program to reflect their focus on a subfield, or work at the intersection of two or more subfields, including:
Organizational Behaviour
OB is the study of individuals and groups in organizations. Drawing on insights from psychology and other fields, OB researchers explore how individuals and groups behave and interact in organizations. Our faculty study topics like customer service interactions (Irene Kim), justice, and ideas of self-help and self-improvement (Jae Yun Kim), mistreatment and microaggressions (Raymond Lee), conflict (Lukas Neville), leadership and ethics (Wei Wang), equity, diversity and inclusion (Suzanne Gagnon), and cross-cultural interactions at work (Jieying Chen).
Spotlight: Read about OB professor Jae Yun Kim’s research on the exploitation of passionate employees in the New York Times.
Strategy
Strategy researchers focus on how firms formulate and execute their market and non-market strategies, and the influence of firms’ environments and processes on those strategies and strategic decisions. Many of our faculty members study these dynamics in international contexts, and we welcome students with an interest in international business. Here at Asper, our faculty study how ‘ambidextrous’ firms balance multiple strategies (Parshotam Dass), how they navigate firm-government relations (Cheng Li), and how they manage cross-border mergers and acquisitions (Ratchel Zeng).
Spotlight: Read more about Ratchel Zeng’s work, published in the Journal of International Business Studies, on how multinational firms manage to control and coordinate action in their global subsidiaries.
Organizational Theory
Organizational theory scholars conduct research on organizations and their environment, considering how organizations are formed and change, and how organizing happens in the context of markets and institutional fields. At Asper, we have a very strong group of researchers conducting qualitative and quantitative research in organization theory, including how firms respond to contentious social issues (Sean Buchanan), social and ecological thought (Bruno Dyck), and the categorization processes that shape product market competition (Jie Yang).
Spotlight: Read about OT professor Sean Buchanan’s work on markets for voyeurism, from reality TV to slum tourism.
Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship is a multi-disciplinary domain of study, drawing from strategy, finance, economics, sociology, psychology and other areas to better understand how new ventures and new organizations are formed to create both economic and social value. Entrepreneurship researchers study both market contexts (entrepreneurship and new ventures) and corporate contexts (intrapreneurship and innovation).
Topics explored by Asper researchers include ‘intrapreneurship’ and corporate entrepreneurship (Wenlong Yuan), strategic leadership and family business management (Zhenyu Wu), social ventures and microfinance (Junyon Im), cultural entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial framing (Xiumei Li), and exploring entrepreneurship’s intersection with sustainability and well-being (Nathan Greidanus).
Spotlight: Read about entrepreneurship professor Nathan Greidanus’ collaboration with Chi Liao (finance) on how ADHD influences entrepreneurship.
Supply Chain Management
The MSc in Supply Chain Management at Asper stands out with its unique focus on real-world application and research excellence. This intensive academic experience is designed for students who are passionate about mastering cutting-edge supply chain theories and practices. Under the guidance of our renowned faculty, students delve deep into critical topics such as logistics optimization, transportation strategies, data-driven decision-making, and sustainable supply chain innovations. The program's strong emphasis on real-world application and research excellence ensures that graduates emerge with advanced skills, strategic insight, and leadership capabilities, ready to excel in high-impact roles within industry, consulting, or academia, and to shape the future of global supply chain management.
The MSc program equips students with cutting-edge research and analytical skills, focusing on critical supply chain methodologies such as logistics modelling, demand forecasting, supply chain optimization, and sustainable practices. Through rigorous coursework and industry-driven research projects, students gain hands-on experience in tackling complex, real-world challenges, including sustainability in global supply chains. Graduates emerge as leaders, ready to drive impactful, sustainable solutions in both academic and professional environments, shaping the future of supply chain management.
Degree requirements:
Students will be required to complete 18 credit hours plus a thesis or practicum. This minimum will include:
- At least 6 credit hours of required graduate-level courses (7000 level or above) in area of specialization
- Up to 12 credit hours of optional courses (subject to the approval of the Asper School Graduate Research Programs Committee)
- A thesis or practicum.
Actuarial Mathematics
Course requirements:
Actuarial Mathematics:
Two (2) of the following four (3) credit hour courses are required:
- ACT 7540 Advanced Topics in Actuarial Mathematics
- ACT 7300 Seminars in actuarial Sciences
- ACT 7400 Longevity Risk Modeling and Management
- ACT 7600 Applied Statistical Methods in Actuarial Science
Plus an additional twelve (12) credit hours from the following:
- ACT 7050 Readings in Quantitative Methods (varied topics)
- ACT 7540 Advanced Topics in Actuarial Mathematics
- ACT 7300 Seminars in Actuarial Science
- ACT 7400 Longevity Risk Modeling and Management
- ACT 7600 Applied Statistical Methods in Actuarial Science
- STAT 7310 Research Tools for Statistics
- ABIZ 7410 Risk Management
- FIN 7020 Corporate Finance
- FIN 7100 Financial Economics
Or other 7000 level courses relevant to the Actuarial Mathematics specialization (e.g., Finance, Investments.), as approved by the Curriculum Advisory Committee.
For full course descriptions, please visit the Academic Calendar.
Business Administration
Required courses:
One (1) of the following three (3) credit hour courses:
- GMGT 7440 Organizational Theory
- GMGT 7410 Organizational Behaviour
One (1) of the following three (3) credit hour courses:
- GMGT 7540 Doctoral Seminar in Research Methods
- GMGT 7080 Research Methods
- Or, an equivalent graduate level course in quantitative methods from another cognate discipline including Nursing, Social Work, Psychology, Sociology, and Economics, as approved by the Curriculum Advisory Committee.
Twelve (12) additional credit hours from the following:
- A statistics or econometrics course (3 ch)
- A second research methods course (quantitative or qualitative) (3 ch)
- PHDM 7110 Doctoral Seminar in Management or a related course of advanced theory in philosophy, sociology, psychology, or economics, preferably with a philosophy of science content (3 ch); and,
- Six (6) credit hours of coursework that is relevant to the student’s area of specialization from inside or outside of the Asper School of Business.
Selection of these courses will be subject to approval by the student’s advisory committee.
For full course descriptions, please visit the Academic Calendar.
Finance
Required courses
- FIN 7700: Financial Economics (3 credits)
and one of the following two options:
- FIN 7710: Empirical Asset Pricing (3 credits)
- FIN 7712: Seminar in Corporate Finance (3 credits)
Twelve (12) credit hours from the following:
- One (1) three (3) credit hour course in research methods in Econometrics, which may include: ECON 7010, ECON 7020, and ECON 7032;
- At least one (1) 7000 level three (3) credit hour course in Microeconomics or Macroeconomics, which may include ECON 7722, ECON 7732, ECON 7650, and ECON 7660;
- Two (2) additional three (3) credit hour 7000 level electives chosen in Finance, Econometrics, Microeconomics or Macroeconomics.
Note: specific course requirements may be adjusted depending on the student’s background, and with the approval of the student’s Curriculum Advisory Committee. The minimum number of credit hours will not be reduced.
For full course descriptions, please visit the Academic Calendar.
Marketing
Required courses
Six (6) credit hours from the following:
- MKT 7100 Selected Topics in Marketing
- MKT 7110 Doctoral Seminar in Marketing
- MKT 7120 Doctoral Seminar in Buyer Behaviour
- MKT 7080 Research Design and Methods
Six (6) credit hours of research methods coursework (quantitative or qualitative) at the 7000-level or above. These graduate level courses in research methods are available at the Asper School of Business and in other cognate disciplines including Psychology, Anthropology, and Sociology. Students should choose one (1), three (3) credit hour course focusing on research methods and techniques, and one (1) three (3) credit hour course focusing on statistical analyses.
Six (6) credit hours of coursework relevant to the student’s area of specialization from inside or outside of the Asper School of Business. Selection of these courses will be subject to approval by the student’s advisory committee.
For full course descriptions, please visit the Academic Calendar.
Supply Chain Management Option
Required courses:
- OPM 7020 Seminar in Supply Chain Management
- OPM 7120: Operations and Supply Chain Management (recommended) - or other graduate level course in Supply Chain Management
- MKT 7080: Topics in Marketing: Research Design and Methods (recommended) - or equivalent graduate level course
-
Optional courses (9 credit hours) - at least three courses relevant to the student's area of specialization at the 7000 level or higher, from inside or outside the Asper School of Business, subject to the approval of the Curriculum Advisory Committee.
For full course descriptions, please visit the Academic Calendar.
Admission requirements
The following are minimum requirements to be considered for entry into the Master of Science in management program. Meeting these requirements does not guarantee acceptance into the program.
Students admitted to the MSc in management will generally possess:
- A management/business degree with a major or minor in the same area or a similar area to that pursued in the MSc or, a degree a cognate or foundational disciplinary area (i.e.: psychology, sociology, economics, mathematics);
- An interest in research, as evidenced by a statement of purpose;
- Proficiency in written and spoken English of at least the level required by the Faculty of Graduate Studies;
- A minimum GMAT of 600 or comparable GRE score. The score must be no older than five years;
- Satisfactory recommendations from three referees, at least two of whom must be academics. For the purposes of recommendation letters, an academic is defined as someone who has taught or supervised research of the applicant in a post-secondary educational setting.
In addition to the admission requirements described here, all applicants must meet the minimum admission and English language proficiency requirements of the Faculty of Graduate Studies.
How to apply
Applications for the MSc program are accepted once a year for Fall entry. Applications must be completed online and include several parts:
- Application fee (non-refundable)
- Unofficial copies of transcripts
- CV or resume
- Statement of intent
- GMAT or GRE, with a minimum score of 600
- 3 letters of recommendation from academic references
- Proof of English language proficiency, if required
Please read the Faculty of Graduate Studies online application instructions before beginning your application.
GMAT and GRE resources
The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) and Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) are standardized tests used to demonstrate academic qualification for graduate programs. Applicants to the Asper (MSc) must provide one of these test scores as part of the admissions process.
Application deadline
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Contact us
Admission and application inquiries
Faculty of Graduate Studies
Room 500 UMSU University Centre
65 Chancellors Circle
University of Manitoba (Fort Garry campus)
Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2 Canada
graduate.admissions@umanitoba.ca
Phone: 204-474-9377
Monday to Friday
8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Program inquiries
Stu Clark Graduate School
Asper School of Business
Room 501, Drake Centre
181 Freedman Crescent
University of Manitoba (Fort Garry campus)
Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3T 5V4 Canada
Phone: 431-336-0650
phdmscasper@umanitoba.ca
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