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M B A / E X E C U T I V E E D U C A T I O N S p e c i a l F e a t u r e "Another reason for our popularity is we don't bring students together to debate a case study model," says McLeod. "Rather,we ask each student to assess the industry he or she works in. Plus, all major assignments are connected to what they're doing in the workplace. "We also regularly change the student and professor groupings, in order to challenge and broaden the perceptions." A focus on linking theory to real life often results in the students being promoted or receiving salary increases while they are studying at AU. "On average, our students are promoted twice while taking our program and have among the highest exit salaries upon graduation of any MBA in the world—at $146,426," says McLeod. "By doing the things they are learning about back in their work- place,students get a tremendous return on their investment." Students can also participate in AU's elective in-residence courses oŠered across Canada and around the world.AU students taking Doing Business in a Recovering Economy are travelling to Athens, Greece, in mid-October as part of the program. Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops has always been forward thinking in its development and delivery of adult education: Mike Henry, the dean of the School of Business, points out that 15 years ago, long before it became the norm, the university had a thriving international student body. "It was by design—because we wanted to internationalize our program content and learn from the diŠerent cultures and business practices of other countries." Today, 50 per cent of Thompson's business students are from countries other than Canada; and with its ›nger ever-pres- ent on the pulse of emerging trends, the institution this year is oŠering two new master's levels programs: the Master in Environmental Economics and Manage- ment ( MEEM), and the Master of Science in Environmental Economics and Manage- ment (MScEEM), which are designed to give graduates career opportunities in the sustainability ›eld. Henry says: "Increasingly, environmen- tal stewardship and sustainability are becoming inextricably linked to business, regardless of what the business is; and it's appropriate that Thompson is leading the way in oŠering these two programs, given that we're based in a resource-rich part of B.C. where land and stewardship is vitally important to its residents." MEEM is a two-year, course-based program, providing graduates with a broad knowledge of the business environ- ment, advanced management skills and specialized knowledge in environmental economics and sustainability. MScEEM provides graduates with an understanding of the business environment, specialized knowledge in the emerging area of sustainability, as well as academic and applied research expertise through the completion of a graduate thesis or project. Those who have already graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration or Bachelor of Commerce can enter directly into the second year of the programs, thus completing a graduate degree in 12 months. Program coordinator Dr. Laura Lamb, who was instrumental in developing MEEM and MScEEM, says "the programs are unique in combining economic sustain- ability learning with business studies. Nobody else has done this, and we think it gives our business students a de›nite edge in forging careers in the public and private sectors." But the new masters programs are only one facet of a university that is also mindful of the rapidly changing face of education. Currently, students can complete the MBA online, and overall TRU students have the ¢exibility to take courses on campus, online, or combine the two. "Plus, our Kamloops location has proven to be a huge draw over the decades, partly because of the aŠordable cost of living and the fact we're in the midst of the great outdoors," says Lamb. Last but hardly least, Vancouver Island University's 14- to 16-month full-time MBA is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) and oŠers a dual degree: students can obtain an MBA from VIU alongside an MScIM from the University of Hertfordshire, which now also includes a semester exchange opportunity. The program includes a 16-week internship as well as an Applied Business Project ( ABP), which allows students to focus on a complex business problem or management issues within their intern- ship. "This is the culmination of an intensive learning experience that combines theory and practice as it applies to real-world scenarios throughout the program," says Joanna Hesketh, adminis- trativecoordinator of VIU's Graduate Business Studies o¥ce, Faculty of Management. The VIU MBA was developed to cater to a wide a range of student needs and educational levels. For example, CityU Canada offers a Bachelor of Arts in Management (BAM) degree with a spe- cial focus on socially and environmentally responsible management COUR T ESY OF CIT Y U CAN A DA

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