Mental health and wellbeing the centerpiece of redesigned Ted Rogers MBA
With 500,000 employees unable to work every week due to mental health issues, and a third of Canadians reporting workplace stress as the primary cause of this (MHCC, 2018), business education needs to change to improve wellbeing in the workplace. This is why the Ted Rogers MBA has uniquely made mental health and wellbeing the centrepiece of its redesigned program.
Dr. Donna Smith, Director of the Ted Rogers MBA program, said changing business education will help transform the workplace for both employers and employees.
“In our updated program, we will focus on leading for performance and wellbeing,” says Dr. Smith. “Maintenance of mental and physical health, along with a new perspective on leadership should be integrated into organizational culture. This will pave the way for fulfillment on the job, achievement of organizational objectives, and ultimately, personal growth.”
Leading for performance and wellbeing is central to the new Ted Rogers MBA curriculum because these skills are important to succeed in today’s business world. The principle is driven by four themes: diversity, technology, innovation and entrepreneurship.
In the core course, “Leading for Performance and Wellbeing,” students will learn key theories of leadership, central debates about the obligations of leadership, the role of leaders in modern organizations and the importance of self-awareness for effective leadership. The goal is to encourage students to think critically about leadership and help them develop their abilities as leaders.
Graduates of the Ted Rogers MBA program will lead for performance and wellbeing guided by ethical corporate governance, socially responsible decision-making and stewardship of the environment. “The business environment is challenging, uncertain and complex. Industry leaders have encountered this before – it’s not new,” says Dr. Smith. “In the Ted Rogers MBA program, we use a new lens to maximize creative problem-solving and decision-making for organizational and individual high performance.”
The new MBA curriculum will also offer students an elective course called “Mental Health and Wellbeing in the Workplace,” and host workshops and webinars on mental health and wellbeing starting this Fall.
Updated curriculum and more electives to choose from
The Ted Rogers MBA program has responded to the changing needs of the business world and employers by altering its curriculum and offering new and industry relevant core and elective courses.
The redesigned core curriculum was developed after industry consultation and has been streamlined along seven broad disciplines including: Strategy, Leadership, Finance, Innovation and Technology Management, Business Analytics, Ethics and CSR and Marketing. The program will teach the very latest in theoretical and applied knowledge while also covering all the business fundamentals to better prepare students for a future career in business.
In addition to the core courses, students have the opportunity to customize their MBA degree with elective courses to complete a comprehensive degree with general electives, or a selection of electives within a clustered theme to match their career and personal goals (ie. sport business).
To narrow down the electives offered for the redesigned curriculum, the Ted Rogers MBA program asked key stakeholders, including current MBA students, alumni and Ted Rogers School Advisory Council members, to weigh in by completing an online survey.
The survey, which featured results from 242 respondents, found that some of the most desirable electives related to both "soft" and "hard" skills, including Artificial Intelligence, Predictive Analytics, Data Science, Negotiation and Conflict, Decision Making and Consulting Skills. The results helped inform the elective courses now being offered to students in the Ted Rogers MBA program.
New experiential learning opportunity
The redesigned Ted Rogers MBA curriculum is also anchored by real world learning opportunities, including a new Capstone Project. The project is designed to strengthen students’ writing, speaking and critical-thinking abilities and put their collective business skills and knowledge to work.
The Capstone course provides experiential learning opportunities through formal coursework and hands-on based learning. Students will be given opportunities to engage with faculty and industry leaders, providing exposure to business and management in both local and diverse global contexts. Options available for Capstone Projects include: A Major Consulting Project, an International or Canadian Experience or an Entrepreneurship Experience.
For more details on the redesigned Ted Rogers MBA program, please visit our website or contact Dr. Donna Smith, Graduate Program Director, MBA Program, Ted Rogers School of Management, drsmith@torontomu.ca.