Originally Posted by allanandthera

They should revamp the entire curriculum, I don't see why do business students need to even go to classes out of the business school. Look at other business schools, even Ryerson has all their commerce students at once place. You realize how crappy our curriculum is when we have only 1 commerce course in year 1 and even next year we will have only 3 (1e03, accounting + 1 more). We should even have our own econ and math profs in house, that's what other business schools do too. I definitely don't like this faculty melting pot we have here.

Also I don't get the point of having an MBA half way between Hamilton and Toronto, I don't see Laurier having their recruitment office half way from Waterloo and Toronto. The placement of our school itself and the recruitment locations put us at an disadvantage in general. Let's face it, no one wants to work in Burlington and Hamilton when they come out of here, everyone wants to go to the main branches downtown Toronto. We should have way more presence downtown.

The difference is that the Ted Rogers School of Business Management is located on the Ryerson campus. What would happen if you had an elective in another faculty? Think about how inconvenient it would be for going back and forth between Mac and downtown throughout the day. Considering other classes, on-campus extracurriculars, the location of McMaster residences, staying part of the whole McMaster community, and needing to go to the main campus for admin-related reasons, it is incredibly unfeasible. As for your comment about Laurier, their MBA program doesn't even can't the Top 10 list, and they don't even have a separate building for their MBA school, so I don't even know how you can compare.

While there is only 1 straight business course first year, you take several related courses such as business calculous, microeconomics, macroeconomics, and business information technology. It doesn't make a huge difference that these courses are in other faculties. Yes, I agree we should have more straight business courses in first year, but I don't think the situation is bad as you say it is. By the way, you should get your facts straight, you are required to take all straight Commerce courses (except for one elective) next year (Financial Accounting, Managerial Accounting, Finance, Marketing, Business Information Systems, Business Statistics, and Human Resources), in addition to a level 2 microeconomics course (directly related to business and finance).

Why are you hating on the program so much? If you don't like it, get out. No once's forcing you to stay here. You must think the program at DeGroote is better otherwise you would not be here.

Originally Posted by Commie42

What would happen if you had an elective in another faculty? Think about how inconvenient it would be for going back and forth between Mac and downtown throughout the day.
By the way, you should get your facts straight, you are required to take all straight Commerce courses (except for one elective) next year (Financial Accounting, Managerial Accounting, Finance, Marketing, Business Information Systems, Business Statistics, and Human Resources), in addition to a level 2 microeconomics course (directly related to business and finance).

Why are you hating on the program so much? If you don't like it, get out. No once's forcing you to stay here. You must think the program at DeGroote is better otherwise you would not be here.

I am talking about how they are changing the program next year, I am not talking about commerce II, business 1 is taking out several old courses and placing straight business courses first year. That should have been done years ago. I also don't get what the MBA guy (didn't bother scrolling up) says about weeding in first year, the first year is an average booster! I didn't come here to pay for random electives that I will never use!

Furthermore, I am saying the location of the MBA building sucks because it is in the middle of nowhere, it should either be in Hamilton or be in Toronto, not off a highway ramp. The MBA school runs things totally different so they might as well plot it right there to have better location.

I came to DeGroote over other places because I see that this school has so much potential and that it can move forward. I much rather be apart of a school that lets its students be involved and have a say than go to a school where everything is already fine tuned. An example would be how next years President of the DCS made a recommendation of taking out some first year courses and putting in more commerce courses for year 1, THAT is the change I like to see from this school. There are many opportunities that are available at DeGroote that are open without and discrimination against what year level you are in; that is why I love this school. However, DeGroote needs a curriculum revamp and we all know it, it is totally out dated. Have you looked at the other business school's curriculum?

Originally Posted by allanandthera

I am talking about how they are changing the program next year, I am not talking about commerce II, business 1 is taking out several old courses and placing straight business courses first year. That should have been done years ago. I also don't get what the MBA guy (didn't bother scrolling up) says about weeding in first year, the first year is an average booster! I didn't come here to pay for random electives that I will never use!

Furthermore, I am saying the location of the MBA building sucks because it is in the middle of nowhere, it should either be in Hamilton or be in Toronto, not off a highway ramp. The MBA school runs things totally different so they might as well plot it right there to have better location.

I came to DeGroote over other places because I see that this school has so much potential and that it can move forward. I much rather be apart of a school that lets its students be involved and have a say than go to a school where everything is already fine tuned. An example would be how next years President of the DCS made a recommendation of taking out some first year courses and putting in more commerce courses for year 1, THAT is the change I like to see from this school. There are many opportunities that are available at DeGroote that are open without and discrimination against what year level you are in; that is why I love this school. However, DeGroote needs a curriculum revamp and we all know it, it is totally out dated. Have you looked at the other business school's curriculum?

Perhaps if you had "bothered" you would have seen the reasoning behind not placing the school in hamilton or toronto and why burlington works. Im not going to repeat myself. I can say based on first hand knowledge that the mba school location works. And it was not built there to appease undergrads.

Originally Posted by king10

As an undergaduate commerce graduate from DeGroote and now an MBA student at the burlington campus I could not disagree more with you. The first year curriculum is purposely set up to exclude commerce classes as to ween out those unable to keep up with the rigours of university. If able to pass level 1 "business" you are rewarded with a full load of level 2 "commerce" options.

Also you seem to be missing the boat on the entire logic behind the location of the MBA school. The reason it is strategically placed is to capture the toronto market and compete with the heavy weight schools such as Rotman and Shulich, which degroote is doing now. Case in point 2012 and 2014 MBA games champions. Furthermore, it pains me to say this as a Hamiltonian but all the major banking, marketing, and capital markets jobs are located in Toronto, hence the move to Burlington to tap into that market while still being close enough to our home base of Hamilton. Had we moved into downtown Toronto we would have been cannibalized by the already established likes of Rotman, Shulich, and Rogers.

Your example of Laurier is comical as not only do they have a business school located outside of main campus, but in fact in downtown toronto. The same is the case for richard ivey of western. The burlington location draws more than half of its students from toronto as there are free shuttles from the Go Station. It's also far enough away as to differentiate itself from the Toronto school's and allow us to have our own identity while still being close to our main capmus in Hamilton.

And back on topic, as a Hamiltonian I could not be happier to see the University maintain and increase its downtown presence. 1 King North is a great location. The downtown is on an upswing as evidenced by the new condos and hotels being constructed, as well as the new James St Go Station, increased employment and residential numbers, and new businesses opening. The new plans for the waterfront at pier 5 to 8 also look stunning if they come to fruition. The ignorance and lack of general understanding of the first poster is typical of newcomers to Hamilton, but in the near future that view of the City will soon change. These are early days but the City of Hamilton's future looks bright and we have transitioned well from a Steel dominated city to one focused more on Health Care and Educational Services.

Couldn't agree more. Well put.

I've worked at the Burlington location a few times, it's very nice and classy; and there's a shuttle to it as well. It's important not to have all the campuses and related buildings clustered together as long as it doesn't interfere with logistics. Lots of non-class related things happen there such as networking, upper level management meetings, events, conferences(not sure about this one) and just general fancy business.

Overall I'm happy with the new locations, especially downtown to revitalize the core and get the McMasterites out of the Westdale bubble whenever possible. Not happy that all this wonderful stuff is happening now that I'm leaving though!