The basics: What it takes, what it costs... and what your MBA dollars will actually get you

Sixteen months or less is now pretty much the standard length for MBA programs in Canada, which means less unpaid time way from the workforce. Even better news is that 25% of MBA programs are reporting a higher number of students employed three months after graduation over last year. And to top it off, tuition is holding steady at most of Canada's b-schools, having increased less than 10% — or not at all — in most areas, the exception being schools west of Ontario, many of which are still scrambling to make up for the six-year tuition freeze that ended in 2002. New to our charts this year is the "strengths" column, showing which schools excel in the basic business areas, as well as some of the schools' niche specialties.

New Brunswick	16	560	91	0	$6,450	6	investment funds, export
New Brunswick–Saint John	12	576	73	2	$28,000	0	forestry products marketing, electronic commerce
Odette (Windsor)	24	571	n/a	0	$4,984	0	co-op program
Ottawa	12	615	94	2	$14,000	0	consulting
Queen's	12	684	75	2	$47,500	3	entrepreneurship, new ventures
Richard Ivey (Western)	16	658	n/a	2	$28,000	0	biotechnology, general management
Saskatchewan	12	587	n/a	3	$17,000	6	agribusiness, biotechnology, health services, aboriginal business development
Sauder (British Columbia)	15	640	92	2	$36,000	29	finance, logistics management and transportation
Schulich (York)	16	650	82	2	$17,500	0	banking, insurance industry, real estate
Sherbrooke	16	n/a‡	n/a	2	$3,500	0	co-op program
Simon Fraser	12	620	83	2	$25,000	39	global asset and wealth management, technology
Sobey (Saint Mary's)	16	600	75	2	$6,457	6	finance, human resources, marketing
University College of Cape Breton	16	n/a	n/a	0	$11,000	4	community economic development
Victoria	17	584	75	3	$20,000	17	service management
Wilfrid Laurier	12	608	86	2	$20,000	0	entrepreneurship, certified management accountant