Business (Master of Science) MScB

Program details

Research clusters

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Find out more about our faculty's areas of expertise.

The Master of Science in Business at Dalhousie's Faculty of Management is a research-oriented graduate thesis program. It is a rigorous program that runs for four full-time semesters and provides you with enhanced opportunities to enter a PhD program in business administration or boost your career in industry with skills in academic research. Students develop their skills through courses in their area of specialization and by writing a thesis.

Structure

The first two terms comprise coursework including mandatory and elective courses. If necessary, your admission committee may add one or two specific elective courses to your degree requirement. Near the end of Term 2 (before Term 3 begins), you will be matched with a supervisor who will work with you for the rest of the program. In Term 3, with the help of your supervisor, you will choose a research topic for your thesis and work on a field study for your research topic to meet the thesis requirement. In Term 4, you are expected to complete and successfully defend a publishable thesis to be considered for graduation with the degree of Master of Science in Business. If necessary, you may register for additional full-time thesis semesters (up to 8) to revise and improve your thesis.

Term 1 Term 2 Term 3 Term 4
Sep–Dec, Year 1 Jan–Apr, Year 2 May–Aug, Year 2 Sep–Dec, Year 2
Full-time coursework
 Full-time coursework
 Thesis research Thesis research
Explore research topics and profs in your area Supervisor and thesis committee decided Ongoing thesis research Completion of thesis research and defence


Why pursue an MSc Business at Dal?

  • Our MScB program is accredited by AACSB International. Only 6% of the world's business schools hold this distinction.
  • The Faculty of Management is well integrated with regional, national and international businesses, providing unique research opportunities.
  • Our program is competitive. We admit only a select number of applicants per year. This gives ample time for you to have one-on-one mentoring with your thesis supervisor and other faculty, provides a small cohort of graduate students for you to interact with and learn from, and ensures an environment in which you can focus on your research skills and goals.
  • You apply to a specialized area of our program, allowing you to take focused course offerings which directly relate to your thesis and scholarly interests. Choose from Finance, Management, Information Systems or Marketing. For more information on specialties of Faculty accepting students, see the list of our faculty members.
  • You will have access to scholars who are experts in a wide range of theories and research methodologies, and who are committed to helping you gain in-depth research experience.
  • During Terms 3 and 4, you will be mentored throughout the research process, from conceptualization to data collection, analysis and writing of results for scholarly publication.
  • The MSc curriculum provides a strong academic foundation in your area of specialization (see our concentrations below for a sample course plan).

Concentrations

Note: For the 2025/2026 admission cycle, there is limited capacity for students interested in the Finance specialization.

All students must complete the following, with the required courses for each concentration:

  • BUSS 7101: Research Workshop (0 credit hours) every term of the first year
  • BUSS 7100: Master’s Thesis (0 credit hours) every term when a student works on the thesis (typically the 3rd or 4th semesters)
  • One elective course at the graduate level (5000 or above) or the senior undergraduate level (4000) if necessary. The elective course should help improve the student's knowledge and/or skill to write their master's thesis. Please consult with your (potential) supervisor(s) about which elective course to take.

Finance

Note: For the 2025/2026 admission cycle, there is limited capacity for students interested in the Finance specialization.

Required courses (one half-credit hour each):

The Finance specialization provides students with a solid understanding of financial theory and research methodology. Students are prepared to build successful careers in research or analysis in the financial sector. This is excellent preparation for further studies at the doctorate level. All accepted students with GMAT or GRE are eligible for scholarships.

Management

Required courses (one-half credit hour each)

The Management faculty members research topics such as organizational safety, learning from information systems in healthcare, diversity and inclusion in organizations, leadership and business ethics. A specialization in Management will provide students with expertise and research training on individual- and systems-level factors influencing employee, team and organizational success.

Marketing

Required courses (one-half credit hour each):

The Marketing specialization rigorously trains and coaches students to become researchers in their focused area of marketing such as marketing management, advertising, consumer studies, digital marketing, services marketing, or marketing strategy and globalization. This specialization is designed for students who seek a career as a marketing analyst, researcher in industry and government, or who plan to pursue a PhD in business.

Management Information Systems

Required courses (one half-credit hour each):

The Management Information Systems (MIS) specialization is offered by faculty with diversified research foci, including business analytics, smart technologies, human-AI interaction, social media, IT & organizations, design-type research, healthcare IT management, IT-enabled decision-making and support, and e-business. A specialization in MIS provides students with the expertise and research training for a focused understanding of the interaction between technologies and individuals, organizations and communities.


Tuition

Please see the tuition calculator on Dalhousie University's Money Matters site.