Rotman Enters Acceleration Race With Two New One-Year Business Degrees

The University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management is jumping into the race to graduate young business leaders in less time.

Rotman this week announced that it is launching two new one-year programs: a Master of Management (MMgt) for recent non-business graduates, and a One-Year MBA for candidates with academic and professional backgrounds in business. Both programs expect to enroll their first cohorts in May 2026.

With the programs, Rotman joins a growing number of top North American schools offering accelerated degrees that reduce the opportunity cost of the traditional two-year MBA.

MIM’s UPWARD TREND IN NORTH AMERICA

Europe has long been a leader in the master in management (MIM), a graduate degree focusing on business fundamentals to non-business graduates with minimal work experience. But over the last decade, the U.S. has been testing the MIM waters in a big way.

Around 30 top U.S. business schools now offer the degree, ranging in prices from around $35,000 at Texas A&M Mays Business School to $138,000 at Stanford Graduate School of Business. (See: The Top Master in Management Programs in the United States.) 

The University of Chicago Booth School of Business became the fourth M7 to offer the degree with the launch of its 10-month program last year. It was Booth’s first new degree program since before World War II. It joins fellow M7’s Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management, MIT Sloan School of Management, and Stanford GSB, all of which offer STEM designated master degrees.

Several Canadian business schools also offer Master of Management degrees that can be completed in a year or less. University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business can be completed in 9 months while York University Schulich School of Business’ is 12 months. 

ONE-YEAR MBAS ON THE RISE

The popularity of one-year MBA programs is also growing in North America. Around 25 top-name U.S. programs now offer this version including Kellogg, Duke’s Fuqua School of Business, and USC Marshall School of Business. Poets&Quants named the one-year Cornell Tech MBA our program of the year when it was launched in 2017.  And, New York University Stern School of Business offers one-year programs in both tech and fashion and luxury. (See: The Top One-Year MBA Programs In The United States)

While some schools are adding one-year programs to their portfolios, others are cutting down their traditional MBAs. University of Arizona’s Eller College, for example, converted its two-year MBA to a one-year version, starting in this year. 

In Canada, Schulich offers an accelerated MBA in as little as eight months, and in 2023 it launched a 16-month MBA in Technology Leadership. Western University’s Ivey Business school has offered one-year MBA since 2006 while Rotman offers a one-year executive MBA.

It shouldn’t be a surprise why. One year degrees are cheaper and deliver students to the workforce faster. And, at the rate technologies like artificial intelligence and extended reality (XR) now change work, employees will likely have to constantly upskill to stay employed. Many simply no longer want to be out of the workforce for two full years.

ROTMAN’S ONE-YEAR PROGRAMS

Rotman’s 11-month Master of Management will begin in May 2026 and targets students from disciplines like the humanities, sciences, social sciences, and engineering. The curriculum covers business fundamentals in strategy, finance, economics, marketing, and leadership incorporating analytics and AI within organizations.

Students will be able to customize their degree through four elective courses and will complete a Management Practicum during their final semester, applying what they’ve learned in a real-world business setting. 

The One-Year MBA will also enroll its first cohort in May next year. Applications will open in August with a Round 1 deadline of September 24 and a Round 2 deadline of February 11. It is geared to students with business backgrounds.

It offers the same access to Rotman’s entrepreneurial and technology resources as the full-time program, including the Creative Destruction Lab, Startup Rotman, Financial Innovation Lab (FinHub), and LEADS Mentorship Program. The program offers 10 academic emphases and over 100 electives.

Both programs offer one-on-one coaching from the Rotman Career Services team as well as personal and professional development through the Self Development Lab. 

To learn more about either program, attend an online information session.

Master of Management, July 17: Click here.
One-Year MBA, July 17: Click here. 

 

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