Conrad School of Entrepreneurship and Business - University of Waterloo

The Conrad School of Entrepreneurship and Business is a part of the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Waterloo and was created to provide entrepreneurship education and academic programming, as well as support Waterloo’s startup culture.

The Conrad School builds on Waterloo’s reputation as a University known for:

• #1 Most innovative university in Canada for 28 years (Maclean’s 2023 University Rankings)
• #1 in Cancada for entrepreneurs (PitchBook 2022)
• Creator-owned intellectual property rights policy - you own what you create.

Students take core business courses such as marketing, finance, and accounting; with a focus on their application in entrepreneurship, commercialization and innovation. Entrepreneurial experiences are are embedded in the MBET curriculum through several practical activities which provide real-world context and hands-on application of classroom learning.

The MBET learning environment is collegial, collaborative, and dynamic, favouring workshop-style classes, group projects, and an emphasis on individualized mentorship. Guest speakers from industry, events, and entrepreneurs-in-residence offer informal learning and networking opportunities. Students are surrounded by professional peers working to advance their own ventures and entrepreneurial identities, in a highly supportive and energetic atmosphere.

MBET graduates are well prepared to launch an entrepreneurial career. Alumni commonly start and run their own companies, work for start-ups, as consultants, find roles within the entrepreneurship ecosystem, or join larger companies in innovative roles. Like the program itself, career paths are highly individualized, and for that reason, the program does not provide placement in specific roles as is typical in traditional MBA programs.

Students graduate with a strong professional network developed through the program’s experiential components, and a versatile skill set that prepares them to find, evaluate, and pursue business opportunities while building an entrepreneurial career where they can lead and make an impact.The MBET program is offered in 2 formats: the full-time program which is completed in one year and the part-time program which is completed in three years.