The Graduate Diploma in Business Administration (GDBA) is designed to provide individuals with breadth of knowledge across many key functional areas of business.
An advanced, cross-functional business focus
This program is comprised of five of the required credits in the existing Master of Business Administration (MBA) program at Brock University and, therefore, includes at least one course from all main areas of business, such as accounting, finance, and marketing.
The academic emphasis of the Graduate Diploma in Business Administration is on assisting students to develop and integrate the broad-based, functional knowledge needed for career advancement. As a result, this program will be of particular interest to graduates from non-business disciplines and working professionals who are seeking the required business skills to aid them in a managerial position, the commercialization of innovation, or the expansion of an entrepreneurial endeavour.
Goodman GDBA program at-a-glance
| Full-time GDBA | Part-time GDBA | |
| Available entry points | January (Winter term) and September (Fall term) | January (Winter term), April/May (Spring term) and September (Fall term) |
| Study options | On-campus | On-campus |
| Duration of the program | One year (eight months) | Two years |
| Deadline to apply | There is no deadline to apply. See below for more details. | There is no deadline to apply. See below for more details. |
| Average time for review of completed applications | Two to three weeks | Two to three weeks |
For more information, please see below.
CANDIDATE SELECTION
We expect each student to bring a unique and diverse background and experience to the program.
Candidates are selected based on their academic ability, professional and leadership experience, and future potential for achievement and success in the business world. At Goodman, we encourage students to nurture and develop both sides of their brain by growing personally and academically.
| Minimum requirement | Notes: | |
| Degree type | Four-year bachelor’s degree (Canadian equivalent) | Must be from an accredited institution. |
| GPA | B / 75% (Canadian equivalent) | GPA is calculated based on the equivalent of the last two academic years of study in the undergraduate degree. |
| Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) or Graduate Record Examination (GRE) | GMAT- 52nd percentile in verbal and quantitative reasoning / GRE - 60th percentile in both verbal and quantitative reasoning | GMAT/GRE waivers will only be considered for students who have completed their bachelor’s or master’s degree in Canada or the U.S. in the last seven years with an overall degree average of at least A- (e.g. 80% Canadian or 3.67 US GPA), or who have successfully completed CFA Level 3. Waiver requests must be submitted through the Goodman Graduate Portal for approval. |
| English Language Proficiency* | Academic IELTS - 7.5 overall | Minimum of 6.5 in each section is recommended. |
| or | TOEFL iBT - 105 overall | Minimum of 21 in Reading, Listening and Speaking. Minimum of 24 in Writing is recommended. |
| or | Pearson Test of English (Academic) - 72 overall | Minimum of 60 in each section is required. |
| Work experience | No specific requirement | Preferred but not required. |
*If applicable. The Graduate Programs Office reserves the right to request English Language Proficiency scores from any applicant.
Applicants that do not meet one of the above noted criteria (degree type, GPA or GMAT/GRE score) may be considered on an exceptional basis if they possess a minimum of seven years of significant full-time managerial work experience (as determined by the admissions committee). Candidates who are admitted based on work experience will be placed on probation and will be required to achieve a minimum grade of 70% in each of their first 5 courses in order to proceed in the program.
QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR ELIGIBILITY FOR THE GDBA?
Request a FREE pre-assessment.*
It can be an expensive risk to complete the application process for an GDBA, only to discover that you don’t qualify for admission. At Goodman, we don’t want you to waste your time or money. Send us your transcripts and resume and we will conduct a free pre-assessment to not only let you know if you are eligible for one of our programs, but also if we think your application will be competitive enough for admission.
Create a profile to submit your resume and transcripts by visiting the Goodman Graduate Portal.
*Please note that a pre-assessment does not guarantee admission to the university. Students must submit an official application for admissions consideration.
There is no set deadline for Graduate Diploma in Business Administration applications. Admissions are processed on a rolling basis and applications are reviewed as they are received. Applicants are recommended to apply at least 4 months before the start of their desired entry point to allow for necessary processing time.
Application reviews can take up to 1 month from when we receive a completed application. Admission decisions will be posted to your my.brocku.ca account.
STEPS TO APPLY
- Complete the online OUAC application.
- Upload the required documents to your my.brocku.ca account.
- Monitor your application status through your my.brocku.ca account.
SUMMARY OF APPLICATION DOCUMENTS
All applications and application documents for the GDBA program must be submitted electronically. Hard copy application documents will not be accepted.
If you meet the criteria and wish to be considered for a GMAT waiver, please contact us before submitting your application.
ALL APPLICATIONS MUST INCLUDE:
- Online OUAC Application
- Non Refundable Application Fee ($140 CAD)
- The application fee can be paid by credit card or online banking. All application fees are received by OUAC, not by the Goodman School of Business at Brock University.
- Required Documents
- Within three business days of your application payment being processed you will be contacted via email by Brock University. The email will include instructions to activate your my.brocku.ca account and to upload your required application documents.
- Please visit the document upload instructions and document types page for more information.
- Copies of official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended
- All post-secondary institutions attended, including short term/exchange term/LOP/transfer institutions, must be declared on your OUAC application.
- Applicants will order transcripts from any Ontario universities through the OUAC application system. All other transcripts must be obtained, scanned and uploaded by the applicant to their my.brocku.ca account after submission of the OUAC application.
- Scanned transcript documents must be up-to-date copies of official transcripts, not your unofficial, student/self-serve version.
- Each transcript must also include the official institution grading scale/grading system explanation.
- Any documents that are not in English or French must be translated into English and notarized before they are accepted. Both the translated and the original language version must be scanned and uploaded.
- Two electronic reference reports
- Reference reports can be academic and/or professional.
- Reference reports can only be submitted using the Brock University electronic reference system.
- Your referees will be emailed automatically with instructions to complete the electronic reference report once your application has been received by Brock University.
- Please visit the referee FAQ webpage for more information.
- Scan of official GMAT score report
- A scanned copy of the official or unofficial test-takers score report.
- Please have GMAT scores sent to Program Code: XVJ-BG-24 in addition to uploading the score report to your my.brocku.ca account.
- Please have GRE scores sent to Institution Code: 6773, Department Code: 4201, in addition to uploading your Test Taker Score Report to your my.brocku.ca account.
- Statement of interest
- Your statement of interest should be one page (single or double spaced).
- Your statement of interest should address the following: Why you are applying to the GDBA program specifically, why you are applying to Brock/Goodman specifically, what your future career goals are, and why you would be an ideal GDBA candidate.
- Resume
- Graduate Studies Internal Scholarship/Award Application
- Completion of this form will ensure that you are considered for any awards/scholarships for which you may be eligible.Ensure that you have pop-ups enabled in your web browser, then use the “Go To Form” button next to the “Graduate Student Internal Entrance Scholarship/Award Application” document on your portal account, to complete the required form (you must have pop-ups enabled for the form to open).
- Scan of official IELTS, TOEFL or PTE score (if applicable)
- Do you need this? Please contact the Graduate Programs Office for an assessment.
- Please note that the Goodman School of Business may request an English language score from any applicant.
- Please have IELTS/TOEFL scores sent electronically to Brock University – Goodman School of Business in addition to uploading a scan of your official score report to your my.brocku.ca account.
- A personal interview may be required.
If you are offered admission to our program and you are not already a Brock student, you will be required to send in official transcripts and official proof of degree completion. International students will also be required to provide proof of immigration status. Please visit the document types page for further details. Once submitted, all documents become the property of Brock University and will not be returned.
QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR APPLICATION?
Full-time students take one (1) year (2 semesters) to complete the program. Part-time students are assumed to be studying for two (2) years (6 semesters).
Tuition and student fees are due at the beginning of each semester.
TUITION 2024-2025
Tuition is charged on a per course basis. Each course is equal to one half (.5) credit. Fees are subject to change.
- Canadian Citizens and Permanent Residents: $1,395.06 per half credit course
- International students: $3,768.07 per half credit course
TUITION AND RELATED FEES (FULL-TIME)
This chart reflects approximately how much you will be paying to attend the Goodman GDBA as a full-time student.
| Canadian Citizens and Permanent Residents | International Students | |
| Tuition for 10 courses | $13,951 | $37,681 |
| Student fees and bus pass | $707 | $707 |
| UHIP health coverage | Not applicable | $756 |
| International recovery fee | Not applicable | $750 |
| Health and dental plan | $575 | $575 |
| Total estimated costs | $15,233 | $40,469 |
TUITION AND RELATED FEES (PART-TIME)
This chart reflects approximately how much you will be paying to attend the Goodman GDBA as a part time student for two years of study.
| Canadian Citizens and Permanent Residents | |
| Tuition for 10 courses | $13,951 |
| Student fees | $902 |
| Total estimated costs | $14,853 |
For a full breakdown of tuition fees, please visit the Financial & Administrative Services website. In case of any minor differences, your tuition charged on your my.brocku.ca account will be considered correct.
LIVING EXPENSES AND BOOKS
Living expenses and books are extra. We recommend that you budget approximately $17,250-$28,300 per year for living expenses and books, depending on your lifestyle.
We do not have any financial aid available to GDBA students at this time.
The academic emphasis of the Graduate Diploma in Business Administration is on assisting students to develop and integrate the broad-based, functional business knowledge needed for career advancement.
This program will be of particular interest to graduates from non-business disciplines and working professionals who are seeking the required business skills to aid them in a managerial position, the commercialization of innovation, or the expansion of an entrepreneurial endeavour.
The Graduate Diploma in Business Administration (GDBA) is designed to provide students with the opportunity to develop a breadth of knowledge across the key functional areas of business. The program is comprised of five of the required credits in the Goodman Master of Business Administration degree and, therefore, includes at least one course from the main areas of business, such as accounting, finance, and marketing.
The program is normally a two-term or one year program for full-time students. The program is also available to students interested in part-time study.
Advanced standing is not available in the Graduate Diploma in Business Administration program. All coursework listed in the program plan must be completed to earn the diploma.
TYPICAL PROGRAM PLAN
