After earning a history degree at the University of British Columbia, Arjun Doraiswami felt he needed something more. Bigger picture thinking, greater impact, global POVs.
Enter the Master of Management (MM) programme at UBC Sauder School of Business. Part foundational management immersion for non-business grads to build essential knowledge and skills in this field, part proven pathway to an expanded list of career opportunities — the UBC MM would end up catapulting Doraiswami from the school’s Vancouver, Canada campus to London, UK.
As an investment analyst at Si Advisers LLP, he now helps companies across industries uncover growth opportunities and achieve their goals. It’s the global career he’s always dreamed of. Thanks to the UBC MM, it’s now his reality.
“My current job description mirrors the UBC MM curriculum. Everything from data analysis and negotiation to financial due diligence. I use those skills every day,” he said. “Thanks to the global experience I had at UBC Sauder, I’m well-equipped to work with my clients from all over the world.”
Master of Management graduate Arjun Doraiswami is now an investment analyst at Si Advisers LLP, a role he says UBC Sauder helped him excel in from day one. Source: UBC Sauder School of Business
A global business education for non-business graduates
UBC is ranked the #1 university in North America for international outlook by Times Higher Education 2026. The AACSB-accredited UBC Sauder is ranked #1 for its MM programme in Canada by QS Business Master’s Rankings 2026.
This international recognition reflects UBC Sauder’s commitment to developing globally minded leaders. “At UBC Sauder, we’re dedicated to shaping future leaders who think beyond boundaries,” says Darren Dahl, Dean of the UBC Sauder School of Business. “The MM programme is a transformative journey that empowers non-business graduates with essential business acumen, hands-on experience, and a global perspective. In just nine months, it sets the stage for them to build impactful careers across diverse industries.”
That promise is realised through the effectiveness of the UBC MM curriculum itself. Designed with a strong emphasis on experiential learning, the programme pairs lectures with teamwork-driven case studies, community business projects, a Capstone course, and global opportunities. Together, these experiences bring key business disciplines — such as marketing, strategic management, and operations — to life, ensuring students gain both theoretical knowledge and practical, real-world skills. For example, the community business projects get students planning, expanding markets, and thinking about environmental sustainability initiatives.
UBC Sauder School of Business alumna Vicky Huang, now a Client Training and Education Consultant at Mastercard in Taiwan. Source: UBC Sauder School of Business
It’s something Vicky Huang, an alumna, benefitted from. “The heavy emphasis on teamwork gave me plenty of practice on spotting strengths in others and carving out my place in a group of diverse talents,” she says. “Over time, the skill evolved into an intuition and serves me well in my current role as a Mastercard consultant, rotating among different projects and collaborators every quarter.”
For even more business exposure, there’s the chance to spend a summer abroad at top business schools or earn two master’s in under two years with the Yale Master of Management Studies Dual Degree. UBC Sauder is the only Canadian member of the prestigious Global Network for Advanced Management (GNAM), a global partnership of 33 business schools spearheaded by the Yale School of Management.
But UBC MM students need not go far to know the world better. More than one in four (27.7%) Vancouver students are international. Classes are small in size, so there’s ample face time with an equally diverse faculty and guest speakers.
Before pursuing the UBC MM, Huang had earned a BSc in Behavioural Neuroscience but realised she lacked the “true passion” to follow the same path as her science major peers. With the UBC MM, she got to broaden her horizons and find inspiration in engaging with its community. “The experience became a much more worthy investment than I imagined,” she says.
The UBC MM is worth every effort and dollar. Within three months of graduation, 77% of the UBC MM Class of 2024 were employed in fields like healthcare, technology, consulting, finance, and consumer products. Top employers include KPMG, Ernst & Young, Electronic Arts, L’Oréal, Microsoft, and Slack.
Today, Huang is a Client Training and Education Consultant at Mastercard in Taiwan. “The people I interact with every day reflect the diverse makeup of my UBC MM cohort,” she says. “The MM experience helped make cross-cultural professional communication feel second nature.”
West Coast lifestyle, winning opportunities
Vancouver is home to leading companies such as Slack, lululemon, Hootsuite, Herschel Supply Co., and Arc’teryx. To help students take full advantage of these opportunities, international students receive strong support and personalised career coaching from day one.
UBC Sauder’s International Student Advising team assists incoming students throughout the study permit application process and helps them settle into life in Canada. Graduates may apply for a three-year post-graduation work permit (PGWP)* to gain valuable work experience here. All year round, there are consistent employer events, networking opportunities, industry speakers, mock interviews and mentoring. Financial aid and merit-based scholarships are also available.
*See latest updates on study permit applications for graduate students from IRCC
When they’re not advancing or accelerating their careers, UBC MM students get to make the most of an unmatched West Coast lifestyle. The UBC campus offers 360-degree views of beaches, forest, and mountains, the kind that take your breath away. The beautiful, temperate coastal climate is perfect for outdoor activities, which are seemingly unlimited, from kayaking and sailing in English Bay to skiing and biking on the North Shore mountains.
From here, the vast expanse beyond the horizon seems within reach — and that’s the spirit of the UBC MM itself. It is the programme built to push students to think bigger, reach further, and lead with a seemingly boundless perspective.
Plus, being part of the UBC Sauder community also makes the experience more enriching with diverse perspectives that international students bring. They naturally build a supportive community that extends well beyond campus, connecting with a global network of more than 52,000 alumni in 100 countries. Many graduates have even gone on to co-found companies with classmates, turning shared experiences into lasting partnerships and friendships.
Learn more about UBC Sauder’s Master of Management.
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