MBA, MEng, MPP, MPH, MLIS or MSW: Comparing Canada's Professional Master's Degrees
By Muntasir • Published Jul 13, 2026 • Updated Sep 20, 2026 • Graduate & Professional School, Canadian Universities & Colleges
Canada's professional master's degrees split by field and by whether they expect prior full-time work experience. An MBA costs far more than an MEng, MPP, MPH, MLIS or MSW at most schools, but pays back through salary only in specific career paths.
🎓 MBA and MEng usually run 1-2 years full-time. MPP, MPH, MLIS and MSW usually run 1-2 years too but weigh work experience differently.
💵 A full-time MBA at a top Canadian school runs well over 80,000 CAD in tuition alone. MEng, MPP, MPH, MLIS and MSW tuition sits far below that at most universities.
MBA and MPH programs generally expect prior work experience. MEng, MLIS and MPP admit more directly from an undergraduate degree in a related field.
📩 Career outcomes vary by field more than by degree title. Check a program's own employment report before comparing costs.
What each degree is for
These six professional master's degrees serve different fields and different career entry points, even though people sometimes lump them together as generic "grad school." Match the degree to the field you want, not to which one sounds most prestigious.
| Degree | Full name | Typical field |
|---|---|---|
| MBA | Master of Business Administration | General management, consulting, business leadership across industries |
| MEng | Master of Engineering | Advanced technical or engineering management roles, a course-based alternative to a research MASc |
| MPP | Master of Public Policy | Government, policy analysis, non-profit and public sector work |
| MPH | Master of Public Health | Public health practice, health system planning, population health roles |
| MLIS | Master of Library and Information Science | Librarianship, archives, and information management |
| MSW | Master of Social Work | Clinical and community social work |
Length and format
Full-time MBA programs in Canada run anywhere from 12 to 24 months depending on the school and stream. Ivey's One-Year MBA runs 12 months, while a standard two-year MBA at a school like Rotman splits into two academic years with a summer internship between them. McGill's Desautels MBA offers a 12-month, a 16-month accelerated, and a 20-month option depending on the credit load a student carries in.
MEng programs typically run 12-16 months full-time and skip the thesis requirement that a research-based MASc carries. MPP and MPH programs commonly run 12-24 months, MLIS programs typically run 12-24 months depending on whether a student enters full-time or part-time, and MSW programs run 8-24 months, with accelerated one-year options open to applicants who already hold a Bachelor of Social Work.
Admission requirements and work experience
MBA programs weigh full-time work experience heavily. Most competitive Canadian MBA programs expect two or more years of professional experience and a GMAT or GRE score alongside your transcript and references. MPH programs also favour applicants with some health-related or research experience, though requirements vary by school.
MEng, MLIS, and MPP programs admit more directly from an undergraduate degree in a related field, without expecting years of prior work experience, though relevant internships or research strengthen an application. MSW programs sit in between: many require a set number of hours of supervised human-service work experience before you apply, on top of an undergraduate degree, often in social work, psychology, or a related field.
Cost: the MBA sits apart
A full-time MBA in Canada costs far more than the other five degrees on this list. Rotman's published two-year full-time MBA tuition runs about 92,540 CAD for domestic students and 144,770 CAD for international students. McGill's Desautels MBA lists Fall 2027 entry tuition at about 85,500 CAD for domestic students after a tuition waiver and 108,500 CAD for international students.
MEng, MPP, MPH, MLIS and MSW tuition varies by university and by province, and runs well below MBA pricing at most schools, since these programs do not compete on the same global rankings-driven market that top MBA programs do. Check the specific program's own fee page for a current figure. None of these five degrees publish one national price, and a public university's domestic tuition for a course-based Master's commonly sits closer to a regular graduate program's fee than to an MBA's.
Licensing and career outcome differences
An MSW is a required credential to register with a provincial social work regulatory body and practice as a registered social worker in Canada. An MLIS is the standard, often expected, credential for professional librarian and archivist roles at Canadian institutions. Neither an MPP nor an MPH carries a licensing requirement on its own, though specific public health roles ask for additional certifications.
An MEng does not replace the separate process of becoming a licensed professional engineer through your provincial engineering regulator, a process that runs alongside or after the degree regardless of which engineering master's you hold. An MBA carries no licensing requirement at all. Its career value depends on the network, recruiting pipeline, and brand of the specific school, which is why outcomes differ so much between programs even at a similar tuition level.
Which one fits your goal
Want a broad management or leadership path across industries and have the budget for the higher price tag: MBA.
Want deeper technical engineering skill without a thesis: MEng.
Want a government or policy career: MPP.
Want a population and public health career: MPH.
Want to work in libraries, archives or information management: MLIS.
Want a clinical or community social work career and provincial registration: MSW.