UBC Sauder School of Business

What UBC Sauder School of Business does

UBC Sauder School of Business is a public academic business school within the University of British Columbia, founded in 1951 and headquartered at the Point Grey campus in Vancouver, Canada, with a secondary downtown presence at UBC Robson Square (70,000+ sq ft). The school offers a full portfolio of business degree programs: a four-year Bachelor of Commerce; graduate degrees including a Full-Time MBA (with a new Climate Career Track), Professional MBA, International MBA, Master of Management, Master of Business Analytics (MBAN), MSc and PhD in Business Administration; dual degrees with HKU, Yale School of Management, UBC Law (JD+MBA), and an MBA+MBAN combination; diplomas in Accounting and Marketing & Sales Management; a Real Estate Division that delivers licensing courses on behalf of BC and Saskatchewan regulators; and Professional Growth executive education. The school operates on a tuition-driven revenue model with domestic/international pricing, supplemented by philanthropic donations (e.g., Clio's $3M pledge in February 2025), corporate partnerships, and research grants.

The school's technology layer is built primarily around Canvas LMS with specialized learning labs (Learning Labs, Digital Media Lab, Leith Wheeler Investment Research Lab, Wayne Deans Investment Analysis Centre) and an Online Exam Platform that has administered approximately 116,936 exams since 2010. Its go-to-market is multi-channel: direct admissions for undergraduate and graduate programs, corporate training through Professional Growth and Robson Square, alumni referral networks, and industry engagement through events and conferences. The school supports an ecosystem of 10+ research centres, including the Centre for Climate and Business Solutions, the Peter P. Dhillon Centre for Business Ethics, the Montalbano Centre for Responsible Leadership Development, and the W. Maurice Young Centre for Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital Research.

The most differentiated commercial asset is Creative Destruction Lab Vancouver, a seed-stage deep-tech accelerator launched in September 2016 as part of a 14-site global network. CDL-Vancouver operates six streams (Compute, Biomedical Engineering, Climate, Minerals, Advanced Therapies, Cancer), has supported 420+ ventures since inception, and those ventures have generated $6.69 billion in equity value as of April 2025, with 130+ mentors committing 5,000+ hours annually. The school also runs the Scale Up Program in partnership with BDC (announced May 2026) to help Canadian companies commercialize in defense and dual-use markets. AACSB accreditation (attained by less than 5% of business schools globally) and a 50,000+ alumni network across 80 countries underpin the school's positioning as Canada's leading research business school.

Name

UBC Sauder School of Business

Legal name

UBC Sauder School of Business

Website

https://sauder.ubc.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1951

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

UBC Sauder School of Business is a public Canadian business school within the University of British Columbia offering undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and executive programs in Vancouver, supported by a 50,000+ alumni network and the Creative Destruction Lab Vancouver deep-tech accelerator.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Business Higher Education

NAICS

Business and Secretarial Schools (611410), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Undergraduate Business Schools (BBA/BSBA Programs) (EDAHAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Business & Management Research Universities (EDAHABAE)

Keywords

• Business education
• Higher education
• Executive education
• MBA programs
• Startup acceleration

Headquarters

HQ city

Vancouver

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Program Fees: Revenue from undergraduate Bachelor of Commerce, various Master's programs (MBA, PMBA, IMBA, MM, MBAN), doctoral programs, diplomas, and professional growth courses. Tuition varies by program with domestic and international student rates.
2. Donations and Philanthropic Support: Major donations from alumni and corporate partners such as the $3 million pledge from Clio to support entrepreneurship and innovation initiatives, including the Creative Destruction Lab - Vancouver.
3. Executive and Professional Education: Revenue from professional development courses, custom corporate training, and executive education programs offered through UBC Sauder Professional Growth and the downtown Robson Square campus.
4. Partnership and Sponsorship Programs: Partnerships with organizations like BDC's StrongNorth Fund for Scale Up Program, and corporate sponsors supporting specific initiatives, accelerators, and research centers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

UBC Sauder School of Business is Canada's leading academic business school, offering undergraduate (Bachelor of Commerce), graduate (MBA, PMBA, IMBA, MM, MBAN, MSc), doctoral (PhD), and diploma programs, plus dual-degree partnerships with HKU and Yale. It also delivers executive education through UBC Sauder Professional Growth, operates the Creative Destruction Lab Vancouver accelerator for science and tech startups, and runs specialized research and outreach centers. The school is part of the University of British Columbia, a public research university located in Vancouver, Canada.

Product overview

UBC Sauder School of Business is a comprehensive business school offering a portfolio of academic programs led by a Full-Time MBA with new Climate Career Track, alongside Professional MBA, International MBA, Master of Management, Master of Business Analytics (MBAN), and PhD programs. The school provides dual degree options including UBC Sauder-HKU, UBC Sauder-Yale, and MBA+MBAN combinations, plus diploma programs in Accounting and Marketing. Specialized offerings include the Creative Destruction Lab Vancouver accelerator, Professional Growth executive education, and Indigenous Business Education through Ch'nook programs. Research and outreach is conducted through multiple specialized centers including the Centre for Climate and Business Solutions, Peter P. Dhillon Centre for Business Ethics, Montalbano Centre for Responsible Leadership, and the W. Maurice Young Centre for Entrepreneurship. Student support facilities include the Canaccord Learning Commons, specialized investment research labs (Leith Wheeler, Wayne Deans), Digital Media Lab, and Learning Labs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Canaccord Learning Commons: A hub for UBC Sauder students providing learning support services, resources, and academic coaching
• Creative Destruction Lab Vancouver
• David Lam Management Research Library
• UBC Sauder Professional Growth
• Summer Discovery Program at UBC Sauder

Products and services

• Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) Four-year undergraduate degree program at Canada's leading research business school, offering comprehensive business education in Vancouver's Point Grey campus.
• Full-Time Master of Business Administration (MBA) Full-time MBA program with career tracks in finance, innovation, analytics, and a new Climate Career Track, preparing students for leadership roles in the business landscape.
• Professional Master of Business Administration (PMBA) Part-time MBA designed for working professionals, with curriculum fitting around full-time work schedules while preparing students to become business leaders.
• International MBA International Master of Business Administration program.
• Master of Management Graduate degree program in business management.
• Master of Business Analytics (MBAN) Graduate program equipping students with advanced analytics skills and knowledge spanning marketing to operations for interpreting data in broader business contexts.
• PhD in Business Administration Doctoral program in business administration for research-focused scholars.
• MSc in Business Administration Master of Science program in business administration.
• Diploma in Accounting Program Professional diploma program in accounting.
• Diploma in Marketing & Sales Management Professional diploma program in marketing and sales management.
• Real Estate Division Programs Real estate licensing, registration, and professional development courses on behalf of regulatory bodies in British Columbia and Saskatchewan.
• UBC Sauder Professional Growth Executive education and professional development programs for individuals and organizations, globally ranked and evolving to address transformation of work, delivered at the downtown Robson Square campus.
• Creative Destruction Lab Vancouver Objectives-based mentorship program supporting high-tech science and technology ventures to accelerate their trajectory, hosted across six streams including Compute, Climate, and Cancer. Since 2016, supported 420+ ventures generating over $6.69 billion in equity value.
• Indigenous Business Education (Ch'nook Programs) Programs including Ch'nook Management Program, Ch'nook Accelerated Business Program, and Ch'nook Scholars Program providing unique learning for Indigenous students.
• UBC Sauder-HKU Dual Degree Dual degree program with Hong Kong University allowing students to earn degrees from both institutions, combining business education in Vancouver and Hong Kong.
• UBC Sauder-Yale School of Management Dual Degree Dual degree program with Yale School of Management providing global business education spanning North America's west and east coasts.
• Juris Doctor + MBA Combined law and business degree for careers at the intersection of law and business.
• MBA + Master of Business Analytics Dual Degree Combined MBA and MBAN degrees for comprehensive business and analytics expertise.
• Bachelor + Master of Management Dual Degree Dual degree combining undergraduate studies with a Master's in Management for students from Arts, Sciences, or other disciplines.
• Minor in Commerce Program exposing non-business students to various business disciplines including accounting, finance, marketing, organizational behaviour and business strategy, available through Flexible Learning modality.
• Summer Discovery Business Program at UBC Pre-college enrichment program introducing high school students to business topics through coursework in business fundamentals, finance, data analytics, marketing, and entrepreneurship.

Quantifiable outcome

• 42,000+ alumni network in 80 countries
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration13 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 May 2026BDC entered into a partnership with UBC Sauder School of Business' Scale Up Program to help Canadian companies scale into defense and dual-use markets. This partnership is part of BDC's Defence Platform launched in December 2025, aimed at strengthening Canada's defense and economic sovereignty through critical technologies.
• Summer DiscoveryminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 February 2026Summer Discovery partnered with UBC Sauder to launch a Summer 2026 Business Program at UBC's Vancouver campus for high school students. The program offers coursework in business fundamentals, finance, data analytics, marketing, and entrepreneurship, taught by UBC Sauder faculty.
• Creative Destruction Lab (CDL) NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2016CDL-Vancouver launched as the Western Canada extension of CDL, started in 2012 at University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management. CDL now operates at 14 sites around the globe anchored at research-intensive universities across North America, Europe and Australia.
• UBC Faculty of Applied Science (Engineering)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCDL Courses offer undergraduate and graduate students from across UBC faculties, including engineering and science, the opportunity to support deep tech startups with market analysis, strategic advice, and financial analysis.
• Hong Kong University (HKU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUBC Sauder-HKU Dual Degree program allowing students to earn degrees from both institutions, combining business education in Vancouver and Hong Kong.
• Yale School of ManagementcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUBC Sauder-Yale School of Management dual degree partnership providing global business education spanning North America's west and east coasts.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Rotman School of Management (University of Toronto): Direct domestic competitor and the originator of the Creative Destruction Lab. Comparable in scale, AACSB accreditation, MBA/graduate offerings, and Canadian research-university positioning. Both compete for the same pool of top Canadian MBA and undergraduate talent.
• HEC Montréal: Major French-language Canadian business school with broad undergraduate, graduate, and executive programs. Comparable in scale and competes for both Quebec and international students.
• Smith School of Business (Queen's University): Direct Canadian competitor with MBA, Commerce, and executive education programs. Comparable size and AACSB accreditation; strong overlap in target student demographics.
• Desautels Faculty of Management (McGill University): Direct peer in Quebec offering BCom, MBA, and graduate programs with strong international brand. Competes head-to-head with Sauder for top applicants across Canada.
• Schulich School of Business (York University): Direct Canadian peer offering BBA, MBA, MBAN, and executive education programs in Toronto. Comparable program mix, AACSB-equivalent accreditation, and similar reliance on international students.
• Ivey Business School (Western University): Premier Canadian business school known for its case-method teaching and HBA/MBA programs. Comparable in scale and prestige; competes for top-tier MBA applicants domestically.

Broad incumbents

• Wharton School (University of Pennsylvania): Premier global business school with broad portfolio of undergraduate, MBA, executive, and specialized graduate programs. Comparable academic rigor and brand positioning at the top of the global market.
• Stanford Graduate School of Business: Global elite benchmark for research-intensive business schools and a GNAM network peer. While significantly larger and more selective, it represents the aspirational positioning for top-tier MBA programs and competes for the same international applicant pool.
• INSEAD: Global one-year MBA leader and GNAM peer. Competes for internationally mobile MBA candidates who might otherwise consider Sauder, especially for careers outside North America.

Emerging players

• Yale School of Management: Global dual-degree partner. While not a direct competitor (US-based, much larger endowment), it is the partner institution for the UBC Sauder-Yale dual degree program, making it the most relevant international comparison for collaborative offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/UBCSauderSchool
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/sauderschoolUBC
• Facebookfacebook.com/sauderschool
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sauder-school-of-business-at-ubc
• Instagraminstagram.com/ubcsauderschool

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments2 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about UBC Sauder School of Business