The Graduate Diploma in Scientific Management and Leadership is offered by the Telfer School of Management. The Graduate Diploma is open to students already enrolled in the participating MSc or PhD programs in the Faculty of Science. To receive the diploma, the requirements of both the primary program and of the diploma must be met. Both credentials are awarded simultaneously. The compulsory diploma courses are offered in English and in French. The optional courses are available in sufficient number in both languages to allow a student to complete all the diploma requirements in either English or French.
In accordance with the University of Ottawa regulation, students have a right to produce their assignments, their thesis, and to answer examination questions in French or in English.
Students who have completed the graduate diploma as well as their MSc or PhD are eligible to apply to another program offered by the Telfer School Management. The Admissions Committee of that program will determine whether some or all of the credits successfully completed for the diploma can be transferred.
Participating Programs
- Biology (MSc/PhD)
- Chemistry (MSc/PhD)
- Earth Sciences (MSc/PhD)
- Mathematics (MSc/PhD)
- Physics (MSc/PhD)
For the most accurate and up to date information on application deadlines, language tests and other admission requirements, please visit the specific requirements webpage.
Applicants at the master’s level must apply for admission to the diploma at the same time as for the MSc program or, at the latest, towards the end of their first term of enrollment in the master’s. Applicants at the doctoral level must apply no later than the beginning of the second year of enrollment in their PhD program.
All applicants must provide the following:
- A letter outlining their career plans and the relevance of the Diploma to those plans.
- A plan of study, indicating the proposed schedule for completion of the requirements of both the diploma and their primary program.
- A letter of support signed by their thesis supervisor and co-signed by the student’s primary program director.
Language Requirements
Applicants whose first language is other than English and who intend to take the diploma courses in English must provide one of the following:
- A score of at least 250 (100 Internet-based) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), with a score of at least 5 on the Test of Written English (TWE) and a score of at least 50 on the Test of Spoken English (TSE).
- A score of at least 7 in at least three of the four International English Language Testing System (IELTS) tests (Reading, Listening, Writing, Speaking) and at least 6 in the fourth.
- A score of at least 14 on the CANTEST, with no individual test score below 4.0, along with a score of 4.5 on the oral component of the test.
- Proof of completion within the last five years, of a previous degree program in an English or French language university.
- Proof of recent prolonged residence and exercise of a profession in an English or French speaking country (normally at least four years over the last six years).
In addition to the requirements of their primary program of study, students must successfully complete 9 units of coursework as follows:
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Compulsory Courses: | ||
| MBA 5235 | Leadership Skills | 1.5 Units |
| MBA 5236 | Values-Based Leadership | 1.5 Units |
| ADM 6260 | Project Management I | 1.5 Units |
| ADM 6261 | Project Management II | 1.5 Units |
| Optional Courses: | ||
| At least one of: | ||
| MBA 5241 | Management Accounting | 1.5 Units |
| MBA 5250 | Introduction to Corporate Finance | 1.5 Units |
| At most one of: | ||
| MBA 5237 | Change Management | 1.5 Units |
| MBA 6262 | Entrepreneurial Thinking in Practice | 1.5 Units |
| MHA 6203 | Program Evaluation for Health Care Managers | 1.5 Units |
Duration of the Program
The requirements of the diploma are normally completed within one year.
Minimum Standards
The passing grade in all diploma courses is C+. Students who fail two courses must withdraw from the diploma program. Students required to withdraw from their primary program are automatically withdrawn from the diploma.
Research at the University of Ottawa
Located in the heart of Canada’s capital, a few steps away from Parliament Hill, the University of Ottawa ranks among Canada’s top 10 research universities. Our research is founded on excellence, relevance and impact and is conducted in a spirit of equity, diversity and inclusion.
Our research community thrives in four strategic areas:
- Creating a sustainable environment
- Advancing just societies
- Shaping the digital world
- Enabling lifelong health and wellness
From advancing healthcare solutions to tackling global challenges like climate change, the University of Ottawa’s researchers are at the forefront of innovation, making significant contributions to society and beyond.
Research at the Telfer School of Management
For more information, consult the Professors by area of expertise page.
ADM 6260 Project Management I (1.5 unit)
Project management methods based on standards, including the Guide to Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) of the Project Management Institute (PMI); project success and stakeholders; project charter and project plan; managing a project throughout its life cycle (identification, design, planning, realization and close-out). Students will have hands-on experience using MS Project.
Course Component: Lecture
ADM 6261 Project Management II (1.5 unit)
Focus on projects that have incomplete and/or unstable requirements such as IT projects or software development projects. Topics covered include: portfolio management; risk management; determining requirements and solutions; quality management; communication management; design methods (Quality Function Deployment, Value Analysis); iterative and adaptive project management; fast tracking and concurrent methods of project management.
Course Component: Lecture
MBA 5235 Leadership Skills (1.5 unit)
Power of self-awareness. Exercises for self-exploration. Interpersonal skills. Communication as essential to leadership. Strategies for leadership development. High performing teams and facilitating team process. Course delivery involves class discussions, experiential exercises, guest speakers and case studies.
Course Component: Lecture
MBA 5236 Values-Based Leadership (1.5 unit)
Values-based leadership to meet the organizational challenges of a complex world. Interplay of the three critical leadership forces: leader, followership, and situation, including non-positional influence and power. Explorations of emotional intelligence, leadership character, authentic leadership behavior through effective listening and communication skills. Students examine their own leadership readiness via class discussions, case reviews, self-assessments & experiential exercises examining real-world leadership successes and failures through topics of their choosing.
Course Component: Lecture
MBA 5241 Management Accounting (1.5 unit)
This course focuses on the role of the accounting function internal to the organization. It takes a broad view of managerial accounting, introducing students to various costing systems, cost behaviour patterns and cost structures. It demonstrates the use of accounting for the evaluation of product, managerial and divisional performance thus helping students to understand what accounting can do for decision makers and how accounting choices affect decisions. Emphasis on the strategic importance of aligning accounting systems with firm technologies and goals. Current issues in management accounting and internal reporting are discussed.
Course Component: Lecture
MBA 5250 Introduction to Corporate Finance (1.5 unit)
Financial management and the financial environment. Risk and rates of return. Discounted cash flow analysis. Bond valuation, preferred share, common share and corporate valuation models.
Course Component: Lecture
Prerequisite: MBA 5340
MBA 6262 Entrepreneurial Thinking in Practice (1.5 unit)
Provides students with an opportunity to learn about, and experience first-hand, the entrepreneurial thinking process in an applied team project. Students will work towards conceiving, validating and creating a viable business model for a new venture, project or initiative. Equally applicable to traditional for-profit ventures, social enterprises, not-for-profit organizations or internal initiatives.
Course Component: Lecture
MHA 6203 Program Evaluation for Health Care Managers (1.5 unit)
Provides students with an overview of planning, designing and conducting applied program evaluations, which are applicable in health care organizations and community settings. Topics include: types of evaluations; formulation of evaluation questions; evaluation designs, methodologies, and tools; evaluation results to different stakeholders, and critical appraisal of evaluation research and reports.
Course Component: Lecture