Master of Business Administration in Community Economic Development Cape Breton University, Canada

Our communities are the threads that tie our country together. From helping to build a strong economic engine, to facilitating the cultivation of our healthy food, each community plays an important role in the development of our society. The Cape Breton community, although small in size, is big in opportunity. Here, you’re free to explore a welcoming island with warm people who see the same potential in you as you do in them.

The MBA in CED offers a leading edge curriculum that includes all business subjects found in traditional MBA programs, with an emphasis on economic development, leadership, governance and management of change. The program resonates with people who aspire to play leadership roles in the private, public and community sectors.

There are many MBA programs around the globe. However, the program found here at Cape Breton University is the only one in Canada that includes community economic development at its core. It’s for people who want to make a difference where they live and work. Here, we teach the lessons that inspire students to make a positive change wherever they go. The MBA in Community Economic Development has been offered by the Shannon School of Business at CBU since 1997.


What skills will I gain from this program?

• Advanced analytical and strategy skills
• Advanced interpersonal and communication skills
• Advanced research skills
• Application of an international perspective to risks and opportunities in managerial decisions
• Integrated knowledge through interdisciplinary approaches
• Management of change, growth, and new opportunities
• Strategic leadership
• Understanding of the role of business and community in affecting the economy, quality of life, health, and the environment
• Understanding of community economic development and business

Experiential Learning Opportunities

• Applied Research Projects (ARP)
  • CBU recognizes the value of, and demand for, research skills in the public, community and private sectors. Given this, CBU is one of the few institutions that requires a mandatory research project as the culmination of the MBA in CED degree.
  • The ARP is the MBA in CED capstone deliverable. Under the supervision of a research advisor(s), this project provides the opportunity to engage in experiential learning through direct involvement with a community, company, government agency or non-profit organization.
• Community Action Research
• Community-Based Participatory Research
• Community-Engaged Research with Community-Based Organizations
• Guest Speakers
• Media/Videos Projects
• Simulations