Ideas with Impact
UNB Faculty of Management

In 1951, New Brunswick’s business community approached the University of New Brunswick with a clear message: companies needed graduates equipped with specialized knowledge in business and management. In partnership with local leaders, UNB responded by establishing the Department of Business Administration within the faculty of arts. That collaboration marked the beginning of what would become one of Canada’s most enduring and community connected business programs.

This year, UNB proudly celebrates the 75th anniversary of the Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) and the 45th anniversary of the faculty of management. These milestones honour a tradition built on collaboration, innovation, and a shared commitment to shaping leaders who create value for their communities and the world.

A program shaped by partnerships

Industry engagement has been woven into the faculty’s DNA from the beginning. Early curricula were designed hand in hand with New Brunswick companies and professional associations to ensure students gained practical skills alongside academic depth. The department began with a single faculty member—Ed Maher—whose legendary presence across nearly every early course has become a cherished alumni anecdote. As demand grew, new scholars and practitioners joined the team, strengthening expertise across accounting, marketing, quantitative methods, and policy.

By 1975, the department evolved into the School of Administration, and in 1980 it became the faculty of administration. Seven years later, the faculty moved into Ethel Frances Singer Hall—named in honour of the first Jewish woman to graduate from UNB—where it remains a vibrant home for learning, collaboration, and community.

A broad education for a changing world

Since its earliest days, the program has emphasized the importance of educating well rounded leaders. Business students at UNB learn to think critically, communicate effectively, and understand the human and social contexts that shape organizations. This balanced approach supports UNB’s commitment to serving New Brunswick, the Atlantic region, and the nation by preparing graduates with both depth and breadth of knowledge.

A global community of learners

By the 1980s and into the early 2000s, the faculty expanded its reach through new professional and international programs. The MBA was launched in 1987 and grew to include specialized pathways and international offerings, and both undergraduate and graduate programs were delivered through partnerships in Singapore, Trinidad and Tobago, Egypt, Ukraine, and Poland. Today, pathway programs with institutions in Dubai, France, India, and Vietnam continue to bring global perspectives into UNB classrooms and broaden opportunities for students and alumni.

As the faculty’s programs expanded, so did the opportunities available to students. The BBA grew to include the Co-op program that enabled students to apply classroom learning through work term placements, and an increasingly diverse range of specializations, giving students the flexibility to shape their degree around their interests and career goals. Many of these specializations now provide direct pathways to professional designations, including the CPA, CFA, and CPHR NB, giving students a strong foundation for advancing into recognized professional careers.

To deepen ties with the business community, particularly in entrepreneurship and international business, the faculty established the Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning and the Centre for International Business in the late 1980s. These centres laid the groundwork for more integrated and ambitious programming, eventually coming together in the early 2000s as the International Business and Entrepreneurship Centre (IBEC). Today, IBEC serves as a vibrant hub for innovation, global learning, and student engagement, supporting everything from international competitions to hands on venture development.

Setting the standard for experiential learning

Experiential learning has long been one of the faculty of management’s defining strengths, well before it became a hallmark of business education across the country. That commitment took a major step forward in 1998 with the launch of the Student Investment Fund (SIF), a pioneering partnership with Vestcor (formerly the New Brunswick Investment Management Corporation). Through the SIF, students were entrusted with managing a real $1 million portion of the province’s public pension fund, gaining hands on experience in investment decision making that few undergraduate programs offered at the time. Today, the fund has grown to more than $15 million, and SIF graduates can be found in leading investment firms across Canada. Vestcor remains a valued partner.

As the SIF grew, and as finance specializations attracted more students, the faculty deepened its ties with industry partners and alumni through the creation of the Centre for Financial Studies. The Centre plays an important role in sustaining relationships with the business community, strengthening classroom learning with real world insight, and supporting a vibrant culture of experiential financial education.

The success of the SIF helped spark a wave of additional experiential programs across the faculty. Students partnered with exporters to identify international opportunities through the Export Partnering Program, supported entrepreneurs in launching new ventures through the Activator Program and later the Student Venture Analyst Program, and assessed early stage companies in the Venture Assessment course in collaboration with the New Brunswick Innovation Foundation. These opportunities gave students firsthand experience in venture creation, market analysis, and innovation ecosystems.

In 2018, experiential learning expanded even further with the establishment of the Fraser Student Venture Fund, which empowers students to make real investment recommendations for UNB related startups, an opportunity rarely found in undergraduate programs. Together, these initiatives have built a distinctive learning environment where students actively apply classroom knowledge to real business challenges and opportunities, developing the confidence and capabilities they need to lead.

Experiential learning in graduate programs

Experiential education extends beyond the BBA. UNB’s MBA program integrates real business challenges directly into the classroom, allowing students to develop practical solutions for local organizations in many of their courses. These collaborations strengthen relationships with New Brunswick employers while giving students tangible, résumé ready experience.

In 2018, the faculty launched the Master in Quantitative Investment Management (MQIM), a one year, industry aligned program developed with support from Vestcor. Responding to a growing market demand for quantitative investment professionals, the MQIM provides advanced training at the intersection of finance, data science, and analytics. It is one of the few programs of its kind in Canada and has quickly become a differentiator for UNB graduates.

Vision 2025 and the evolution of the faculty

In 2019, inspired by its long-standing experiential strengths, the faculty launched Vision 2025, integrating hands-on learning opportunities into every year of the BBA program. At the same time, the faculty adopted a new name—the faculty of management—to reflect its broadened mandate and leadership focus.

In 2022, UNB’s faculty of management achieved AACSB accreditation, joining the top 6% of business schools worldwide recognized for excellence in teaching, research, continuous improvement, and commitment to student success.

A community built on collaboration

Throughout its evolution, the faculty of management has remained closely connected to industry and its alumni network. Advisory boards, mentors, employer partners, and industry champions have played critical roles in shaping programs, enriching the student experience, and ensuring graduates are prepared for a dynamic and rapidly changing world.

From its beginnings as a small department in the faculty of arts, the faculty of management has grown into one of Eastern Canada’s leading business schools and recognized for experiential learning, collaborative partnerships, and a strong, supportive community of alumni and friends.

As we celebrate 75 years of the BBA, 50 years as a business school and 45 years as a faculty, we honour the visionaries who came before us, the partners who helped us grow, and the students and alumni whose achievements continue to inspire.

Together, we are building the future of business education and creating ideas with impact.

For many of the details about the faculty’s history from its origins to the 2000s, we are indebted the staff of UNB’s archives, and to Dr. Barry Boothman (retired professor of organization studies) who, while serving as Associate Dean of Research, wrote a brief history for the website.

Learn more about the faculty of management and its business programs.

We are excited to announce that our first alumni reunion is planned for the evening of Feb. 25 in Toronto, ON.

Media contact

Lizabeth Lemon-Mitchell
Lizabeth.Lemonmitchell@unb.ca