A member weighing a Lakehead University MBA with Advanced Study in Management (16 months, 4 terms) against a Saint Mary's University (Halifax) Master of Finance asked which was the better choice, and how the PGWP length compared.
What the thread clarified:- If your career interest is specifically finance, Saint Mary's Master of Finance was recommended as the better fit, since it's a specialized program directly aligned with that career path rather than a general management degree.
- The Saint Mary's Master of Finance program was confirmed to earn a 3-year PGWP.
- The Lakehead MBA's specific PGWP length wasn't confirmed in the thread — this needs to be checked directly, since program length (in this case, a 16-month/4-term structure) affects the PGWP bracket you fall into.
- A key practical risk was visa timing, since Saint Mary's only runs one intake per year — missing that intake due to a delayed visa decision means losing an entire year, which is a real consideration when comparing a single-intake specialized program against a more flexible one.
The practical takeaway: if finance is your specific career goal, a specialized Master of Finance (like Saint Mary's, confirmed 3-year PGWP) may be the stronger choice over a general MBA — but factor in the risk of a single annual intake, since a delayed visa decision could cost you a full year.