Preparatory Knowledge Program (PKP)
Ivey MBA students bring a diverse set of academic and work backgrounds to the program. Although this diversity is a tremendous asset to the class as a whole, it may create challenges for students who do not have a background in business, economics, or statistics.
For this reason, Ivey has designed the Pre-Ivey Preparatory Knowledge Program (PKP), a two-week program focused on Business Essentials (Economics, Finance/Accounting, and Quantitative Analysis. Ivey professors will assume that everyone in the MBA program has at least Pre-Ivey knowledge in the relevant disciplines, meaning that class time can be spent on more advanced topics.
Historically, approximately 75% of Ivey MBA students have taken some or all of Pre-Ivey. Even students with prior academic experience in the topic areas have found the refresher to be useful. Another benefit of Pre-Ivey is the opportunity for you to get back into the classroom routine and to get to know your new classmates.
Economics Primer
The Economics Primer covers essential knowledge of microeconomic concepts and relationships. The module trains students to understand real-world situations and business problems through the lens of economic rationality. Key topics include: supply and demand fundamentals, taxation and trade, scarcity, choice, and opportunity cost, and more.
Finance and Accounting Primer
The Finance and Accounting Primer covers essential knowledge of the foundational technical accounting and finance skills upon which the MBA program's more advanced decision-making skills rely. The objective of the module is to train students to see and understand how financial business transactions are recorded and used to inform and support decision-making. Key topics include: the accounting cycle, Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (IFRS), organizational structure and taxation, analyzing annual reports, and more.
Quantitative Analysis Primer
Ivey's Quant primer serves a dual purpose. First, it provides a solid base of probability and statistical modeling concepts along with a high-level approach to structured quantitative problem solving. Second, it develops advanced knowledge in the use of Microsoft Excel. Key topics include: exploratory data analysis and summary statistics, statistical dependence and relationships among variables, simple and multiple regression, decision analysis, and more.