MBA in Advancing Reconciliation

The MBA in Advancing Reconciliation is the world’s first MBA program focused on reconciliation. It is a custom program, offered in partnership with the BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres (BCAAFC).

Students from the first cohort of the MBA in Advancing Reconciliation

Purpose

The MBA in Advancing Reconciliation (MBA AR) is designed for experienced Indigenous and non-Indigenous leaders in the social services non-profit sector. The program equips students with management tools, strategic frameworks and the capacity to centre Indigenous knowledges in organizational practice. Its goal is to ultimately help create more inclusive, equitable and culturally-grounded social services.

The MBA AR challenges conventional business education by centring Indigenous ways of being, knowing, doing and relating, while responding directly to the priorities of BCAAFC.

Partnership

The MBA AR is a custom program offered by BCAAFC and the Gustavson School of Business. BCAAFC originally received funding for the program in 2022 as part of an $8.4-million announcement by BC’s Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction aimed at creating an action framework to integrate reconciliation into community social services.

Advancing reconciliation is sacred and often difficult work. It calls for deep commitment from all of us, walking together with humility and purpose. Journeying alongside the students, our partner BCAAFC, and the instructors has been a deeply rewarding experience — one rooted in relationships, learning, and the shared hope of a more just future.

Format

The MBA AR combines core business management education with specialized coursework in decolonization, Indigenization and reconciliation. While adapted from Gustavson’s MBA in Sustainable Innovation, the MBA AR is uniquely tailored to the social services non-profit sector.

The program aims to build long-term capacity in social-services organizations by equipping leaders with strategic, decolonial and anti-racist competencies grounded in Indigenous worldviews. The program includes 8 academic blocks and an orientation block that introduces students to local territories, campus resources, team dynamics and essential tools. Each block begins with a 5-day in-person residency to foster cohort connection, land-based grounding and collective learning.

Sample courses include:

Trust, Truth & Traditional Justice
Accounting & Financial Responsibility
Strategic Collaboration & Partnership

Program schedule

How to apply

Students are established leaders across a range of organizations, including government agencies, working in Indigenous mainstream social services non-profit sectors in British Columbia. They should have 5 years or more of professional experience, and commit to remaining in the sector for 5 years post-graduation.

This is a custom program, offered in partnership with BCAAFC. All applications are first reviewed by BCAAFC, before a select group are recommended to UVic for review under the university’s admissions process. Recommendation does not guarantee admission. Please note that the overall process is competitive, while using a holistic approach to consider applicants’ qualifications.

Only applicants from agencies approved by BCAAFC to participate in this program will be considered.

Visit BCAAFC

UVic admission requirements

In addition to meeting program eligibility and being recommended by BCAAFC, all applicants must be admissible to the University of Victoria, in accordance with the UVic Calendar.

The minimum academic standing required is:

a four-year baccalaureate degree (or equivalent degree from another country) from a recognized institution
a grade point average of 5.0 (B or equivalent) in the work of the last two years (30 units) leading to the bachelor’s degree

In exceptional cases a student may be admitted with lower formal qualifications when there is significant experience relevant to the proposed area of scholarship (see Other Admissions).

Applicants with a four-year baccalaureate degree or equivalent and whose grade point average is below 5.0 (B) but who normally have at least four years relevant experience may be admitted to a certificate, diploma, or Master’s program as mature students provided they are recommended by the academic unit. Submission of a complete résumé is required to determine eligibility as a mature student. Such recommendations must be approved by the Dean of Graduate Studies.

In exceptional cases, applicants without a four-year baccalaureate degree or equivalent but who can demonstrate significant (normally at least 15 years) relevant expertise, professional experience, or formal training, that would prepare them for successful study in a specific certificate, diploma, or Master’s program may be admitted provided they are recommended by the academic unit. Submission of a complete résumé is required, along with a detailed justification from the unit of the relevance of the applicant’s experience to the proposed area of study, and a plan from the unit listing additional formal course work designed to mitigate any academic deficit.

Such recommendations must be approved by the Dean of Graduate Studies, who will set a quota on the number of such students permitted in any academic unit.

My name is Annette Morgan. My traditional name is Nox Stikine from Gitanyow BC. As a matriarch, I am guided by my culture and community that inspired me to pursue the MBA in Advancing Reconciliation. I believe that by honoring our Indigenous laws and teachings, we can create pathways for meaningful change within the social sector, honouring a future where we thrive in a healthy environment.

Reflecting on my time at Gustavson, I am filled with gratitude for the experiences that have shaped my understanding of reconciliation. Personally, the journey of completing my MBA has transformed me in ways I never anticipated. I have deepened my understanding of the systemic barriers our communities face and the imperative to address them through an Indigenous lens. This program has reinforced my belief that reconciliation is not just a concept; it is a call to action that requires us to engage with our communities and empower our people. I have emerged with a renewed sense of purpose, ready to advocate for change with the wisdom of my ancestors guiding me.