A recent survey from the provincial Department of Education has found that 98 per cent of bachelor of commerce (co-op), 94 per cent of bachelor of business administration and 95.8 per cent of master of business administration graduates are satisfied with the personal investment they made in their degree.

CareerSearch 2008 reports the labour market outcomes for graduates of 2006 post-secondary programs. The survey details the graduate’s employment status, weekly wages, relation of current job to training, their satisfaction with personal investment for class and study and their satisfaction with the financial investment in education. The data was collected by Newfoundland and Labrador Statistics Agency from May to September 2008.

Dr. Gary Gorman, dean of the Faculty of Business, said he is thrilled Memorial's business alumni feel so strongly about their programs. “Results like these show that the Faculty of Business is doing right by students. Their success obtaining relevant employment after completing their degree and their level of satisfaction tells me that our students are getting a high-quality business education that is meeting the needs of the business community,” he said.

The survey also showed that 100 per cent of MBA graduates surveyed felt that the financial investment they made in their education was worth it. Peggy Coady is the director of graduate programs within the Faculty of Business. She said the results were not a surprise. As she explained, “Memorial MBA students get excellent value for their money. Our MBA tuition is the lowest in English-speaking Canada and our history of success in international competitions speaks to the quality of our program.”

Bachelor of Commerce (co-op) students were similarly satisfied.  One hundred per cent of those surveyed were satisfied with the financial investment they made. Moreover, a lower percentage of B.Comm. (co-op) students had a provincial student loan compared to other undergraduate programs at Memorial, and those that did have a loan reported a lower average amount. Tom Clift, associate dean of academic programs, credits the co-operative education program with making post-secondary education more affordable for students.

“Memorial’s business faculty was the first in Canada to introduce a co-operative education component and it has become a flagship program,” he said. “The co-op program has many benefits. Our students apply what they’ve learned in the classroom to the real world, make connections in the business community and earn a salary that can help them finance their education.”

Dr. Gorman says that the validation of business programs by alumni is valuable to the Faculty of Business. “In the faculty, we believe that we are offering a first-rate business education that is accessible to students,” he said. “The response from recent alumni in the CareerSearch report validates our belief and shows potential students and employers that our programs are doing a good job of preparing students for their future.”

CareerSearch will be distributed to all high schools, post-secondary institutions and those involved in providing career counseling in the province. In addition, the report is available online at http://http://www.ed.gov.nl.ca/edu/.