The Integrated Business and Humanities (IBH) program blends traditional business education with the critical thinking and communication skills of the Humanities. Designed to produce the next generation of Canadian business leaders with the skills to take on a new economy in a complex world, our program features a variety of learning opportunities through coursework and experiential activities.
As an Integrated Business and Humanities student, you will blend traditional business education with the critical thinking and communication skills of the Humanities. IBH students seek to use organizations of all types to drive social, ecological, and economic change.
In first year, you go through a leadership assessment that will serve as a foundation for your leadership development. Throughout the four years of the program, you will receive coaching and participate in leadership workshops. In fourth year, you reflect on your leadership journey and think about the role leadership will have on your career path.
You will complete field studies on a topic you are passionate about while interacting with businesses from the local community. Through a combination of experiential learning and research, you will gain an understanding of issues at the intersection of business and community.
A background in Humanities provides you with the skills and knowledge to recognize, understand, and constructively engage with complex social needs and diverse perspectives. With your background in Business, you will develop ways to solve those problems. In Global Business Experience, you will work with students in South Africa, assisting a local social entrepreneur.
You are introduced to and further explore the concept of social enterprise in your first and second year. In third and fourth year, you will take courses on social entrepreneurship, strategic management for for-profit and non-profit organizations, and a capstone on social enterprise.
DeGroote works with many local and national companies to provide our students with the best paid internship opportunities possible. Some of the companies that hire our students include:
Internships are typically done after your 3rd year of study and are typically 12 months in length.
The DeGroote School of Business resides on McMaster University’s main campus, centrally located in the Westdale neighbourhood of Hamilton, Ontario. It is a historic campus with 300 acres of conservation space at the western end of Lake Ontario. Hamilton is one of the largest cities in Canada, meaning plenty of opportunities to explore the arts, culture, and natural beauty of the city while pursuing your degree.
DeGroote students will soon find a new home on the McMaster University campus, the McLean Centre for Collaborative Discovery (MCCD). This 10-storey building will be the premiere destination for students across McMaster to discover, learn, and collaborate to solve business problems.
Only 5% of the business schools in the world attain this standard of excellence
Average internship program salary
What You’ll Take:
Learn more about your IBH I program requirements.
For detailed course lists beyond your first year, visit your academic calendar here.
For a full list of courses that can be available in this program, please consult the academic calendar.