Honours Arts and Business

Arts and Business student presenterThe Honours Arts and Business program enables you to combine an honours degree in arts with a solid foundation in the theory and practice of business. 

In addition to fulfilling all the major requirements for the arts degree, you'll also learn:

  • Business, marketing, and entrepreneurial principles
  • Significance of economic, social, political, and historic developments
  • Business communication and leadership skills
  • Strategic decision-making and project management
  • Professional and business ethics
  • Canadian and international perspectives

Honours Arts and Business is unique to the University of Waterloo and available as a regular or cooperative program. In this program, you'll participate in Capsim’s Capstone business simulation designed to provide students with the experience of running their own business. The simulation, delivered in ARBUS 400, enables students to apply concepts such as strategic thinking, marketing strategies and business ethics learned in other Honours Arts and Business courses.

Required courses

In addition to the requirements for your honours major (which you'll select at the end of first year), you’ll take 14 required Honours Arts and Business courses:

Course code Course name Notes
ARBUS 101 Introduction to Business in North America Cross-listed with AFM 131
ECON 101 Introduction to Microeconomics  
ARBUS 102 Accounting Information for Managers Cross-listed with AFM 123
ARBUS 202 Professional and Business Ethics Cross-listed with PHIL 215
ARTS 280 Statistics for Arts Students (or another approved Arts statistics course)  
COMMST 204 Leadership, Teams, and Communication As of Sept 1, 2023, SPCOM courses are renamed to COMMST
ARBUS 200 Entrepreneurship Principles and Practices  
ENGL 210F Genres of Business Communication  
ARBUS 300 Practical Business Skills  
ARBUS 301 International Business Cross-listed with AFM 333
ARBUS 302 Principles of Marketing and Consumer Economics Cross-listed with MGMT 244
ARBUS 303 Marketing Strategy Cross-listed with MGMT 345
ARBUS 400 Strategy and Program Integration  

And one of:

Course code Course name
HIST 113 Canadian Business History: Innovators and Entrepreneurs
PSCI 231 Government and Business

 Notes:

Core sequence and flexibility: ARBUS 200, ARBUS 300, and ARBUS 400 must be taken in sequence and cannot be taken in the same term. You should plan accordingly to take these classes in the correct order. ARBUS 300 may be taken in 3A, 3B, or 4A.  

Required stats course: Students in some majors will NOT take ARTS 280, and will instead take the statistics course required for your major: Economics (ECON 221), Legal Studies (option to take LS 280 in place of ARTS 280), Political Science (take PSCI 314 or ARTS 280), Psychology (PSYCH 292), Sexuality, Marriage and Family Studies (SMF 220), Social Development Studies (SDS 250R), and Sociology (SOC 280). 

Required ARBUS elective: One of HIST 113 or PSCI 231 is required. It is recommended that it be completed by the end of 3B. The actual term you take this course will depend on course offerings. 

Spring terms: Students in Arts and Business Regular can also take Spring term courses if desired. The Spring term does not need to be an "off" term. 

As of Sept. 1, 2023, SPCOM course codes are renamed to COMMST.

Add to your learning experience

Minors are a way to add to your learning experience. You can earn a minor within and outside the Faculty of Arts. You can also pursue interdisciplinary-based minors such as Human Resources Management, International Studies, and Cognitive Science. Minors through the Faculty of Arts are 8 courses. 

Looking for a lighter offering of business courses? Students in the Honours Arts program (but not Arts & Business) are eligible for the Management Studies minor.

Lisa HallmanLisa Hallman

4th year Arts and Business student

Co-op program

Human Resources Specialist at Desire 2 Learn

Academically, the program gave me a strong foundation in business while allowing me to pursue at Arts major. The knowledge I gained in both of these fields helped me to diversify and stand out amongst other degrees. Being in co-op was the best part of this program and I definitely would not have graduated with my current job if it was not for my co-op experience. Arts and Business creates well rounded students who have the necessary skills and confidence for the work world.