Honours Arts and Business
Follow your passion for Arts — and be business savvy, too
Honours Arts and Business is where the things you’re passionate about intersect with business. Pick one of 30 majors — a subject you’re curious about or something you’ve always loved — then layer on business classes that teach you the practical skills employers look for.
Want your degree to be even more customized? Add on a second honours major or a minor. Choose the regular system of study and finish in four years, or add 20 months of serious work experience to your résumé through co-op. You’ve even got the option of studying abroad.
You can co-register and complete your Waterloo degree through St. Jerome's University or Renison University College, smaller academic communities located on campus.
What courses will you take in Honours Arts and Business?
First-year courses
As an Arts student, you’ll choose your major at the end of first year. You’re encouraged to explore a second major in first year to discover potential new interests.
You will also take an Arts First course in either the fall or winter term of your first year. In this course, instead of going to a lecture hall, you and your classmates will work together to respond to an intriguing challenge. With only 25 students in this course, you might address topics such as The Science of Happiness, Are We Erasing History?, Games and Culture, and Writing About Poems and Songs.
This is a sample schedule. Courses or when a course is offered may change depending on availability.
After first year
About 40% of your time will focus on your honours major while 30% of your courses will be in business. With your remaining classes, you can choose electives from many of the 100 subject areas at Waterloo.
Customize your degree
You can also add additional areas of interest and expertise by including a minor (or minors) as part of your Bachelor of Arts degree.
What majors can you choose?
- Anthropology
- Classical Studies (2 majors)
- Communication Studies (2 majors)
- Economics
- English (4 majors)
- Fine Arts (2 majors)
- French
- Gender and Social Justice
- History
- Legal Studies
- Liberal Studies
- Medieval Studies
Faculty:
Faculty of Arts
Degree:
Bachelor of Arts
Available as a co-op program?
Yes
Available as a regular program?
Yes
Include minors and options?
Yes
28 majors to choose from. Pick one of 28 majors in humanities, social sciences, languages, and fine or performing arts. Then round out your degree with courses in other subjects that spark your interest.
14 business courses. Through your business courses, you'll gain an in-depth understanding of accounting, management, economics, marketing, entrepreneurship, ethics, and communication.
Co-op = relevant paid work experience
Waterloo's co-op program, the largest in North America, is an amazing way to explore potential careers, learn to interview for jobs, graduate with up to two years of valuable experience — and make money!
Co-op work-study sequence
Starting in second year, you'll normally alternate between school and work every four months, integrating your classroom learning with real-world experience. You can return to the same employer for a couple of work terms to gain greater knowledge and responsibility or work for different employers to get a broad range of experience.
Your first work term will be halfway through second year (January to April 2027).
Year | September to December (Fall) | January to April (Winter) | May to August (Spring) |
---|---|---|---|
First | Study | Study | Off |
Second | Study | Co-op | Study |
Third | Co-op | Study | Co-op |
Fourth | Study | Co-op | Co-op |
Fifth | Study | Study | - |
What can you do with a degree in Honours Arts and Business?
With expertise in both business and your major, you'll have the skills and knowledge needed for a career in an incredible range of areas such as business, government, marketing, project management, communications, law, human resources, public relations, and more.
Recent graduates
- Donor Member Relations Coordinator — Toronto International Film Festival
- HR Coordinator — PepsiCo Canada
- Economist — Ontario Ministry of Finance
- Team Lead — BMO Money Market Operations
Learn about the future of careers in business.
Tuition fees
First-year tuition
Type of fees | Tuition (8 months of school) |
---|---|
Domestic (Ontario residents) | $9,000 |
Domestic (Out of province students) | $9,000 |
International (visa students) | $57,000 |
- Estimated amounts listed include incidental fees. Fees based on 2024-25 tuition rates.
- Visit our financing page to learn about scholarships, estimate your total expenses, and see how co-op can help pay for your education.
Common questions about the program
Can I change my major after I apply? Can I do a double major?
When you apply to Waterloo, you'll indicate a major that you'd like to pursue. (A major is the subject you'd like to be the focus of your degree.) You’re not committed to this major — and you don’t need to confirm the major(s) you want to explore in first year until June, which is when you'll select courses for the term starting in September. You’ll begin your major in first year even though you don’t officially choose it until the end of first year. We recommend that you explore two majors in first year to keep your options open.
As an Honours Arts and Business student, you can do a major and minor (you can do a double major if you want to take more than the 40 required courses for your degree). Not sure what a major or minor are? Check out our guide to university terminology. Advisors in the Faculty of Arts will be able to help you with choosing courses and potential majors.
Can I switch to co-op if I change my mind?
If you’re even slightly interested in including co-op work terms as part of your degree, you should apply to co-op when you apply to Waterloo. You’ll automatically be considered for the regular system of study if you aren’t accepted for co-op, but the admission ranges are often very similar between the two systems of study.
If you’re in good academic standing it is possible to switch into co-op later in your studies, but it's not guaranteed as decisions are based on how many spaces are available in co-op and how far through your degree you are.
What's the difference between Honours Arts and Business and Honours Arts?
Most of the requirements are similar, however, Honours Arts and Business requires 14 business courses, which means less time for electives, but a strong business foundation. Watch this video for more details on both programs.
Admission requirements
Ontario students: six Grade 12 U and/or M courses including
- any Grade 12 U English (final grade of at least 70% is required)
Admission average: Low 80s (co-op and regular)
Recommended courses
Interested in majoring in Anthropology; Economics; Psychology; Political Science; Sexuality, Marriage and Family Studies; Social Development Studies; or Sociology? Grade 12 Mathematics of Data Management is recommended as helpful background.
Plan to major in Economics? Calculus and Vectors is also recommended, however you can choose to take a first-year calculus course to acquire additional background.
Not studying in Ontario? Search our admission requirements.
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Questions about courses, programs, requirements, careers?
Please contact Stavros Stavroulias, our Faculty of Arts recruitment co-ordinator who can answer any questions you have.