Economics Degree

Professor giving a lecture

From piggybanks to the World Bank, explore what makes economies tick

Get ready to wrestle with important and complex questions: How do you turn a poor country into a rich country? How can we avoid another global financial crisis? What’s the best way for governments to stimulate new industries like biotechnology and green energy?

In first year, you’ll cover the fundamentals of micro- and macro-economics. In upper years, you can analyze how those principles play out in a wide range of sectors, including public policy, labour economics, health economics, finance, sport, and more.

Whether you’re aiming to work in the public sector, the private sector, or academia, your Economics degree from Waterloo will give you the skills and knowledge you need, along with co-op experience to back you up.

What courses will you take in Economics?

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.

You can choose to study Economics through Honours Arts or Honours Arts and Business.

Honours Arts

September to December

  • ECON 101 – Introduction to Microeconomics
  • Arts First requirement or elective
  • Prospective major #2
  • Two electives

January to April

  • ECON 102 – Introduction to Macroeconomics
  • Arts First requirement or elective
  • Prospective major #2
  • Two electives

This is a sample schedule. Courses or when a course is offered may change depending on availability.

Honours Arts and Business

September to December

  • ARBUS 101 – Introduction to Business in North America
  • ECON 101 – Introduction to Microeconomics
  • Arts First Requirement or elective
  • Prospective major #2
  • Elective

January to April

  • ARBUS 102 – Accounting Information for Managers
  • ARBUS 202 – Professional and Business Ethics
  • Arts First Requirement or elective
  • Prospective major #2
  • Elective

This is a sample schedule. Courses or when a course is offered may change depending on availability.

After first year

40% of the classes you’ll take will be Economics courses. With your remaining classes, you can choose electives from many of the 100 subject areas at Waterloo.

Choose from courses that span social sciences, international economic development, public policy, and political science.

Sample upper-year courses

ECON 206 – Money and Banking I
ECON 290 – Models of Choice in Competitive Markets
ECON 332 – International Finance
ECON 409 – Workers, Jobs, and Wages

Customize your degree

You can add additional areas of expertise to your major by including one or more of the areas of focus in Economics.

  • Financial Economics
  • Public Policy
  • Econometrics

Popular areas of focus for Economics students include Financial Economics and Human Resource Management, two of the many minors available to all Waterloo students.

Faculty:
Faculty of Arts

Degree:
Bachelor of Arts in Economics

Available as a co-op program?
Yes

Available as a regular program?
Yes

Available as a minor?
No

Academic and social support. Whether it’s the mentorship program, a professor-student social, or a games night, Waterloo’s Economics Society organizes supportive social and academic events.

Build an awesome résumé. Choose the co-op program and graduate with 20 months of relevant experience on top of your academic learning.

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!

Sample co-op job titles

  • Information technology/finance support
  • Economist/statistician
  • Assistant internal auditor
  • SAP merchandising/change management
  • Project control officer
  • Associate business analyst
  • Sales operations coordinator

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.

The study/co-op sequence is the same whether you study Economics through Honours Arts or Honours Arts and Business.

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 -

Your first work term will be halfway through second year (January to April 2027).

Learn more about co-op →

What can you do with an economics degree?

Graduates commonly pursue careers in government, finance, investment, and consulting. They often work in government agencies, financial companies, consulting firms, and more.

Recent graduates

  • Economist — Statistics Canada
  • Supervisor Entitlements — RBC Investor Services
  • Commercial Analyst — Meridian Credit Union
  • Senior Risk Manager — TD Securities
  • Trader — Gordon Capital Corporation

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.

Admissions

Apply to Honours Arts or Honours Arts and Business and choose Economics as your major at the end of first year.

Ontario students: six Grade 12 U and/or M courses including

  • any Grade 12 U English (minimum final grade of at least 70%)

Mathematics of Data Management is recommended as helpful background for the program.

Admission average: Low 80s (co-op and regular)

Not studying in Ontario? Search our admission requirements for Honours Arts or Honours Arts and Business.

Related program

Mathematical Economics

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