Honours Arts and Business

In our co-op program, you'll normally alternate between four-month school terms and four-month paid work terms throughout your degree. With thousands of employers hiring Waterloo co-op students each year, you can explore careers by applying to jobs related to your major.

Learn about Nicole's co-op experience at Microsoft.

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
• Business Communications Manager - BlackBerry
• Team Lead - BMO Money Market Operations

Learn about the future of careers in business.

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.

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.