Bachelor of Arts Economics

The BA in Economics is a thorough 3-year program providing students with a comprehensive education, focusing on essential skills and knowledge crucial for understanding the economy. While not specifically tailored for particular careers, it holds broad appeal for a diverse array of employers.

Functioning as a launchpad for future careers, the program acquaints students with contemporary perspectives on public issues such as inflation, unemployment, national debt, taxation policy, and environmental economics. It enhances logical and clear thinking skills—critical transferable skills—and readies students for advanced studies. Although a BA degree enables post-graduate work in fields like business, law, and public administration, there’s a growing preference for an Honours degree.

Moreover, a BA degree seamlessly integrates with one-year post-degree co-op programs, like journalism, human resource management, and logistics. The collaborative Mohawk Business Studies Certificate, introduced in 2012, offers a distinctive opportunity for Social Sciences students.

Graduates have excelled in various roles, from lawyers and government/business managers to policy researchers, economic analysts, and financial planners. To boost employment prospects, students can diversify their program with non-economics electives, such as computer science or expository writing courses, expanding their skill set for increased market flexibility.

How to apply to the Bachelor of Arts Economics

• Students start in the Social Sciences Level 1 program or Economics 1 program and apply to the Bachelor of Arts Economics at the end of their first year. Completion of any Level I program with a Grade Point Average of at least 3.5 and an average of at least 4.0 in ECON 1B03 and 1BB3.

Sample Courses By Year (Not All Required)

Level I Courses

• ECON 1B0: Introductory Microeconomics
• ECON 1ME3: Introduction to Mathematical Economics
• ECON 1BB3: Introductory Macroeconomics

Level II Courses

• ECON 2N03: Public Policy Toward Business
• ECON 2P03: Economics of Professional Sports
• ECON 2Q03: Economics of Bad Behaviour

Level III Courses

• ECON 3G03: Introduction to Advanced Economic Theory
• ECON 3EE3: Econometrics I
• ECON 3E03: Applied Econometrics

Career Options for Economics
How will new international trade agreements affect jobs and wealth? Does cutting business taxes help spur growth? What is the optimal price to charge for a specific product? How are professional athletes’ salaries determined? Why do individuals make poor health choices even when they know better?

• Examining these important questions are part of an Economics degree at McMaster University. After all, economics is the science of choice.

Economists in the workforce can:

• Approach problems in a logical, rigorous way;
• Help employers by using their sophisticated problem-solving, numeracy, research, communication and decision-making skills;
• Analyze data to seek solutions to issues at the personal, firm and overall economy levels.

Employers seek out the skills acquired by Economics graduates, such as:

• Skillsets in areas such as quantitative analysis of economic opportunities and problems, economic forecasting, knowledge of economics institutions and policies within Canada and the global community;
• The ability to apply sophisticated methods of analysis to the problems faced by private sector firms, not-for-profit organizations and government;
• Strong problem-solving, research, analysis and decision-making skills;
• The ability to articulate a clear verbal and written presentation of the research findings and evidence. 

Examples of Economics career paths:

• Data Analysis 
• Business Management 
• Financial Planning 
• Government 
• Public Policy 
• Statistical Analysis 
• Policy Analysis 
• Law 
• Economic Analysis 
• Banking 
• Financial Services 
• Insurance