Universities / McGill University
Economics at McGill, six ways
McGill degrees are 120 credits, and a typical one-term course is 3 credits. Students from outside Quebec take 120 credits including a 30-credit Foundation year; Quebec CEGEP graduates take 90. Every figure below is given in McGill's own credits so it matches the calendar, and as a percent of the degree so it can be compared with other schools.
Where the credits go
Select a program to load it into the comparison below. Unit counts assume the most common course choice where there are options; categories are The Visible Hand's grouping, not the university's.
Side by side
Pick any two programs. Select a course to see what it covers and which programs require it.
Select any course above to see its title, what it covers, and which programs require it.
The differences in one table
| Attribute | Economics Major Concentration (BA) | Economics Honours (BA) | Economics and Finance Joint Honours (BA) | Economics and Accounting Joint Honours (BA) | Economics Joint Honours (with another subject) | Economics for Management Students Major (BCom) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Degree | BA | BA (Honours) | BA (Honours) | BA (Honours) | BA (Honours) | BCom |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts | Faculty of Arts | Faculty of Arts with the Desautels Faculty of Management | Faculty of Arts with the Desautels Faculty of Management | Faculty of Arts | Desautels Faculty of Management |
| Total credits | 120 | 120 | 120 | 120 | 120 | 120 |
| How you get in | Declared by Arts students, usually at the start of U1. Students should see a majors adviser every year. | Enter in U1 with two terms of calculus (MATH 140 and 141 or equivalents) and MATH 133 completed before U2, and a GPA and CGPA of at least 3.00 in the previous year. | As for Economics Honours, with two terms of calculus completed. Needs a B- or better in every course in the finance component. | As for Economics Honours. Needs a B- or better in every course in the accounting component. | As for Economics Honours, combined with a Joint Honours component in a second subject such as Mathematics, Political Science, Philosophy or Psychology. | Admitted to the Desautels BCom from high school or CEGEP, then choose the Economics major. |
| GPA to continue | — | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | — |
| GPA to graduate | — C or better in every course used for the program | 3.0 B- in ECON 250D1/D2 and a B- average in honours ECON courses to continue; First Class Honours needs 3.50 | 3.0 B- in ECON 250D1/D2 and a B- average in honours ECON courses to continue; First Class Honours needs 3.50; B- in every finance course | 3.0 B- in ECON 250D1/D2 and a B- average in honours ECON courses to continue; First Class Honours needs 3.50; B- in every accounting course | 3.0 B- in ECON 250D1/D2 and a B- average in honours ECON courses to continue; First Class Honours needs 3.50 | — C or better in every Management Core course |
| Math & computing (credits, % of degree) | — | 10 (8%) | 10 (8%) | 10 (8%) | 10 (8%) | 6 (5%) |
| Statistics & econometrics (credits, % of degree) | 6 (5%) | 9 (8%) | 9 (8%) | 9 (8%) | 9 (8%) | 6 (5%) |
| Economic theory & topics (credits, % of degree) | 30 (25%) | 33 (28%) | 21 (18%) | 21 (18%) | 21 (18%) | 30 (25%) |
| Business & finance (credits, % of degree) | — | — | 30 (25%) | 30 (25%) | — | 33 (28%) |
| Open credits | 84 (70%) | 68 (57%) | 50 (42%) | 50 (42%) | 80 (67%) | 45 (38%) |
| Best suited to | Pairing economics with a second program; law, policy, business. | Graduate school in economics, research, central banking. | Investment banking, asset management, finance graduate programs. | Accounting designation paths, audit and advisory, corporate finance. | Economics at honours level alongside a second discipline. | Business careers with strong economics: consulting, banking, policy roles in industry. |
| Source | Academic calendar Report an error | Academic calendar Report an error | Academic calendar Unconfirmed: This 60-credit program is listed as offered by Management. Arts rules say a Joint Honours with a component outside Arts needs a second Arts Joint Honours component or a Minor; whether that applies here is not stated. Report an error | Academic calendar Unconfirmed: This 60-credit program is listed as offered by Management. Arts rules say a Joint Honours with a component outside Arts needs a second Arts Joint Honours component or a Minor; whether that applies here is not stated. Report an error | Academic calendar Report an error | Academic calendar Unconfirmed: The catalogue lists MATH 122, MATH 123, MGCR 233 and MGCR 250 as U0 Foundation courses, but does not itemize the 18 credits for this major; MGCR 233/250 are counted in the Core here, so the 18 are shown as MATH 122, MATH 123 and electives. The credit-structure page is marked "under review". Report an error |
Getting in
Where students are admitted
Faculty of Arts (BA programs) or the Desautels Faculty of Management (BCom)
When the program is declared
At the start of U1 (after the Foundation year for students entering from high school)
Worth knowing
McGill uses a 4.0 GPA scale. Honours programs need a GPA and CGPA of 3.00 each year.
Things worth knowing before choosing
A McGill BA is always two programs
The Arts degree needs a Major plus a Minor, two Majors, Honours plus a Minor, or two Joint Honours components. The 36-credit Economics Major alone is less than a third of the degree.
120 credits, or 90 from CEGEP
Students arriving from high school outside Quebec start with a 30-credit Foundation year (U0). Quebec CEGEP graduates receive 30 credits of advanced standing and start in U1.
Take ECON 208 and 209 in U0, not the theory courses
The department advises U0 students to take ECON 208/209 and not to start ECON 230D1/D2 or ECON 250D1/D2 until U1. ECON 208/209 count only as electives, because Major courses must be numbered above 209.
Honours runs on calculus and B- grades
Two terms of calculus (MATH 140/141) are expected on entering Honours, and MATH 133 must be done before U2. Staying in Honours needs a B- in ECON 250D1/D2, a B- honours average, and a 3.00 GPA each year; graduating needs 3.00 overall.
400-level courses need calculus, even in the Major
The Major needs 6 credits at the 400 level, and those courses require Calculus 1 or a mathematical methods course, so Major students also need some calculus.
The Desautels joint honours set a B- floor
In the Economics and Finance and the Economics and Accounting Joint Honours, every finance or accounting course in the program needs a B- or better to earn Honours.
Economics + another subject: 4 ways to combine them
Because every McGill BA combines two programs, these are the usual ways economics pairs with a second field.
| Attribute | Economics Major + a Minor | Economics Major + another Major | Economics Honours + a Minor | Joint Honours: Economics + another subject (e.g. Mathematics, Political Science, Psychology) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economics side | Major: 36 credits | Major: 36 credits | Honours: 42 credits plus 10 of math | Economics component: 30 credits plus 10 of math |
| Other side | An 18-credit Minor, such as Psychology or Management | A 36-credit Major, such as Political Science or Mathematics | An 18-credit Minor | The other subject’s Joint Honours component |
| Room left | About 36 credits plus the Foundation year | About 18 credits plus the Foundation year | About 20 credits plus the Foundation year | Depends on the second component |
| Entry hurdle | Lowest | Each department’s rules | 3.00 GPA, B- in ECON 250 | 3.00 GPA in both components |
| Best for | Adding a second interest without much extra load | Two fields at real depth | Graduate school in economics | Graduate study across two fields, e.g. behavioural economics |
Every course used for a BA program needs a C or better.
The Economics Joint Honours component and Major also exist for the Bachelor of Arts and Science.
Sources
- McGill Course Catalogue 2026-2027: Economics programs (Faculty of Arts)
- McGill Course Catalogue: The Bachelor of Arts degree (multi-track, Honours and Joint Honours rules)
- McGill Course Catalogue: Economics for Management Students Major (B.Com.)
- McGill Course Catalogue: BCom credit structure for majors and honours
- McGill Department of Economics: majors, minors and honours
- Course titles are from the calendar; course summaries are paraphrased. Unit tallies are planning estimates, and open units also have to cover McGill's breadth and writing requirements.