Universities / Queen's University
Economics at Queen's, three ways
Queen's degrees are 120 units, and a typical one-term course is 3 units. Most one-term courses are 3.00 units and full-year courses 6.00. Every figure below is given in Queen's's own units so it matches the calendar, and as a percent of the degree so it can be compared with other schools.
Where the units 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 Specialization | Applied Economics Major | Politics, Philosophy, and Economics Specialization (Economics sub-plan) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Degree | BA (Honours) | BA (Honours) | BA (Honours) |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts and Science | Faculty of Arts and Science | Faculty of Arts and Science (Economics, Philosophy and Political Studies) |
| Total units | 120 | 120 | 120 |
| How you get in | Chosen at plan selection in May after first year (24 or more units). Automatic acceptance in the most recent cycle needed a 2.3 cumulative GPA and a B- in a 100-level ECON course; the pending list needed 0.7 and a pass. New thresholds are published each January. | Chosen at plan selection in May after first year, and must be combined with a Major or Minor in another subject. Automatic acceptance in the most recent cycle needed a 2.3 cumulative GPA and a B- in a 100-level ECON course; the pending list needed 0.7 and a pass. New thresholds are published each January. | Chosen at plan selection in May after first year. There is no automatic acceptance: all applicants go on a pending list by sub-plan, with a minimum 1.9 GPA and a B- in a 100-level ECON course, and preference for students with 12 or more units of first-year ECON, PHIL and POLS. |
| GPA to continue | — | — | — |
| GPA to graduate | 1.9 Queen’s uses a 4.3 scale; an Honours degree needs a 1.90 cumulative GPA and a 1.90 Plan GPA; C in ECON 212 and 222 to take ECON 310 and 320 | 1.9 Queen’s uses a 4.3 scale; an Honours degree needs a 1.90 cumulative GPA and a 1.90 Plan GPA; C in ECON 212 to take ECON 311 | 1.9 Queen’s uses a 4.3 scale; an Honours degree needs a 1.90 cumulative GPA and a 1.90 Plan GPA; 300-level POLS courses need a 2.00 GPA in POLS |
| Math & computing (units, % of degree) | 9 (8%) | 3 (3%) | 9 (8%) |
| Statistics & econometrics (units, % of degree) | 9 (8%) | 9 (8%) | 6 (5%) |
| Economic theory & topics (units, % of degree) | 45 (38%) | 33 (28%) | 18 (15%) |
| Political science (units, % of degree) | — | — | 21 (18%) |
| Writing, research & breadth (units, % of degree) | 3 (3%) | 3 (3%) | 3 (3%) |
| Other required (units, % of degree) | — | — | 27 (23%) |
| Open units | 54 (45%) | 72 (60%) | 36 (30%) |
| Best suited to | Graduate school in economics, finance and technically demanding policy roles. | Finance, banking, management and policy analysis; pairing economics with a second subject. | Law, journalism, public service and policy. |
| Source | Academic calendar Report an error | Academic calendar Report an error | Academic calendar Report an error |
Getting in
Where students are admitted
Faculty of Arts and Science (Arts)
When the program is declared
Plan selection in May after first year (24.00 units)
Worth knowing
Queen's uses a 4.3 GPA scale. The Economics Major and the Economics Medial (joint honours) plan no longer admit new students.
Things worth knowing before choosing
The plan is chosen in May of first year
After 24 units, students apply in a two-week window in May. Last cycle, Economics and Applied Economics took students automatically at a 2.3 GPA with a B- in first-year ECON. Others can join a ranked pending list for one plan, and PPE uses only a pending list.
Calculus divides the two economics routes
The Specialization and the PPE Economics sub-plan need first-year calculus (MATH 121 or 127/128) and ECON 255. Applied Economics needs no calculus and uses ECON 256 instead.
C grades gate the upper-year theory
A C in ECON 212 is required for ECON 310 or 311, and a C in ECON 222 for ECON 320. A C- passes the course but blocks the next step.
STAT 161 is the statistics course to plan on
The Economics plans name STAT 161, and the department also accepts STAT 263. ECON 251 itself accepts STAT 161, COMM 162, ECON 250 or STAT 263 as its prerequisite.
Seminar or thesis in fourth year
The Specialization ends with a 400-level seminar, or a 6-unit thesis (ECON 590) whose proposal is due by 31 October of the final year.
Requirements changed for 2026-27
The Specialization, Applied Economics and PPE requirements were revised for 2026-27, so students who started earlier should check the 2025-26 calendar. The older Economics Major and Economics Medial (joint honours) plan already stopped admitting new students before this year.
Economics + another subject: 4 ways to combine them
At Queen's a second subject is added as a Major or Minor alongside the Economics plan.
| Attribute | Economics Specialization + a Minor | Applied Economics Major + another Major | Applied Economics Major + a Minor | PPE Specialization |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economics side | Specialization: 66 units | Major: 48 units | Major: 48 units | Economics sub-plan: 42 units, including PPEC 200, 300 and 400 |
| Other side | A Minor in another subject | A second Major, such as Psychology or Political Studies | A Minor in another subject (not Economics) | 21 units each of Philosophy and Politics |
| Room left | 54 units of electives, part of which the Minor uses | 72 units, mostly used by the second Major | 72 units, part of which the Minor uses | 36 units |
| Entry hurdle | Plan selection threshold | Each plan’s threshold | Plan selection threshold | Plan selection threshold |
| Best for | Depth in economics with a second interest | Two fields at real depth | Applied economics with room to explore | Law, journalism and public service |
The Applied Economics Major cannot be combined with the Economics Minor.
No more than 12 units from other faculties, such as Commerce, count toward an Arts and Science plan.
Sources
- Queen's Arts and Science Calendar 2026-2027: Economics
- Queen's Calendar: Economics Specialization (ECON-S)
- Queen's Calendar: Applied Economics Major (APEC-M)
- Queen's Calendar: Politics, Philosophy, and Economics Specialization
- Queen's Arts and Science: plan selection thresholds (ECON, 2025-26 cycle)
- Queen's Calendar: Arts and Science Academic Regulations
- Queen's Economics Department: math and stats requirements
- Course titles are from the calendar; course summaries are paraphrased. Unit tallies are planning estimates, and open units also have to cover Queen's's breadth and writing requirements.