Universities / University of Alberta
Economics at UAlberta, five ways
UAlberta degrees are 120 units, and a typical one-term course is 3 units. Most one-term courses are 3 units. Every figure below is given in UAlberta'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
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Select any course above to see its title, what it covers, and which programs require it.
The differences in one table
| Attribute | Economics Major (BA) | Economics Honors, Graduate Study Route (BA) | Economics Honors, Honors Essay Route (BA) | Mathematics and Economics Honors (BSc) | Mathematics and Economics Major (BSc) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Degree | BA | BA (Honors) | BA (Honors) | BSc (Honors) | BSc |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts | Faculty of Arts | Faculty of Arts | Faculty of Science | Faculty of Science |
| Total units | 120 | 120 | 120 | 120 | 120 |
| How you get in | Admitted to the Faculty of Arts (competitive; Math 30-1 required for the Economics major, Math 31 recommended); the major must be declared after 60 units. Calculus, statistics and intermediate theory are best finished within the first 60 units. | High school applicants enter the BA Honors Foundation Year (minimum 85% application average; competitive) and choose Economics on the Program Selection Form by the end of first year. Selection into Economics Honors needs a 3.0 GPA, a 3.3 average in ECON, and ECON 101/102; internal applications are due March 1. | High school applicants enter the BA Honors Foundation Year (minimum 85% application average; competitive) and choose Economics on the Program Selection Form by the end of first year. Selection into Economics Honors needs a 3.0 GPA, a 3.3 average in ECON, and ECON 101/102; internal applications are due March 1. | Admitted to the Faculty of Science Bachelor of Science (Major and Honors) program. | Admitted to the Faculty of Science Bachelor of Science (Major and Honors) program. |
| GPA to continue | 2.3 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 2.0 |
| GPA to graduate | 2.3 Graduation also needs a 2.3 average in all Economics courses; students who drop out can return with a 2.3 on 9 units | 3.0 3.3 average in all Economics courses each year and at graduation; First Class Honors needs 3.7 in senior ECON and 3.5 in the final 30 units | 3.0 3.3 average in all Economics courses each year and at graduation; First Class Honors needs 3.7 in senior ECON and 3.5 in the final 30 units | 3.0 3.0 GPA each Fall/Winter and on the last 60 units; 3.0 subject-area GPA in 200-level and higher ECON, MATH and STAT | 2.0 2.0 GPA each Fall/Winter and on the last 60 units; 2.3 subject-area GPA in 200-level and higher ECON, MATH and STAT |
| Math & computing (units, % of degree) | 6 (5%) | 15 (13%) | 12 (10%) | 48 (40%) | 36 (30%) |
| Statistics & econometrics (units, % of degree) | 9 (8%) | 12 (10%) | 9 (8%) | 12 (10%) | 12 (10%) |
| Economic theory & topics (units, % of degree) | 36 (30%) | 45 (38%) | 48 (40%) | 33 (28%) | 33 (28%) |
| Writing, research & breadth (units, % of degree) | 6 (5%) | 6 (5%) | 9 (8%) | 12 (10%) | 9 (8%) |
| Other required (units, % of degree) | 6 (5%) | 6 (5%) | 6 (5%) | — | — |
| Open units | 57 (48%) | 36 (30%) | 36 (30%) | 15 (13%) | 30 (25%) |
| Best suited to | Policy, business and law; room for a minor or a second major. | Master’s or PhD study in economics. | Specialized economics careers, law, policy, or graduate study in related fields. | Economics PhD programs, quantitative finance and econometrics. | Analytics, finance and economics roles that need strong math. |
| Source | Academic calendar Report an error | Academic calendar Report an error | Academic calendar Report an error | Academic calendar Report an error | Academic calendar Report an error |
Getting in
Where students are admitted
Faculty of Arts (BA, or the BA Honors Foundation Year) or Faculty of Science (BSc)
When the program is declared
BA majors declare after 60 units; BA Honors students choose a major by the end of first year
Worth knowing
UAlberta uses a 4.0 GPA scale. Admission to Arts and to BA Honors is competitive.
Things worth knowing before choosing
Finish the toolkit in the first 60 units
The department asks majors to complete ECON 101/102, MATH 154/156, STAT 161 and ECON 281, 282 and 299 within their first 60 units, with MATH 154 as early as possible.
A writing course comes early
Economics programs require ECON 109 in the first 60 units, unless it is waived by passing the department’s writing assessment; the Mathematics and Economics programs state that 300- and 400-level ECON need one or the other.
Honors has two routes
Both routes include ECON 386 (mathematical economics). The Graduate Study route adds ECON 387 and econometric methods (ECON 497); the Honors Essay route ends with a written honors essay (ECON 400).
Honors means 3.0 overall and 3.3 in economics
Promotion each year and graduation both need a 3.0 GPA with a 3.3 average in all Economics courses. The major needs 2.3.
Mathematics and Economics is the math-heavy option
The BSc Honors runs 96 units of math, statistics, computing and economics, including analysis and a research project. ECON 299, 386 and 387 cannot be used, and it cannot be paired with an Economics minor.
A language is part of every BA
BA students need 6 units in one language other than English, waived for students who completed a 30-level language in high school or who had to take an English language proficiency test for admission.
Economics + another subject: 4 ways to combine them
The department also offers certificates in Finance and in the Economics and Management of Natural Resources, Energy and the Environment. The BCom has no Economics major; its closest is Business Economics and Law. Arts students can add a co-op route (Arts Work Experience).
| Attribute | Combined Honors in Economics and another subject | Economics Major + a minor | Economics Major + a second major | Mathematics and Economics (BSc) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economics side | 36 senior ECON units (Essay route) or 33 (Graduate Study route); with Mathematics, ECON 386/387 cannot count | Major: 36–48 senior ECON units | Major: 36–48 senior ECON units | 36 units of ECON in both the Honors and the Major |
| Other side | At least 36 units in the other subject | An Arts minor, or Mathematics or Statistics from Science | A second BA major | Mathematics, statistics and computing |
| Room left | Limited | About 57 open units before the minor | Little | 15 (Honors) to 30 (Major) open units |
| Entry hurdle | Both departments’ approval; Honors averages | 2.3 GPA | Each major’s rules | 3.0 (Honors) or 2.0 (Major) GPA |
| Best for | Economics with political science, philosophy, mathematics and more | Adding a second interest | Two fields at real depth | Quantitative economics |
Transfer credit is not given for ECON 399 or 400-level ECON taken elsewhere.
Business students can take ECON 281 instead of BUEC 211 to keep the path to senior economics open.
Sources
- University of Alberta Calendar 2026-2027: Major in Economics [Arts]
- UAlberta Calendar: Honors in Economics [Arts]
- UAlberta Calendar: Bachelor of Arts and BA Honors requirements
- UAlberta Calendar: BSc Mathematics and Economics subject area
- UAlberta Calendar: Bachelor of Science (Major and Honors)
- UAlberta Calendar: Faculty of Arts admission requirements
- Course titles are from the calendar; course summaries are paraphrased. Unit tallies are planning estimates, and open units also have to cover UAlberta's breadth and writing requirements.