Universities / University of Toronto (St. George)
Economics at UofT, five ways
UofT degrees are 20 credits, and a typical one-term course is 0.5 credits. A half-year (H) course is 0.5 credit and a full-year (Y) course is 1.0; credits were formerly called FCEs. Every figure below is given in UofT'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 Specialist | Economics Major | Financial Economics Specialist | Economics and Mathematics Specialist | Finance and Economics Specialist (Rotman Commerce) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Degree | HBA | HBA | HBSc | HBSc | BCom |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts & Science (Arts program) | Faculty of Arts & Science (Arts program) | Faculty of Arts & Science (Science program) | Faculty of Arts & Science (Science program) | Rotman Commerce (Faculty of Arts & Science) |
| Total credits | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 |
| How you get in | Enrol in the Economics Major first; apply for the Specialist after second year with at least 70% in ECO206Y1, ECO208Y1 and ECO220Y1 (or ECO227Y1, or STA257H1 + STA261H1). | Request after 4.0 credits with ECO101H1 and ECO102H1 at 63% (or ECO105Y1 at 80%) and calculus at 55–63% depending on the course. | Enrol in the Economics Major first; apply after second year with at least 80% in ECO206Y1, ECO208Y1 and ECO227Y1 (or STA257H1 + STA261H1). Limited enrolment: 80% is the floor, not a guarantee. | Enrol in the Economics Major or Mathematics Major first; apply with at least 70% in ECO206Y1 and ECO208Y1 and 60% in proof-based calculus (MAT137Y1, MAT148/149, MAT157Y1 or MAT158/159). | Admitted to Rotman Commerce from high school (guaranteed once RSM100H1 at 67%, ECO101H1/ECO102H1 at 63% and calculus are met within 12 months), or apply after first year with at least a 73% average in those courses plus a supplemental application (late April or May); required courses must be completed by May 1. |
| GPA to continue | — | — | — | — | — |
| GPA to graduate | 1.85 Entry is by course grades (70%), not GPA | 1.85 | 1.85 Entry needs 80% in each second-year core course | 1.85 Entry is by course grades, not GPA | 1.85 |
| Math & computing (credits, % of degree) | 1 (5%) | 1 (5%) | 1 (5%) | 6 (30%) | 1 (5%) |
| Statistics & econometrics (credits, % of degree) | 1.5 (8%) | 1 (5%) | 1.5 (8%) | 1.5 (8%) | 1 (5%) |
| Economic theory & topics (credits, % of degree) | 9.5 (48%) | 5 (25%) | 8.5 (43%) | 5.5 (28%) | 5.5 (28%) |
| Business & finance (credits, % of degree) | — | — | 2 (10%) | — | 8 (40%) |
| Open credits | 8 (40%) | 13 (65%) | 7 (35%) | 7 (35%) | 4.5 (23%) |
| Best suited to | Graduate school in economics, policy analysis, research roles. | Pairing economics with a second major; law, business, public policy. | Asset management, banking, quantitative finance, finance graduate programs. | PhD-track economics, economic theory, quantitative research. | Corporate finance, investment banking, asset management; business careers with strong economics. |
| 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 & Science, or the Rotman Commerce admission category for the BCom
When the program is declared
4.0 credits, with minimum grades in first-year ECO and calculus
Worth knowing
All Economics programs are limited enrolment. The Economics specialists are entered after second year from the Economics Major (Economics and Mathematics also from the Mathematics Major).
Things worth knowing before choosing
A major is not a whole degree
An Honours BA or BSc needs one specialist, two majors, or a major plus two minors. The Economics Major alone covers 7.0 of 20.0 credits; the open credits must include that second program.
Second-year course choice decides the specialist
The Economics specialists are entered from a major using grades in ECO206Y1 and ECO208Y1. Taking the easier ECO200Y1/ECO202Y1 closes that door, and ECO206/208 themselves need 70% in ECO101/102.
Financial Economics needs 80s, and not ECO220
Entry requires at least 80% in ECO206Y1, ECO208Y1 and ECO227Y1 (or STA257/261). ECO220Y1, the usual stats course, does not count, so the choice is made in second year.
Commerce calculus closes the specialists
MAT133Y1 is accepted for the major and the Rotman BCom but not for any Economics specialist. Economics and Mathematics needs proof-based calculus (MAT137, 148/149, 157 or 158/159) at 60%.
An optional data analytics focus
Majors and Economics Specialists can add a Focus in Data Analytics. Specialists take ECO372H1, ECO374H1, ECO475H1, ECO489H1, 2.5 credits of data-heavy ECO electives and 0.5 credit of programming (5.0 credits), mostly inside their electives. Majors take ECO372H1, ECO489H1, 1.5 credits of listed electives and programming (3.0 credits), which needs 0.5 credit of ECO beyond the major as well as the programming course.
Internships are a stream, not a separate program
Students in the Economics Major and all three Economics specialists can request the Arts & Science Internship Program (ASIP) stream, after first or second year.
Economics + another subject: 4 ways to combine them
At UofT the degree, not the program, is the unit. These are the standard ways economics fits into a 20.0-credit Honours degree.
| Attribute | Economics Specialist alone | Economics Major + a second major | Economics Major + two minors | Economics Minor + another specialist |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economics side | Specialist: 12.0 credits | Major: 7.0 credits | Major: 7.0 credits | Minor: 4.0 credits |
| Other side | None required | Another major, typically 6.0–8.0 credits | Two minors, about 4.0 credits each | A specialist in another field |
| Room left | 8.0 open credits | About 5.0–7.0 credits | About 5.0 credits | Depends on the specialist |
| Entry hurdle | 70% in second-year core | Each department’s entry rules | Lowest | The other program’s |
| Best for | Depth in economics; grad school | Economics with psychology, political science, statistics or math | Breadth across several fields | Economics as a complement to another discipline |
A combination must include at least 12.0 different credits, so overlapping courses can only count once toward that total.
Students enrol in one to three programs (no more than two of them majors or specialists) in the session in which they pass 4.0 credits.
Sources
- Arts & Science Calendar 2026-27: Economics programs and courses
- Arts & Science Calendar: HBA/HBSc degree requirements
- Arts & Science Calendar 2026-27: Rotman Commerce
- Department of Economics: undergraduate programs
- Course titles are from the calendar; course summaries are paraphrased. Unit tallies are planning estimates, and open units also have to cover UofT's breadth and writing requirements.