B.ECON Honours in Economics
Hear about the B.ECON program from Professor Hashmat Khan, former Chair of the Department of Economics:
{Video Production by: Jeff Poissant, FPGA}
B.ECON Honours’ Offerings 
Economics is relevant to almost every aspect of our lives. At its core, it is the study of decision-making in the face of scarce resources and competing interests. The need to make these prudent choices pervades our day-to-day lives – as individuals, as a community, and as a society.
Economics provides causal insights into important social issues such as:
- Health Care
- Protecting the environment
- Reducing inequality, and the design of social programs and tax systems
While education in economics is relevant for business or management, its scope and rigour are much broader. Economics is a social science; as an intellectual discipline, economics seeks to measure, analyze, and understand a wide range of social phenomena using a rich set of technical tools and methods.
Professional and Academic Development
The focus of an education in economics is on intellectual growth and development. It fosters critical thinking which is one of the most valued skills for Canadian employers. This is also reflected in higher salaries and wages for economists in the job market relative to many other disciplines. It can also provide a unique leadership edge in your career.
Further, technical knowledge gained through the study of economics is portable and highly valued by employers in many areas including:
- The banking and financial sectors
- Development
- Labour Relations
- International Trade
- Entrepreneurship
- Corporate and climate finance
The Department offers a variety of undergraduate programs. An overview of each is provided under the first seven sub-headings of this section of our website. A general overview of undergraduate economics at Carleton is provided in our recruitment brochure found here.
Faculty Quote:
Professor Hashmat Khan, Department of Economics
“The work of an economist is in many ways like that of a detective. With our economics lens in hand, we look for clues in the data, and mixed with some creative thinking and critical reasoning, uncover the underlying causes of some seemingly odd outcomes that we observe around us. The availability of bigger and more detailed datasets and “super-super” computers has added great optimism about solving the major challenges of the 21st century like global inequality and hunger, economic development through empowerment of women, education, health, immigration, and climate change.”
Student Quote:
Frohan Foroutan
“One of the best things about studying Economics at Carleton is that the professors have so many contacts in the field. The department hosts events throughout the year featuring world-class guest lecturers talking about current economics issues. They help connect real world situations to the theories learned in class.”
Carleton’s Capital Advantage
Carleton’s location in the nation’s capital, Ottawa, gives you unique access to a wide range of resources in the public service. You will benefit from a wealth of research facilities and libraries in the city as well as the departments and agencies of the federal government, including: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Bank of Canada, Competition Bureau, Environment Canada, Finance Canada (Department of Finance), Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada, Health Canada, and Industry Canada.
Learn more about our Capital Advantage
Aggregate data on the career paths of many of our graduates can be found on the “Career Paths of FPGA Bachelor’s Grads” page of the Faculty of Public and Global Affairs (FPGA) Web site.
Earnings Now—and Later
To see previous CO-OP placements, visit the CO-OP page.
From the American Economic Association and Bureau of Labor Statistics:
Helpful Resources
Undergraduate Program Advising and Course Queries:
Sean Hall, Undergraduate Administrator
Professor Radovan Vadovič, Undergraduate Supervisor