Skip to main content

ECON at Ontario Tech

This program is offered in collaboration with the Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) program in the Faculty of Business and Information Technology (FBIT)

The Economics specialization at Ontario Tech is distinguished by its focus on real-world analysis and engagement with a range of theoretical frameworks. While many economics programs depart from a single theory that prioritizes highly technical models and extensive calculus-based training, our program draws on multiple traditions and examines how economies are shaped by history, institutions, power relations, and social structures. Students still develop strong analytical and research skills, but the emphasis is placed on applying economic concepts to contemporary global challenges, rather than mathematical abstraction. As a result, advanced mathematics is not required for admission or completion of the program.

This approach makes our specialized economics program accessible to students from diverse academic backgrounds while providing a rigorous and intellectually challenging education that values adaptable thinking as well as technical competence. Students will learn to combine quantitative analysis with critical thinking, evaluate competing explanations, navigate uncertainty, work with real-world data, and challenge conventional assumptions. They will also learn to analyze markets and policy and to understand the broader social forces shaping economic life. In a world defined by climate change, technological disruption, financial instability, and growing inequality, solving complex problems requires more than just technical formulas and abstract models.

The Economics program at Ontario Tech University is organized around five core areas of study designed to develop both academic expertise and career-ready skills:

  • Applied economics (policy, social research, business)
  • Economic history
  • Economic theory
  • Core economic fundamentals
  • Research methods and analysis

A co-op option is available with governmental agencies as well as various private sector and non-governmental organizations. Economics students at Ontario Tech also have opportunities for academic exchange.