The Role of Economics in Canadian Undergraduate Business Education

Abstract

The authors analyzed curricula from all 61 Canadian undergraduate business programs and found that business schools that contain economics departments, business schools with higher mathematics and statistics requirements, and business schools that have received Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business accreditation are more likely to require additional economics courses beyond the standard introductory level microeconomics and macroeconomics. Among those schools that require one or more additional economics courses, managerial economics is the preferred requirement. The authors also found that many specialized business programs, such as human resources, finance, and international management, include either required or optional economics courses beyond those already required in the school's general business degree program. Based on the findings, the authors make recommendations for business school curriculum development.