An Associate Degree is equivalent to the first two years of a four-year university degree. Universities in British Columbia will guarantee 60 transfer credits to holders of an Associate Degree.
Students must meet the grade point average (GPA) established by each university for admission. Upon completion, students qualify to apply for a post-graduate work permit in Canada.
Program Overview
- The Associate of Arts Degree in Economics allows students to build a foundation in Microeconomics and Macroeconomics principles. It also prepares students to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Economics or a related field.
- Students will learn about complex real-world questions as well as human behaviour.
- Students will be able to explore various areas in Economics such as microeconomics, macroeconomics, environmental economics, labour economics, as well as money, banking and financial markets
Skills Gained
- Understand the impact of policies, interest rates, productivity, savings, investments, and other economic factors.
- Recognize economic trends and patterns.
- Ability to think critically and apply economic theory to global issues.
- Professional verbal and written communication.
Accelerated Associate Degree: Tri-mester system
- Students benefit from the tri-mester system with intakes in January, May, and September. This means students can take more courses over a 12-month period and can complete an Associate Degree in 16 months or two years.
- Students take a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 5 courses per semester.
- Students who do not wish to accelerate can complete an Associate Degree in 2 years.
Program Curriculum Framework
Must include: All requirements of an Associate of Arts Degree
20 courses (minimum 60 credits) of 1st & 2nd year courses, to include at least 6 courses (minimum 18 credits) in Arts at the 2nd year level, taken in two or more subject areas.
1st Year Courses
| ECON 103 Microeconomics |
| ECON 103 Macroeconomics |
| Two courses in first-year Calculus (either MATH 111 and 112 or MATH 113 and 114 or Math 115 and 116) |
2nd Year Courses
| BUSN 291 Business & Economics Applications of Statistics or MATH 206 Mathematical Statistics |
Choose 3 Courses:
| ECON 290 Canadian Microeconomic Policy |
| ECON 291 Canadian Macroeconomic Policy |
| ECON 240 Money Banking and Financial Markets |
| ECON 260 Environmental Economics |
| ECON 280 Introduction to Labour Economics |
Career Possibilities
Approximately 748,500 job openings in British Columbia within the next 10 years will require some forms of post-secondary education
(British Columbia Labour Market Report Outlook: 2023 Edition, p. 4)
#1 in Canada, B.C. has the highest salary increase for 2023 for all industries compared to all over provinces.
(www.hrreporter.com)
Who Should Apply?
Students Who:
- Have an interest in developing an understanding of the economy and the world around us.
- Wish to learn about complex local, national and international economic issues.