Specializations
MSc in Business Economics
Students in this specialization develop a thorough grounding in microeconomic theory and econometrics, followed by more applied topics including application to entrepreneurship, industrial organization, competitive strategy and international trade. Graduates will be prepared to pursue PhD studies as well as research-oriented positions in consulting, banking, government and public policy.
Recommended Undergraduate Degrees
- Economics
- Business or Commerce
- Science
- Math
- Statistics
Program Structure and Content
This is a 12-month program beginning in September. Each student is required to complete the following courses and a research project of publishable quality.
Course offerings change from year to year. This sample stream is not reflective of a guaranteed curriculum but is instead an example of what a curriculum could look like in a given year.
With supervisor approval, students can select MGMT specialization courses from other area groups. Electives can be any other MGMT course or a course from another department at the supervisor’s discretion.
Course descriptions are available on the School of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs website. Any non-MGMT courses are linked below.
Sample Business Economics MSc Curriculum
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
| Core | |
| MGMT 801 Research Foundations | Pass/Fail |
| MGMT 898 Major Research Project | Pass/Fail |
| Specialization – MGMT | |
| MGMT 882 Economics of Organizations | 3 |
| MGMT 885 Managerial Economics and Policy Seminar | 3 |
| Electives – Supervisor Approved MGMT or Other Department | |
| ECON 810 Microeconomic Theory (or other elective) | 3 |
| ECON 811 Advanced Microeconomic Theory I (or other elective) | 3 |
| Methods/Related Field | |
| MGMT 988 Applied Statistics and Econometrics | 3 |
| MGMT 890 Econometrics Methods | 3 |
| Total Credits | 18 |
Sample Year 2 PhD Curriculum
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
| Core | |
| MGMT 993 Teaching and Learning in Management and Business | Pass/Fail |
| MGMT 994 Upper Year Research Presentation | Pass/Fail |
| Specialization – MGMT | |
| ECON 852 Quantitative Methods | 3 |
| MGMT 981: Advanced Topics in Managerial Economics | 3 |
| Methods/Related Field | |
| ECON 850 Econometrics I | 3 |
| Total Credits | 9 |
Examples of possible electives from other departments for the Business Economics specialization include:
“The year I completed my undergrad degree, the ‘dot-com’ bubble had burst and Canada’s economy was in a bit of a slump. Many job offers my peers and I received were rescinded. I took some time to travel in Europe and began working at the Queen’s Centre for Enterprise Development (now the Centre for Entrepreneurship, Innovation & Social Impact) upon my return. This experience sparked my interest in academia and research consulting, so I pursued the MSc program as part of the first cohort of the business economics stream. The program gave me the research methodology skills I needed to enter the consulting industry, as well as the confidence and the voice I needed to succeed.”
Vice President
Innovative Research Group
Toronto, Ont.