July 30th, 2023 at 02:26 am
Best Canadian Universities for Programs in Accounting, Economics, and Finance
As an international student, a Canadian university degree in economics, finance, or accounting can open new career paths, fast-track your finance career, or prepare you for higher education.
Master’s programs in economics, finance, and accounting require an undergraduate degree, but you can enter undergraduate programs in these fields right after high school. International students are accepted by many Canadian universities, but they have different fees and eligibility requirements than domestic students.
This resource lists some of Canada’s top finance, economics, and accounting universities for prospective students. This article will also cover graduate and undergraduate programs, international student tuition, and admission requirements.
Finance, Economics, and Accounting Admission Requirements
Finance, Economics, and Accounting Undergraduate Programs
To get a bachelor’s degree in finance, economics, or accounting in Canada, you need a high-school equivalent diploma from your home country with a good score or GPA. Economics, finance, and accounting bachelor’s programs may require high school math or calculus.
University undergraduate programs are competitive, so high school grades matter. IELTS or TOEFL scores are usually required for international students who don’t speak English or didn’t study it in high school.
Many schools will interview applicants who meet program requirements if they are shortlisted. Some Canadian universities favor shortlisted students with strong extracurricular records, such as sports or volunteerism.
Finance, Economics, and Accounting Graduate Programs
To get a master’s degree in finance, economics, or accounting in Canada, you need a four-year undergraduate degree with a related specialization. To get into a good university, you need at least a 3.0 GPA, or 70–75% average, in your last two years of undergrad.
Canadian universities may require undergraduate calculus, microeconomics, macroeconomics, and statistics courses for graduate economics programs. You may also need a minimum GRE score to qualify.
Many graduate finance programs require several years of relevant work experience. GRE, GMAT, or CFA level II scores are required.
Graduate accounting programs require a Canadian undergraduate accounting degree or diploma for international students. International students can enter York University’s master’s second term with a Canadian diploma. Other universities require accounting, auditing, Canadian taxation, and finance.
Most graduate programs also consider grades, essays, references, and interviews (if shortlisted). All English-taught graduate programs require English proficiency. If your undergraduate program was in another language, score well on IELTS or TOEFL.
Top Canadian finance, economics, and accounting universities
Canada has world-class finance, economics, and accounting universities. Some Canadian learning institutions in the QS World University Rankings 2022 for these programs are listed here.
Please note that graduate programs are typically one or two years (some are shorter) and that the tuition fees below are for the full degree. Undergraduate degrees usually take four years to complete, and the tuition fees below are per year.
1. University of Toronto, Ontario
Programs offered
- Graduate programs: Two-year Master of Finance, ten-month Master of Financial Risk Management, 16-month Master of Accounting and Finance, eight-month MA in Economics, 24-month Master of Management and Professional Accounting, one-year Mathematical Finance.
- Undergraduate programs: Four-year Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) with a specialization in Accounting or Finance and Economics, BA in Economics, BSc in Economics and Mathematics, Financial Economics, and Mathematical Applications in Economics and Finance. Unlike BCom and BA programs, BSc programs emphasize research.
International Tuition Fees:
- Depending on the program, international students pay $55,280 CAD to $126,740 CAD for master’s programs.
- International bachelor’s program fees change annually. First-year tuition is $60,510 CAD for 2023-24 students.
2. University of British Columbia, Vancouver
Programs offered
- Two-year MSc in Business Administration in Finance (MSCB), one-year MA in Economics.
- BCom with Accounting or Finance, BA or BSc in Economics, Bachelor of International Economics.
International Tuition Fees:
- The two-year MSCB program costs $19,000 CAD, while the MA in Economics costs $26,906 CAD internationally.
- International bachelor’s student tuition is $44,091–$55,384 CAD.
3. McGill University, Montreal, Quebec
Programs offered
- One-year MA in Economics and MMF.
- BCom in Economics, Finance, or Accounting, BCom Honours in Economics, BCom with Joint Honours in Economics, Accounting, or Finance, BA Honours in Economics.
International Tuition Fees:
- International Winter 2023 MMF students pay $27,570.27 CAD.
- International students who choose a thesis or non-thesis MA program pay $9,577.35 or $13,505.70 CAD for tuition.
- BCom and BA international student tuition is $63,693 and $31,500.50 CAD, respectively.
4. University of Alberta, Edmonton
Programs offered
- MA in Economics, MA in Economics and Finance, two-year Master of Accounting, Master of Financial Management.
- Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting, Business Economics and Law, or Finance, Bachelor of Arts in Economics.
International Tuition Fees:
- Master of Accounting tuition is $51,408 CAD.
- Course-based or thesis-based MA programs vary in cost. Thesis-based MA programs cost $8,874 CAD annually.
- International BA students pay $127,581 CAD for four years.
- BCom tuition is $151,368 CAD.
5. Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario
Programs offered
- One-year MA in Economics, one-year Master of Finance, and 13-week Graduate Diploma in Accounting.
- Economics Honours BA.
International Tuition Fees:
- International MA tuition is $12,927 CAD.
- Master of Finance tuition is $71,495 CAD.
- International graduate diploma in accounting students pays $16,500 CAD.
- Arts undergraduates pay $53,471.10 CAD for 30 credits.
6. University of Waterloo, Ontario
Programs offered
- MA in Economics (co-op option), MQF.
- Economics BA, BAFM.
International Tuition Fees:
- International MA students pay $7,254 per term for two terms. Co-op programs require two to three extra terms.
- International MQF students pay $5,668 CAD per term.
- The four-year BAFM has multiple co-op terms. The full program costs $183,143 CAD.
- Other BA programs cost $53,456–$66,482.82 per year.
7. Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec
Programs offered
- MSc in Economic Sciences, MSc in Mathematics and Computational Finance (French only)
- French-language BSc in Economics and Finance programs.
International Tuition Fees:
- Graduate tuition averages $28,731.60 CAD.
- Undergraduate international student tuition averages $25,567.80 CAD.
8. Western University, London, Ontario
Programs offered
- Graduate programs: One-year MA in Economics, sixteen-month Master of Financial Economics, Graduate Diploma in Accounting.
- Undergraduate programs: Four-year Honours specialization in Economics or Global Economics, BMOS with Honours specialization in Accounting or Finance.
International Tuition Fees:
- MA Economics costs $23,350.29 CAD. This program qualifies students for the PhD program if they average 85%.
- International Master of Financial Economics students pay $60,331.29 CAD.
- The one-term Graduate Diploma in Accounting costs $16,000 CAD.
- International undergraduate student tuition averages $136,980 CAD for four years.
9. York University, Toronto, Ontario
Programs offered
- Graduate programs: One-year Master of Finance (MF), 12–16-month Master of Accounting (MAcc), one-year MA in Economics.
- Undergraduate programs: BA in Business Economics, Economics, Financial and Business Economics, BCom with Finance specialization.
International Tuition Fees:
- MAcc costs $58,056.54 CAD. International students who have not completed their undergrad in Canada must first complete an eight-month Diploma in Intermediate Accounting (DIAc) with a B-average to enter the MAcc program in Term 2.
- The full MF and MA programs cost $82,691.55 and $18,825 CAD, respectively.
- For 30 credits, BA tuition is $33,791 CAD.
- International students pay $35,997 CAD for BCom (30 credits).
Final Words
Canada is a top study destination due to its world-class programs in every field and high-quality education. A Canadian university degree in finance, economics, or accounting will prepare you for your career and set you up for success.
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