Governments shape daily life and well-being. They provide essential services, such as health care and education. They also seek to regulate human behaviour, for example, to promote competition among firms. As well, they collect taxes, to pay for their operations. This program draws on economic analysis and various disciplines to give you a better understanding of the challenges involved in developing good public policy and why governments sometimes fail to make the right choices. In fourth year, you can carry out an off-campus research project in the public or non-profit sector. What you learn can be applied to labour markets, health care, education, trade, environmental policy and taxation, and other fields.

Career opportunities Economist Policy analyst Program officer Market analyst Industrial or economic development officer