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Department of Economics

Welcome to the Department of Economics!

The Department of Economics offers several challenging academic programs and is home to a vibrant group of professors whose research touches on a wide range of issues.  Experiential learning through co-op and unique directed research courses are a hallmark of our undergraduate programs, which also offer students an opportunity to develop their skills in both of Canada’s official languages.  Our MA and PhD programs prepare students for a variety of careers in the public and private sectors.  Our professors are engaged in research on topics including philanthropy, carbon taxes, pollution, the behaviour of NGOs, the effects of minimum wages, health inequalities, mergers, property rights and environmental regulation, strategic behavior, affirmative action and employment, social networks, indigenous issues, terrorism, research transparency, trade policy, inflation, and climate policy. Learn more about the department.

Why the Department of Economics?

Among the phenomena that influence our society, those related to the economy attract much attention. Unemployment, inflation, interest rates, exchange rates, jobs, productivity, investment are terms encountered daily in the media. It is not always easy to unravel the mass of information which is conveyed.

Economics is the discipline that seeks to understand such phenomena and analyze the relationships between them. More precisely, economics examines how a country's resources are used to fulfill the needs of its citizens. It is concerned with the production, distribution and consumption of goods and services.

Economics is divided into two interrelated branches. Macroeconomics deals with the economy as a whole and examines the factors that determine the production, employment and price levels in a country. Microeconomics deals with the behaviour of individual economic agents and studies, among other things, how prices are determined in a given market. Be inspired!

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Bank of Canada build, author Bank of Canada: https://www.flickr.com/photos/bankofcanada/

ECO 4195 The Art and Science of Monetary Policy-Making in Canada

The course provides an experiential learning perspective on how monetary policy is conducted at the Bank of Canada. Students will prepare to play the role of advisors to the Bank’s Governing Council and participate in the Governor’s Challenge, a nation-wide university competition. By the end of the course, students will enhance their knowledge of advanced macroeconomic theory and develop a greater understanding of the Canadian economy. Students will also improve their analytical, teamwork, presentation and public speaking skills.
Learn more about the ECO 4195 course
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Student voices

“Economics helps me understand how the world works. It is complex, ever evolving and it has always fascinated me.”

Stephanie Renaud, student

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PhD job market candidates

The Department of Economics has a dynamic group of professors and graduate students who are actively engaged in research.
Contact Department of Economics job-market candidates

Contact us

Department of Economics

Faculty of Social Sciences
Social Sciences Building
120 University Private, Room 9005
Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5
Canada (map)

Tel.: 613-562-5753
[email protected]

Office hours

Monday to Friday 
8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. & 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
(June to August: closed at 3:30 p.m.)

Note

Please note our services and our personnel are available by MS Teams and by email.

The Social Sciences (FSS) and Vanier (VNR) buildings are open open seven days a week from 6:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Indigenous Affirmation

We pay respect to the Algonquin people, who are the traditional guardians of this land. We acknowledge their longstanding relationship with this territory, which remains unceded. 

We pay respect to all Indigenous people in this region, from all nations across Canada, who call Ottawa home. 

We acknowledge the traditional knowledge keepers, both young and old. And we honour their courageous leaders: past, present, and future. 

Learn more about the Indigenous Affirmation.