Business

For students looking for high earning potential and broad career possibilities, a business degree is a wise choice. Graduates may find themselves working in fields far beyond those filled with suits, ties and office cubicles, though. Industries like music, hospitality, real estate, health care and sports management all benefit from business brains. Graduates of business programs are also highly sought after by non-profits and non-governmental organizations. 

It’s no wonder that more than 258,000 university and 218,000 college students across Canada—a little over 20 per cent of the entire post-secondary student body—entered into business, public administration and management programs in the 2023–24 school year. Recent decades have also seen the exponential growth of MBA programs, largely populated by mid-career workers who want to enhance their skills. 

While business programs provide training in basics like accounting, finance, human resources and marketing, they also keep up with current trends. Today’s programs offer courses on practical integration of artificial intelligence into core business functions, data-driven decision-making and the ethics of AI, for example. Offerings have expanded to focus on managerial competence, by placing importance on soft skills like communication, networking and teamwork, which business leaders recognize as just as important as proficiency with numbers and organizational charts. Business programs often include collaborative projects that hone these skills—which are applicable even if students land somewhere far from traditional business. These skills will also be useful if the student decides to pursue further education, such as law school, grad schools or med school. 

The admission requirements for most business programs consist of Grade 12 English and at least one math credit, although specifics vary. Getting into a top-tier business school is competitive, and students often require high grade averages. Many programs also ask for supplemental information, where students can highlight leadership experience, business-adjacent extracurriculars and volunteer work. 

Before choosing the kind of business degree they want to pursue, students should think about what they want to do when they graduate. If they plan to start their own business, a program that focuses on entrepreneurship is a smart move. If they’re strong in math or want to work for an accounting firm or at a bank, a school that specializes in finance or commerce would be a good fit. 

First-year programming typically exposes students to different aspects of the business world, like marketing, accounting, strategy and HR. In later years, students can tailor their specialty to fields like sales, sports marketing or non-profit strategy. Programs that offer a co-op component—where students get eight to 16 months of paid work experience before they graduate—are a popular option for people who are eager to kickstart their networking opportunities and develop real-world skills. 

Business programs often let students combine majors and minors across different programs, opening up multiple career pathways. For example, aspiring marketers might choose to minor in psychology, a combination that gives them unique insights into human behaviour. Whether they end up being self-employed or climbing the corporate ladder, business grads all benefit enormously from the career centres and networking opportunities available within these programs.

Standout Business Programs

Our standout programs are based on research by our team of journalists who speak to industry experts, educational consultants and others to develop a selection of programs worth considering. This is not a ranked list.

University of Toronto

Degree: Bachelor of commerce
Co-op: No

Students at Rotman Commerce are just minutes away from Bay Street in downtown Toronto, offering opportunities to network and engage with some of Canada’s top business leaders and organizations. Students take a range of courses in first year and, by year two, choose one of three specialist areas: management, accounting or finance and economics. Students may choose to do a semester or summer abroad at one of 130 exchange partner institutions.

University of British Columbia

Degree: Bachelor of commerce
Co-op: Yes

At the Sauder School of Business, first-year students take all their courses with a cohort of 25 to 30 peers, fostering meaningful connections. Students can also take part in unique opportunities, like a concentration in sustainability and social impact and the chance to study global supply chain and logistics management in China and Denmark. According to the school, more than half of grads
are hired for full-time jobs by their co-op employer.

Western University

Degree: Bachelor of business administration
Co-op: No

Western’s Ivey Business School takes a unique approach to undergraduate education. Students can apply and get accepted in high school, but spend the first two years in a faculty of their choosing before joining the honours business administration program for years three and four. (Entry hinges on meeting certain academic requirements.) Students can also apply after they’ve begun their studies at Western. This approach keeps classes small: the entire yearly cohort is only around 75 people. Students study and move through the two-year program together, learning about subjects like accounting, marketing and operations largely by analyzing real-world case studies.se studies.

Queen’s University

Degree: Bachelor of commerce
Co-op: No

In addition to getting a well-regarded education, students at the Smith School of Business have the opportunity to take part in the Commerce Society, Canada’s oldest undergraduate business society. Other offerings include a certificate in social impact; double degrees with universities in China, France and Austria; dual degrees with the faculty of arts and science at Queen’s; and a six-year program where successful candidates gain a B.Com. and a J.D. from Queen’s Law. 

University of Guelph

Degree: Bachelor of commerce
Co-op: Yes

The Gordon S. Lang School of Business and Economics offers a unique set of majors far beyond the typical accounting, marketing and finance. Students can study real estate, food and agricultural business, sport and event management, and hospitality and tourism management. Minors are available in areas such as entrepreneurship, international business and sustainable business. 

Université de Montréal

Degree: Bachelor of business administration
Co-op: No

Students at the HEC Montréal school of business have the opportunity to study in English or French and can choose from 15 specializations, such as international business, entrepreneurial finance and project management and logistics. With the added possibility of studying abroad and participating in up to three paid internships, either in Quebec or abroad, HEC Montréal students are well-prepared for the global business market.