Government, Economics and Management (GEM)
Department of Economics and Finance, Gordon S. Lang School of Business and Economics
The Government, Economics and Management major is designed to lead to an understanding of public sector administration and management from the "inside" - as an integrated enterprise - as well as from the outside - as a series of policy decisions and outcomes. Characterized by a multi-disciplinary approach employing political, economic and business-oriented analysis, students will confront questions of why politicians and public servants behave the way they do, and how their policy choices and processes can be optimized. Management of public entities features a unique set of challenges that arise from and interact with basic political issues like democracy, accountability, equity, fairness, and justice. At the same time, it necessarily faces concerns common to all organizations, such as efficiency, human and capital resource management, morale, planning, and adaptation to change.
The major will appeal to students interested in the public service, public sector businesses or business-government relations.
Students enrolled in the GEM major can choose to complete three of the five required courses for the Certificate in Leadership as part of their requirements for the major if they choose the appropriate restricted electives. See http://www.leadershipcertificate.com/ for information regarding this Certificate and its course requirements.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the Bachelor of Commerce program, graduates will be able to:
- Demonstrate the ability to think critically by identifying, evaluating and integrating relevant information from a variety of sources to solve complex business problems
- Demonstrate an ability to work effectively in teams, through the application of appropriate knowledge and skills such as responsible decision-making and personal accountability
- Identify and professionally respond to team issues and develop a new approach to enhance team performance
- Discuss and apply principles of corporate social responsibility to business issues and operations.
- Communicate effectively in a business context through written documents to a variety of audiences
- Communicate effectively in a business context through oral communication to a variety of audiences
- Demonstrate competency and understanding of core business knowledge and concepts.
- Demonstrate proficiency in the ability to integrate knowledge and understanding within specific majors through analysis and recommendation of solutions to ‘major specific’ business problems and business decision-making.
Government, Economics and Management major graduates will also be able to:
- Understand political culture and institutions and how they relate to private and public sector entities.
- Understand the policy making process and how government is organized to deliver programs and services to Canadians.
- Learn basic problem-solving techniques using tools acquired in microeconomics. This includes, for example, techniques to calculate tax rates, determine dead weight losses of government policies, fiscal equalization payments under Canada's federal system.
- Apply the principles learned in this course to critically examine economic policies like Ontario Harmonized Sales Tax, why it was implemented; the rationale for HST refunds, etc.
Degree Requirements
(20.00 Total Credits)
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Required Core Courses | 12.50 | |
Restricted Electives (from lists) | 4.50 | |
MGMT*1100 | Business Career Preparation | 0.00 |
Liberal Education Electives | 1.50 | |
Free Electives | 1.50 | |
Total Credits | 20 |
Major
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Semester 1 | ||
ECON*1050 | Introductory Microeconomics | 0.50 |
MATH*1030 | Business Mathematics | 0.50 |
MCS*1000 | Introductory Marketing | 0.50 |
MGMT*1000 | Introduction to Business | 1.00 |
Semester 2 | ||
ECON*1100 | Introductory Macroeconomics | 0.50 |
HROB*2090 | Individuals and Groups in Organizations | 0.50 |
POLS*2230 | Public Policy | 0.50 |
POLS*2300 | Canadian Government and Politics | 0.50 |
0.50 electives | 0.50 | |
Semester 3 | ||
ACCT*1220 | Introductory Financial Accounting | 0.50 |
ECON*2310 | Intermediate Microeconomics | 0.50 |
ECON*2740 | Economic Statistics | 0.50 |
POLS*3250 | Public Policy: Challenges and Prospects | 0.50 |
Select 0.50 credits from the following: | ||
ECON*2100 | Economic Growth and Environmental Quality | 0.50 |
ECON*2650 | Introductory Development Economics | 0.50 |
ECON*2720 | Business History | 0.50 |
Semester 4 | ||
ACCT*2230 | Management Accounting | 0.50 |
ECON*2410 | Intermediate Macroeconomics | 0.50 |
MGMT*1100 | Business Career Preparation | 0.00 |
POLS*2250 | Public Administration and Governance | 0.50 |
0.50 electives | 0.50 | |
Select 0.50 credits from the following: | ||
PHIL*2120 | Ethics | 0.50 |
PHIL*2600 | Business and Professional Ethics | 0.50 |
PHIL*3040 | Philosophy of Law 1 | 0.50 |
Semester 5 | ||
FARE*3310 | Operations Management | 0.50 |
FIN*2000 | Introduction to Finance | 0.50 |
MCS*3040 | Business and Consumer Law | 0.50 |
or REAL*4840 | Housing and Real Estate Law | |
MGMT*3320 | Financial Management | 0.50 |
0.50 electives | 0.50 | |
Semester 6 | ||
ECON*3610 | Public Economics | 0.50 |
MCS*2020 | Information Management | 0.50 |
0.50 credits at the 3000 level in Economics | 0.50 | |
0.50 electives | 0.50 | |
Select 0.50 credits from the following: | ||
POLS*3210 | The Constitution and Canadian Federalism | 0.50 |
POLS*3130 | Law, Politics and Judicial Process | 0.50 |
POLS*3270 | Local Government in Ontario | 0.50 |
POLS*3670 | Comparative Public Policy | 0.50 |
Semester 7 | ||
MGMT*3020 | Corporate Social Responsibility | 0.50 |
POLS*3470 | Business-Government Relations in Canada | 0.50 |
0.50 credits at the 3000 level in Economics | 0.50 | |
0.50 electives 2 | 0.50 | |
Select one of the following: 3 | ||
0.50 credits at the 3000 or 4000 level in Economics or Political Science | 0.50 | |
POLS*4160 | Multi-Level Governance in Canada | 1.00 |
POLS*4250 | Topics in Public Management | 1.00 |
POLS*4270 | Advanced Lecture in Public Management | 0.50 |
POLS*4970 | Honours Political Science Research I | 0.50 |
Semester 8 | ||
ECON*4400 | Managerial Economics | 0.50 |
MGMT*4000 | Strategic Management | 0.50 |
0.50 electives 2 | 0.50 | |
Select one of the following: 3 | ||
0.50 credits at the 4000 level in Economics | 0.50 | |
POLS*4160 | Multi-Level Governance in Canada | 1.00 |
POLS*4250 | Topics in Public Management | 1.00 |
POLS*4980 | Honours Political Science Research II | 0.50 |
Select 0.50 credits from the following: | ||
POLS*3130 | Law, Politics and Judicial Process | 0.50 |
POLS*3210 | The Constitution and Canadian Federalism | 0.50 |
POLS*3270 | Local Government in Ontario | 0.50 |
POLS*3670 | Comparative Public Policy | 0.50 |
- 1
This course may be offered in the fall and can be taken later in the program
- 2
The number of electives will change if a 1.00 credit POLS course is taken in semester 7 or 8
- 3
If a 1.00 credit POLS is taken in either semester 7 or 8 this will meet the restricted elective requirement for both semesters POLS*4250 Topics in Public Management is recommended