Elective Courses

As a BComm student, you are required to complete electives as part of your degree program. Elective courses are taken over and above the courses that are specific to your major. Note that you cannot double count a course as both a major requirement and an elective.

There are two different types of electives; Free Electives and Liberal Education Electives. There is a third type called Restricted Electives, but they are specific to your major.

Free Electives

As the name implies, you are free to take courses that are of interest to you. They can be from any year level and any subject area. There are some conditions though -- first year students are advised to choose courses that are offered at the first year, 1000 level. Some courses may also have restrictions or prerequisites that you need to satisfy before you can register for the course. The number of free electives you need to complete is determined by your major.

Liberal Education Electives

The same as above, but with two important additions;
** All B.Comm students must complete 1.5 credits (3 courses) of Liberal Education Electives before they can graduate.
** Courses that start with the following prefixes cannot be used to satisfy the Liberal Education Requirement:

• ACCT Accounting
• BUS Business
• ECON Economics
• FIN Finance
• FARE Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics
• HROB Human Resources and Organizational Behaviour
• HTM Hospitality and Tourism Management
• MGMT Management
• MCS Marketing and Consumer Studies
• REAL Real Estate and Housing
• SPMT Sport and Event Management

The Liberal Education Requirement is designed to expose you to disciplines outside of business. It includes the Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences, and the Mathematical & Natural Sciences.

When your schedule of Studies indicates that you are to take an elective, e.g. “Semester 4 – Winter...1.0 electives”, it is referring to either a Free or Liberal Education Elective.

Restricted Electives

Most, but not all BComm majors have these. If your major requires them, you will be given a list from which to choose. The number of restricted electives you need to complete is determined by your major and will be specified in your Schedule of Studies.

Elective FAQs

Where do I find a list of Electives?

The Course Descriptions section for the Undergraduate Calendar. This is a listing of all courses offered by the University. The courses are grouped by subject area so you will need to click on the subject to see a list of the courses that are offered. They are also listed in ascending order, so 1st year courses are listed first.

Is there a recommended elective that Business students should take?

Not really. Electives are about exploring your interests. What intrigues you? What would you like to know more about?

You are encouraged to use your electives as an opportunity to explore your interests in areas other than business. Your career path may change, so the broader your knowledge base, the better your opportunities will be. That’s why electives are important!

Choosing an elective is a personal choice so BComm Program Counsellors do not recommend specific courses. Regardless of which elective you choose, it is important to spend as much time on your electives as you do on your required courses—there are no “easy” electives!

Can I use Electives towards a minor or certificate?

Yes. Free and Liberal Education electives can be used towards a minor or certificate. There are some conditions, so be sure to read over Changing Majors and Adding Minors for details.

I tried to add an elective and WebAdvisor says that it is 'restricted'. What does that mean?

In most cases, this is a Priority Access restriction. During the course selection period, some courses are restricted to specific students. For example, the Psychology department gives priority (first access) to students with a Psychology specialization before opening spots up to other students. To determine if a course is Priority Access, you can view the Restrictions in the Course Description section of the calendar. By looking here first, you can select electives that are free from restrictions.

Priority Access may be temporary, so depending upon availability, the department may lift the restriction later during the course selection period. If you want to know if a course will become available, you will need to contact the Department that offers the course directly at Undergraduate Course Waiver Contacts.