Does University of Victoria give transfer credit for IB Economics HL?
Victoria, BC
Yes, Transfer Credit Available!
Minimum Grade Required
Credit Granted
ECON 103 (1.5 units) and ECON 104 (1.5 units)
💡Expert's Take
IB Economics HL earns real course credit at UVic, two named first-year courses that unlock the entire upper-year economics curriculum. With a score of 4 or higher, students receive both ECON 103 (Principles of Microeconomics) and ECON 104 (Principles of Macroeconomics), totalling 3.0 units.
The strategic value here goes beyond the unit count. ECON 103 and ECON 104 are the gateway prerequisites for all higher-level economics courses at UVic , including ECON 203 (Intermediate Microeconomics I) and ECON 204 (Intermediate Macroeconomics), both required for BA and BSc Economics programs. Students who enter with this credit are eligible to proceed directly into second-year content, allowing earlier access to upper-year coursework and potentially accelerating progress toward specialisation. The minimum score of 4 is also notable: it is UVic's standard floor for HL subjects, lower than the 5 or 6 required for science and language courses in the same guide.
What to watch for:
- The Economics degree requires ECON 103 or ECON 180, transfer credit for ECON 103 satisfies that requirement directly, per the BA Economics program planning worksheet. Students do not need to retake ECON 103 to meet program entry conditions.
- BCom students should confirm applicability with a Gustavson advisor. The IB Transfer Guide awards ECON 103 and 104 broadly, without faculty-specific restrictions. However, the Gustavson School of Business explicitly states that decisions on course applicability are made at its own discretion, and BCom has strict GPA progression thresholds. Students entering the Bachelor of Commerce program should verify with a BCom advisor that IB-credited economics courses satisfy their specific pre-core sequence requirements.
- Diploma vs. individual subject assessment. UVic offers up to one year of transfer credit for full IB Diploma students, but Economics HL credit is granted on a course-by-course basis regardless of whether you complete the full diploma, a score of 4 on the subject alone is sufficient.
UVic posts this credit automatically from your transcript. There is no meaningful scenario where a future Economics student benefits from retaking first-year micro and macro from scratch. Both ECON 103 and ECON 104 are large lecture courses with no unique research or writing component that upper-year instructors expect students to reference, the only thing they gate is access to 200-level prerequisites, and IB credit clears that gate cleanly. Students planning an Economics Major or Minor at UVic should declare their program early and use the freed first-year slots for the calculus and statistics courses (MATH 100/102, ECON 245/STAT 260) that are required in Year 2 anyway.
Official award line (Economics HL):
Minimum score: 4 or higher
Credit granted: ECON 103 (1.5 units) + ECON 104 (1.5 units)
UVic International Baccalaureate Transfer Guide 2026–27 (official PDF)
Need help preparing for IB Economics HL?
Your Potential Savings
Credit Awarded
3.0
UVic units (approx. 6 semester credit hours)
British Columbia Resident
~$218-$297/credit hour
~$1,309 - $1,784
Potential Tuition Value
(Arts and Science to Business)
Out-of-Province
~$218-$297/credit hour
~$1,309 - $1,784
Potential Tuition Value
(Arts and Science to Business)
International
~$1,253-$1,533/credit hour
~$7,515 - $9,197
Potential Tuition Value
(varies by faculty; May 2026 cohort)
*2026-27 tuition-only rates, effective May 2026. Values assume the award replaces tuition you would otherwise pay. Actual cash savings can be $0 under flat-rate or full-time billing unless credit reduces a billed term or time to completion.
📊 Compare Economics HL at Other Universities
See how Economics HL transfer credits compare across Canadian universities. Click column headers to sort.
| University | Min Grade | Credit Granted | Tuition Value | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carleton UniversityOttawa, ON | 5/7 | ECON 1001 + ECON 1002 (1.0 credit) | View estimate | → | |
| Concordia UniversityMontreal, Quebec | 4/7 | 9 transfer credits toward the 120-credit Extended … | View estimate | → | |
| Dalhousie UniversityHalifax, NS | 5/7 | Economics 1101.03 + Economics 1102.03 = 6 credit h… | View estimate | → | |
| Lakehead UniversityThunder Bay, ON | 5/7 | Economics 1100 (1.0 credit) | View estimate | → | |
| McGill UniversityMontreal, QC | 5/7 | ECON 1XX (6 credits) | View estimate | → | |
| McMaster UniversityHamilton, ON | 5/7 | Economics 1B03 and 1BB3 | View estimate | → | |
| Memorial University of NewfoundlandSt. John's, NL | 4/7 | Economics 1010 + 1020 + three unspecified credit h… | View estimate | → | |
| Ontario Tech UniversityOshawa, ON | 5/7 | Transfer credit, grade "T" (unspecified/elective, … | View estimate | → | |
| Queen's UniversityKingston, ON | 5/7 | ECON 110 (6.0 units) | View estimate | → | |
| Simon Fraser UniversityBurnaby, BC | 5/7 | SFU ECON 103 (4), Q/B-Soc; SFU ECON 105 (4), Q/B-S… | View estimate | → | |
| Toronto Metropolitan UniversityToronto, ON | 5/7 | ECN 104 and ECN 204 | View estimate | → | |
| University of AlbertaEdmonton, AB | 6/7 | ECON 101 (3 units) + ECON 102 (3 units) | View estimate | → | |
| University of British ColumbiaVancouver, BC | 5/7 | ECON_V 1st-year level (6 credits) | View estimate | → | |
| University of CalgaryCalgary, Alberta | 5/7 | ECON 201 and ECON 203 | View estimate | → | |
| University of GuelphGuelph, ON | 5/7 | ECON 1050 (0.50 credits) | View estimate | → | |
| University of ManitobaWinnipeg, MB | 4/7 | ECON 1010 Introduction to Microeconomic Principles… | View estimate | → | |
| University of New BrunswickFredericton & Saint John, NB | 5/7 | Saint John: ECON 1013 & ECON 1023 Fredericton: 100… | View estimate | → | |
| University of OttawaOttawa, ON | 5/7 | ECO 1102 + ECO 1104 (6 units) | View estimate | → | |
| University of ReginaRegina, SK | 5/7 | ECON 100 - Introduction to Economic Issues (3 cred… | View estimate | → | |
| University of SaskatchewanSaskatoon, SK | 5/7 | ECON 111.3 + ECON 114.3 = 6 credit units | View estimate | → | |
| University of TorontoToronto, ON | 5/7 | ECO1**Y (1.0 credit) | View estimate | → | |
| University of WaterlooWaterloo, ON | 5/7 | ECON 1XX (0.5 units), elective credit | View estimate | → | |
| University of WindsorWindsor, ON | 5/7 | ECON-1100 + ECON-1110 (Intro to Economics I & II) | View estimate | → | |
| Western UniversityLondon, ON | 5/7 | Economics 1021A + 1022B (1.0 credit) | View estimate | → | |
| York UniversityToronto, ON | 5/7 | AP/ECON 1000 3.0 + AP/ECON 1010 3.0 (6 credits) | View estimate | → |
Tip: Open a university to compare same-province, out-of-province, and international tuition values. Flat-rate or full-time billing can make the immediate cash saving $0.
Taking more than Economics HL?
Add all your IB subjects and predicted scores to estimate your total transfer credit across Canadian universities, side by side.
Other IB Subjects at University of Victoria
Related subjects you might be interested in at University of Victoria
Computer Science HL
Psychology HL
Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches HL
History HL
Mathematics: Applications and Interpretation HL
Data Disclaimer
This information is compiled from University of Victoria official sources and verified community reports. It is NOT a substitute for official academic advising. Always confirm with your advisor before making decisions.
Last updated: July 2026
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Download a PDF of this transfer credit information for Economics HL at University of Victoria.