Economics HL

Expert's Insight: McGill grants 6 credits for Economics HL, and while they count toward your degree, they are essentially 'Ghost Credits' for the Economics Department. The Reality: These credits cover the prerequisites (Intro Micro/Macro), but they count for zero credits toward the actual Major (0/36) or Minor (0/18). You cannot use them to skip any of the required theory courses. The 'D' Course Trap: Because you are skipping the intro, you land directly in ECON 230D (Microeconomic Theory). The Danger: The 'D' stands for 'Double Term' (Sept–April). It is a full-year commitment. If you struggle and drop it in January, you lose the entire year. There is no 'Winter restart.' The Skill Gap: IB Economics was about graphs and concepts; ECON 230D is about Calculus and Proofs. You need to be fluent in derivatives (Calculus 1) on Day 1. If you aren't comfortable with math, this course will crush you. Verdict: Enjoy the 6 elective credits—they help you graduate faster. But do not mistake them for progress in your major. You are starting from the same starting line as everyone else, just with a harder first course.

Expert's Insight: HIGH-VALUE CREDIT: SKIPS TWO MANDATORY COURSES (BUT WATCH YOUR GPA) The Good News: McMaster's Faculty of Social Sciences may grant IB Economics HL (grade 5+) as equivalent to ECON 1B03 (Microeconomics) + ECON 1BB3 (Macroeconomics). This gives you 6 units of specific credit and clears the prerequisites for many Level II Economics courses. The Strategy for Economics Majors: If you plan to major in Honours Economics, be careful. Admission to Level II Honours often looks at your grade in these two courses. Since transfer credits appear as a "T" (no grade), you won't have a GPA from these core classes. Action: Ask an academic advisor if you should retake one or both to establish a strong GPA foundation for admission to Honours. The Strategy for Non-Majors: If you are in Political Science, Sociology, or Sciences, this is a fantastic credit. It fulfills your social science elective requirements and gives you a free pass on two content-heavy intro courses. Warning for Business Students: DeGroote says it does not grant transfer credit for business-related IB courses. Business I students should plan to take ECON 1B03 and 1BB3 at McMaster unless DeGroote confirms an exception. Bottom Line: For Social Sciences students, this is a "Golden Ticket" credit—specific, useful, and time-saving.

Expert's Insight: A STRATEGIC WIN – ESPECIALLY FOR COMMERCE The Good News: Queen's grants the full ECON 110 (6.0 units) credit for a score of 5+. This covers the entire first-year Economics requirement (Micro + Macro). The Reality Check: The Math: ECON 110 itself is not calculus-based; it relies on algebra and graphs (similar to IB). Note: If you are an Econ major, you will still need to take MATH 121/126 separately. The Grading: Do not underestimate this course. It is a high-volume lecture course. While there is no forced curve, exams are designed to distinguish mastery from memorization. It is not an "automatic A." For Smith Commerce Students: You have a massive strategic advantage. The Play: Use this credit to skip ECON 110. The Win: This frees up 6.0 units of space. You can use this to take non-Commerce electives (like Psychology or Calculus) that are usually hard to fit into a first-year schedule. For Arts & Science Students: This credit satisfies your introductory economics requirement or counts as 6.0 units of electives. It is a fantastic way to open up space for a minor or second major. Verdict: Score 5: Consider retaking. University exams require a level of application that a "bare pass" in IB might not prepare you for. Score 6-7: Take the credit. You have mastered the fundamentals. Use the free space to explore other subjects or lighten your workload.

Expert's Insight: A STRATEGIC WIN – ESPECIALLY FOR COMMERCE The Good News: Queen's grants the full ECON 110 (6.0 units) credit for a score of 5+. This covers the entire first-year Economics requirement (Micro + Macro). The Reality Check: The Math: ECON 110 itself is not calculus-based; it relies on algebra and graphs (similar to IB). Note: If you are an Econ major, you will still need to take MATH 121/126 separately. The Grading: Do not underestimate this course. It is a high-volume lecture course. While there is no forced curve, exams are designed to distinguish mastery from memorization. It is not an "automatic A." For Smith Commerce Students: You have a massive strategic advantage. The Play: Use this credit to skip ECON 110. The Win: This frees up 6.0 units of space. You can use this to take non-Commerce electives (like Psychology or Calculus) that are usually hard to fit into a first-year schedule. For Arts & Science Students: This credit satisfies your introductory economics requirement or counts as 6.0 units of electives. It is a fantastic way to open up space for a minor or second major. Verdict: Score 5: Consider retaking. University exams require a level of application that a "bare pass" in IB might not prepare you for. Score 6-7: Take the credit. You have mastered the fundamentals. Use the free space to explore other subjects or lighten your workload.

Expert's Insight: A STRATEGIC WIN – ESPECIALLY FOR COMMERCE The Good News: Queen's grants the full ECON 110 (6.0 units) credit for a score of 5+. This covers the entire first-year Economics requirement (Micro + Macro). The Reality Check: The Math: ECON 110 itself is not calculus-based; it relies on algebra and graphs (similar to IB). Note: If you are an Econ major, you will still need to take MATH 121/126 separately. The Grading: Do not underestimate this course. It is a high-volume lecture course. While there is no forced curve, exams are designed to distinguish mastery from memorization. It is not an "automatic A." For Smith Commerce Students: You have a massive strategic advantage. The Play: Use this credit to skip ECON 110. The Win: This frees up 6.0 units of space. You can use this to take non-Commerce electives (like Psychology or Calculus) that are usually hard to fit into a first-year schedule. For Arts & Science Students: This credit satisfies your introductory economics requirement or counts as 6.0 units of electives. It is a fantastic way to open up space for a minor or second major. Verdict: Score 5: Consider retaking. University exams require a level of application that a "bare pass" in IB might not prepare you for. Score 6-7: Take the credit. You have mastered the fundamentals. Use the free space to explore other subjects or lighten your workload.

Expert's Insight: A STRATEGIC WIN – ESPECIALLY FOR COMMERCE The Good News: Queen's grants the full ECON 110 (6.0 units) credit for a score of 5+. This covers the entire first-year Economics requirement (Micro + Macro). The Reality Check: The Math: ECON 110 itself is not calculus-based; it relies on algebra and graphs (similar to IB). Note: If you are an Econ major, you will still need to take MATH 121/126 separately. The Grading: Do not underestimate this course. It is a high-volume lecture course. While there is no forced curve, exams are designed to distinguish mastery from memorization. It is not an "automatic A." For Smith Commerce Students: You have a massive strategic advantage. The Play: Use this credit to skip ECON 110. The Win: This frees up 6.0 units of space. You can use this to take non-Commerce electives (like Psychology or Calculus) that are usually hard to fit into a first-year schedule. For Arts & Science Students: This credit satisfies your introductory economics requirement or counts as 6.0 units of electives. It is a fantastic way to open up space for a minor or second major. Verdict: Score 5: Consider retaking. University exams require a level of application that a "bare pass" in IB might not prepare you for. Score 6-7: Take the credit. You have mastered the fundamentals. Use the free space to explore other subjects or lighten your workload.

Expert's Insight: A STRATEGIC WIN – ESPECIALLY FOR COMMERCE The Good News: Queen's grants the full ECON 110 (6.0 units) credit for a score of 5+. This covers the entire first-year Economics requirement (Micro + Macro). The Reality Check: The Math: ECON 110 itself is not calculus-based; it relies on algebra and graphs (similar to IB). Note: If you are an Econ major, you will still need to take MATH 121/126 separately. The Grading: Do not underestimate this course. It is a high-volume lecture course. While there is no forced curve, exams are designed to distinguish mastery from memorization. It is not an "automatic A." For Smith Commerce Students: You have a massive strategic advantage. The Play: Use this credit to skip ECON 110. The Win: This frees up 6.0 units of space. You can use this to take non-Commerce electives (like Psychology or Calculus) that are usually hard to fit into a first-year schedule. For Arts & Science Students: This credit satisfies your introductory economics requirement or counts as 6.0 units of electives. It is a fantastic way to open up space for a minor or second major. Verdict: Score 5: Consider retaking. University exams require a level of application that a "bare pass" in IB might not prepare you for. Score 6-7: Take the credit. You have mastered the fundamentals. Use the free space to explore other subjects or lighten your workload.

Expert's Insight: A BIG SKIP — BUT WATCH THE MATH + BEEDIE LETTER-GRADE RULE The Good News: SFU grants 8 units for IB Economics HL: ECON 103 (4) + ECON 105 (4). Diploma students generally earn credit with 4+; Certificate/Partial students need 5+ (HL only). WQB Value: ECON 103/105 are designated Q + B-Soc. SFU allows a course to count for both Q and B, unless the B is from your major. ⚠️ Beedie Internal Transfer Warning: If you plan to apply into Beedie later, Beedie requires final, standard letter grades in the required admission courses (including ECON 103/105 or 113/115). Do not assume IB transfer credit will meet that rule—confirm with Beedie advising before you skip the graded SFU versions. Math reality: A common next step is ECON 201, which requires a calculus course (MATH 150/151/154/157) plus the intro econ sequence. Treat calculus as your main prep. Verdict: Huge time-saver for many students—but if Beedie internal transfer is your goal, verify the letter-grade requirement before relying on transfer credit.