The Queen's Commerce Program attracts students who are well-rounded, both academically and in their extra-curricular involvement. Our student body is gender-balanced and of increasingly diverse backgrounds from all Canadian Provinces, the United States, and over 35 different countries.

If you are a strong student – in both qualitative and quantitative courses in high school – involved in your community, want to be part of a fast-paced and challenging environment, you should consider the Queen's Commerce Program.

What is the process to apply?

See http://www.queensu.ca/admission/

What are the requirements?

As above see http://www.queensu.ca/admission/

How important are extracurriculars in the decision process? What's the weight of extracurriculars vs. marks?

Extracurricular activity is integral to gaining admission. Once applicants have passed the threshold for marks, the decision will rest on the strength of the Personal Statement of Experience (PSE). PSEs are reviewed by an admission committee. Each PSE receives two independent reviews and then the decisions are amalgamated and offers are made.

What is the average grade cut-off for consideration?

For the past few years, the lowest average from an Ontario high school considered was 87%.

How many students are accepted into the first year of the program?

We admit about 300 students each year.

How many people apply?

We receive around 4,500 applications per year.

Do you offer scholarships? How much?

There is detailed information about entrance scholarships at the Queen's University web site http://www.queensu.ca/registrar/awards. The following is taken from that site.

Scholarships and Awards
Queen's attracts a community of outstanding student scholars to its faculties and programs. To reward this high level of academic excellence, the University offers a wide range of scholarships to students entering the first year of any direct-entry undergraduate program of studies. (Graduates from a two-year CEGEP program, transferring into the second year of Queen's programs remain eligible for entrance scholarships.) The objective of these scholarships is to reward the excellence of approximately 10% of our entering class. Awards range from one-time monetary awards to renewable amounts of up to $14,000 per year (x 4 years = $52,000). Scholarships are based on criteria such as outstanding academic achievement or superior academic ability, creative and original thinking, involvement in school or community activities and proven leadership qualities. A limited number of entrance scholarship opportunities are also available to international students.

Scholarships and Awards Requiring Application
Students who demonstrate superior academic ability, creative and original thinking, involvement in school or community activities, and proven leadership qualities can apply for a major scholarship. Financial need is also a consideration for some of our major entrance awards.

It should be noted that there is a list of major scholarships that require separate application on the web site referred to above.

Does Queen's Commerce recognize the International Baccalaureate (IB) program and Advance Placement exams?

Yes, Queen's Commerce does recognize the IB program and AP exams. A maximum of 3.0 credits may be granted towards a B.Com degree for IB Higher Level courses with a final grade of 5 or better, or AP exams with a grade of 4 or higher.

For details, please go to the Undergraduate Admission website at http://www.queensu.ca/admission/ , select Programs, Commerce, Admission Requirements.

General Program Questions

How is Queen's Commerce different from other undergraduate business programs?

When examining undergraduate business programs in Canada – and especially those in Ontario – you will run into different “names” – B.Com., HBA and BBA to name three. Most of these programs offer you a broad based business management degree, and Queen's Commerce is no different. Queen's Commerce is a four year direct entry program; that is students begin their business studies in first year. By contrast, in the HBA Program at the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario, students study for two years in a general program before admission to the HBA.

Some schools believe in “streaming” students into specific areas of concentration. While you can certainly do this at Queen's if you'd like, our philosophy is that all of our graduates, whether concentrating on marketing, accounting or finance (or having no specific area of concentration) will have a solid understanding of all of the basic business disciplines (including accounting, finance, marketing, human resources management, Information technology management, business economics and operations management). The Queen's program aims to deliver a broad general management program that prepares graduates for positions of leadership in organizations of many types.

Some business programs believe that one method of teaching business is superior to others; in Queen's Commerce, we use a variety of deliveries including the case method in many of the upper year courses. First and second year classes at Queen's are primarily lecture classes. In every class, there is a tremendous amount of interaction between the instructor and students, and amongst the students themselves. We also believe that teamwork is important in business – Queen's Commerce students work on presentations and assignments in teams in most of their classes.

Queen's Commerce also has an extensive international exchange program which we encourage students to consider if possible. Over 70% of students currently take part in some form of international experience involving a period of study outside Canada .

Finally, Queen's Commerce is truly a community. The Program has about 1,100 undergraduate students making it a close knit experience among students and between students and faculty. Part of the renowned Queen's campus – where over 90% of the students claim a hometown other than Kingston, and where 80% live within a 10 minute walk of campus – Queen's Commerce students are highly involved in extra-curricular and community activities. Indeed, it is fair to say the “Queen's Commerce Experience” is truly one of the most unique aspects of the Program.

Does Queen's Commerce have any unique programs?

We believe the quality of our curriculum, the strength of our students and the “Queen's Commerce Experience” make our program unique; however we do also offer two programs outside of our core curriculum which we believe are the first of their kind among Canadian undergraduate business programs.

First, there is the Integrated Communications Skills Development Program (the Communications Program) which was launched in September 2004. We believe that having sound communications skills means being able to concisely and convincingly convey information to others through oral and written communication and we believe (and those who employ our students tell us) that these are critical skills for career success. Therefore, all students receive communications skills training through a combination of in-class work and participation in communications workshops throughout their four years in the program. In the Communications Program, our students also attend workshops on working in teams, and developing leadership.

As well, in September 2005, largely in response to student demand and employer expectations, Queen's School of Business launched an optional program called Certificate in Corporate Social Responsibility (CCSR) for Commerce students. Believed to be the only undergraduate program of its kind in Canada, the CCSR program offers participating students an opportunity to augment their B. Com. with an exciting, experience-based, integrative exposure to the emerging and dynamic field of CSR. Those who complete the requirements for the CCSR will bring to their employers leading-edge thinking and practice on the strategic dilemmas and opportunities regarding CSR strategies.

Can I do the MBA program after the Commerce program?

There is no conventional full- time two year MBA at Queen's. However, the Queen's School of Business does have an MBA Program designed specifically for Commerce, HBA and BBA grads. This Program is described more fully here and it largely consists of classes delivered via state-of-the-art, real-time, interactive multipoint videoconference technology to Boardroom Learning Teams across the country. There is a minimum work experience requirement of two years along with the undergraduate business degree. Interestingly, a recent survey of current MBA students asked the question, “Ideally, how many years of working business experience should somebody have before taking an MBA?” The average answer was 4.65 year and the median was 5 years.

How much is tuition? How much will my first year cost?

Tuition fees for domestic and international students are availabe from the Registrar's website at: http://www.queensu.ca/registrar/fees/index.html

We feel that it is necessary to charge the higher fees for the program in order that we may continue to offer the quality of faculty, services and facilities that make the Program what it is.

Residence fees vary and are available from the Residences website at: http://housing.queensu.ca/residences/. In addition, all Commerce students must have a laptop computer, PC or Mac, and will pay approximately $1,000 for books and materials.

Can I do another degree at the same time as I do my B. Com.?

It is possible to do what is called a dual degree program as an undergraduate student. This would combine a Commerce degree as the primary degree with a second degree in Arts or Science. Earning dual degrees does require additional course work over and above the 20.5 credits that are required for the Commerce degree. A detailed description of the requirements is contained in the Queen's Arts and Science calendar.

At this time, we do not offer a combined Commerce/Engineering degree or a Commerce/Law degree.

Can I get a professional designation at Queen's, such as a C.A. or C.M.A.?

Each year approximately 25% of our graduates choose to go on to earn the Chartered Accountancy (CA) designation. The 2004 UFE gold medal winner (highest mark) for Canada was a Queen's Commerce graduate. While it is not possible to earn all 51 credit hours necessary for the CA accreditation within our program, the four “CA courses” that are not part of the B.Com. degree can be completed at Queen's in what is called the Queen's Advanced Accounting Program. The QAAP runs for two months immediately following the completion of the fourth year in the Program.

What kind of career can I have with a Queen's B. Com. degree?

Information regarding careers, including employment statistics and a list of firms who have hired recent grads may be found here.

Queen's Commerce students can also take advantage of in-house career counselors devoted solely to not only the School of Business , but Commerce students' career concerns. The Business Careers Centre facilitates the career process, and acts as a liaison with the dozens of local, national and multi-national firms that come to campus seeking Commerce students annually.

What are the laptop computer requirements?

Either a PC or Mac laptop is acceptable, the specifications page will be updated soon. Information about laptop computer requirements may be found here.

Questions About the First Year Experience

Can I obtain residence room? What is residence like?

All students admitted to Queen's are guaranteed a room in residence on Queen's Main or West Campus in first year. For more information on Queen's residences generally, please see: http://www.queensu.ca/admission, through the “Queen's Life” link.

There is also one floor of a residence devoted exclusively to first year Commerce students. If you would like to live with your classmates, then you can apply to be placed on the “Commerce Floor”.

What will my first year classes be like?

As a first year students, you will be part of a first year class of 300 students; you will be put into “sections of approximately 75 students. That means that each Commerce class you take will have approximately 75 students in it. Most first year Arts courses, of which you will have to take one or two, have larger enrolments.

First year classes are delivered in an essentially lecture format; however you will find the level of interaction amongst student and with faculty surprising. You will complete several assignments in all of your first year Commerce classes in teams, and you will be expected to make presentations to the class.

In first year, you will take the following courses:

Business Management and Communications
Introductory Financial Accounting and Management Accounting
Mathematical Analysis for Management
Managerial Statistics
Introduction to Marketing
Organizational Behaviour
Economics (offered by the Department of Economics)
An Arts and Science elective of your choosing

I keep hearing about the “Queen's Commerce Experience”. Can a first year student get involved? How?

It is easy to get involved at Queen's, and in Queen's Commerce if you are so inclined.

A first year student in Queen's Commerce quickly learns about the Commerce Society, or “ComSoc”, the student government for Commerce students. At a university where student involvement is unusually high, ComSoc may be the busiest departmental student government. Indeed more than 50% of Commerce students participate in ComSoc activities, which include the running of thirteen conferences and the largest undergraduate business case competition in Canada , intramural sports, community service, peer tutoring and many social activities. If those are not sufficient, Queen's broader student government, the Alma Mater Society (or AMS), is the oldest organization of its kind in Canada and it too offers conferences, volunteering opportunities and dozens of campus clubs under its umbrella. For those who are athletically inclined, Queen's fields a full complement of varsity athletic teams and clubs. So as you can see, getting involved is not the hard part; determining what to get involved in may be your challenge!

Want to learn more about the “first year experience”? Read the blogs of first year students.