Students desiring a stronger foundation in business are encouraged to consider the Minor in Commerce, offered through the UBC Sauder School of Business.

In the Minor, students focus their senior specialization credits on commerce courses in organizational behaviour, marketing, business finance, and strategic management. This option enables students to develop their business knowledge and management skills and prepares them for management roles and advanced business degrees.

For a full required course listing, please visit the UBC Calendar.

Interested students can apply in Term 2 of their second year (non-co-op students) or third year (co-op students).  Application forms are normally made available in the middle of February with an application deadline in the middle of March. To be eligible for admission, students must have:

  • a cumulative average of at least 68% in the previous two years; and
  • completed ECON 101 (or ECON 310), ECON 102 (or ECON 311) and MATH 100/102/104/180/184

At least three of the six required COMM courses must be completed at UBC (a maximum of nine credits of the required COMM courses can be gained through transfer credits gained at other institutions). In addition, at least two of the required COMM courses must be completed after a student has been accepted into the Minor in Commerce option.
Upon successful completion of the Minor, the notation “Minor in Commerce” will be placed on the student’s transcript and degree parchment.
View the UBC Calendar to learn more about the regulations covering the Minor in Commerce.

Admission Requirements

  • One of MATH 100, 102, 104, 180, 184
  • ECON 101 Microeconomics
  • ECON 102 Macroeconomics

Course Requirements

All of following: One of the following:
COMM 329    Principles of Organizational Behaviour COMM 398    Introduction to Business Processes and Operations
COMM 457    Fundamentals of Financial Accounting COMM 204    Logistics and Operations Management
COMM 465    Marketing Management COMM 458    Fundamentals of Managerial Accounting
COMM 473    Business Finance
COMM 493    Strategic Management in Business

ECON 101 (3) Principles of Microeconomics
Elements of theory and of Canadian policy and institutions concerning the economics of markets and market behaviour, prices and costs, exchange and trade, competition and monopoly, distribution of income.
ECON 102 (3) Principles of Macroeconomics
Elements of theory and of Canadian policy and institutions concerning the economic growth and business cycles, national income accounting, interest and exchange rates, money and banking, the balance of trade.
COMM 204 (3) Logistics and Operations Management
The design and management of systems to make products, provide services, and deliver them to the end-user.
Prerequisite: All of COMM 290, COMM 291 [WOOD 244 and FRST 231 meet the prerequisite requirements]
COMM 329 (3) Principles of Organizational Behaviour
An introductory examination of work organizations and the behaviour of individuals within them. Phenomena to be studied include organizational structure, environments, group processes, motivation and leadership (For non-Commerce students in third and fourth year).
COMM 398 (3) Introduction to Business Processes and Operations
The design and management of systems that efficiently and effectively supply products and services to the end-user.  The concepts apply to a variety of settings such as manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, and others (for non-commerce students in third and fourth year).
COMM 457 (3) Fundamentals of Financial Accounting Financial accounting for business organizations; principles and problems of accounting measurements; forms of business organizations; financing of businesses. For non-Commerce students in third or fourth year only.
COMM 458 (3) Fundamentals of Managerial Accounting
Use of accounting data in decision making by businesses; financial statement analysis; cash flows; cost behaviour patterns; methods of accounting for costs. For non-Commerce students in third and fourth year only.
Prerequisite: One of COMM 293, COMM 457.
COMM 465 (3) Marketing Management
Basic considerations affecting the domestic and international marketing of goods and services. For non-Commerce students in third and fourth year only.
Prerequisite: One of COMM 293, COMM 457 and either (a) all of ECON 101, ECON 102 or (b) ECON 100. Or (c) all of ECON 310, ECON 311 or (d) all of ECON 101, ECON 311 or (e) all of ECON 102, ECON 310.
COMM 473 (3) Business Finance
Introduction to managerial finance, including the role and functioning of financial markets, procurement of funds and financing strategies, dividend policy, capital budgeting and financial analysis and planning. For non-Commerce students only in third and fourth year.
Prerequisite: Either (a) all of ECON 101, ECON 102 or (b) ECON 100 or (c) all of ECON 310, ECON 311 or (d) all of ECON 101, ECON 311 or (e) all of ECON 102, ECON 310 and one of MATH 100, MATH 102, MATH 104, MATH 120, MATH 180, MATH 184.
Corequisite: One of COMM 293, COMM 457
COMM 493 (3) Strategic Management in Business
A conceptual and practical introduction to the major areas of business strategy with an integrative perspective on managing a business. Includes the analysis of a business and its environment, the development and evaluation of strategic alternatives, and implementation of change (For non-Commerce students only in fourth year).
Prerequisite: One of COMM 293, COMM 457 and either (a) all of ECON 101, ECON 102 or (b) all of ECON 310, ECON 311 or (c) ECON 100 or (d) all of ECON 101, ECON 311 or (e) all of ECON 102, ECON 310. 
Corequisite: All of COMM 329, COMM 465, COMM 473.