Academic Calendar 2023-2024

9 Optional Programs

9.1 Queen's Option

Before graduating from the Commerce Program, students may complete a package of related courses from the Faculty of Arts and Science called the "Queen's Option." This package consists of:

  • 12.0 related units from the Faculty of Arts and Science
  • At least 6.0 units must be at the 200 level or above (in other words, the package consists of a maximum of 6.0 units at the 100-level)

Normally, the courses used towards the Queen's Option will contain the same prefix (e.g. PSYC). However, where a department in the Faculty of Arts and Science has approved a substantial relationship between courses, related courses may contain different prefixes but meet the requirements for the Queen's Option. To determine whether such a relationship has been established, consult the departmental chapter of the Arts and Science calendar. The department may list "credit for courses in other departments" or may include courses with different prefixes in their list of courses of instruction. In either case, the courses listed are approved as part of a Queen's Option in that area.

A Queen's Option in Economics may only include courses with the prefix "ECON" and it cannot include COMM 171 Principles of Economics for Business or COMM 172 Managerial Economics.

Up to 6.0 AP or IB units may be applied toward the Queen's Option package where specific credit has been granted by Queen's University.

Completion of the Queen's Option does not appear on the official student record, but students may wish to refer to this achievement on their CV or resume.

9.2 Certificate in Social Impact

Students who earn the Certificate in Social Impact will develop an in-depth understanding of leading edge thinking and practices in social impact and graduate with a Certificate in Social Impact in addition to their degree.
 
To earn a Certificate in Social Impact in addition to a Bachelor of Commerce degree, students must complete the following components:

  • Achieve a minimum grade in the mandatory social impact related program course.
  • Complete the required number of elective courses from the approved list of "Social Impact" themed courses. Students may take relevant courses when on international exchange with the approval of the International Exchange Advisor. Students may request the review of additional courses not on the approved list.
  • Fully participate in one Social Impact Summit and one Social Innovation Bootcamp, both hosted by the Centre for Social Impact. Other conferences may also qualify but approval by the Centre is required prior to attending.
  • Actively participate in approved outreach activities with registered charities or non-profit community organizations
  • For more information, see the Centre for Social Impact.

9.3 Dual Degree and Second Degree

Bachelor of Commerce students may be admitted to complete a secondary undergraduate degree within the Faculty of Arts and Science. There are two options to do this:

  • Dual Degree (Concurrent): A Dual Degree is completed concurrently while the student is registered in the BCom degree
  • Second Degree Program (Consecutive): The Second Degree is completed consecutively after completion of the BCom degree.

Please note that the combination of COMM 171 and COMM 172 will be accepted in lieu of ECON 110 for students interested in pursuing a dual or second degree in Economics.

For more information on the Dual Degree/Second Degree, please visit the Faculty of Arts and Science website.

9.3.1 Academic Requirements

For students enrolled in a Dual Degree or Second Degree program, courses must be registered under the appropriate program and proper fees paid. Fees are based on the degree program to which the course is registered, not the type of course.

Students should consult regularly with Academic Advisors to ensure the requirements of both degrees are met.

9.3.2 Change of Course Registration

Students may not transfer completed courses from one degree to another.

Dual Degree students must contact a Commerce Academic Advisor to move any in-progress course from one degree to another if the course is not registered under the correct degree.

9.4 BCom/JD (Faculty of Law) Double Degree

The six-year combined BCom/JD program reduces completion time by one year for undergraduate students admitted to the Bachelor of Commerce degree program at Queen’s. Students entering the third-year of the Queen’s BCom program are eligible to apply through an internal application process at Queen’s.

9.4.1 Academic Regulations

Please note the following policies that apply to students in the BCom/JD Combined Program:

  • The final 9.0 units taken the fifth year of the program must be Commerce, and must be completed at Queen’s. They may not be transferred from another post‐secondary institution. The 9.0 units may include up to 6.0 units of independent study courses.
  • There are one‐way exclusions for COMM 381 Business Law I and COMM 382 Business Law II – these courses may be taken before beginning the combined degree program, but not when students return in the fifth year.
  • If a student exceeds the maximum 36.0 units of non-Commerce units that can be registered under the Bachelor of Commerce (including any International Baccalaureate (IB), Advanced Placement (AP), or CEGEP credits earned in high school and the 21.0 units of Law accepted in lieu of Arts and Science), those additional units will not count toward the degree requirements for either the BCom or the JD degrees.

9.5 Smith BCom/Guanghua BA (Mgt) Double Degree

Each year up to five Smith Commerce students will be selected to study in China and earn two undergraduate degrees: a Bachelor of Commerce from Smith School of Business and a Bachelor of Arts in Management from Guanghua School of Management at Peking University.

Students entering their second year of Smith Commerce will be eligible to apply. Admission to the double degree program is based on academic requirements defined by the Smith Commerce and Guanghua BA (Management) programs. Those who satisfy the academic requirements must successfully complete two interviews conducted by each institution.

More information about the Smith-Peking Double Degree can be found on the Queen's website.

For general questions, please contact bcomglobal@queensu.ca.