Broad business first, concentration later.
Laurier’s Honours Bachelor of Business Administration is a four-year, direct-entry program at the Lazaridis School of Business and Economics. Students begin business in first semester and build across accounting, finance, marketing, operations, organizational behaviour, law, strategy, economics, and analytics.
The degree includes 20 credits: a substantial Business core and electives alongside required and elective non-Business study. Upper-year students can declare one concentration, but the credential remains a BBA rather than a narrowly titled degree.
Laurier BBA is suited to students who want business immediately, broad career flexibility, an active cohort and case culture, and the chance to compete for co-op after proving themselves in first year.
A high-80s range with specific math minimums.
Ontario applicants are assessed using six Grade 12 4U/M courses, including the prerequisites. Laurier’s current program page lists a high-80s admission range, but meeting the published range does not guarantee admission.
- EnglishGrade 12 4U English with a minimum grade of 70%.
- Advanced FunctionsMHF4U with a minimum grade of 70%.
- Second mathematicsEither Calculus and Vectors or Data Management, with a minimum grade of 60%.
- Top sixAll prerequisite courses are included in the admission-average calculation.
Students whose average is below the program minimum may be able to submit Laurier’s Applicant Background Summary to provide extracurricular and personal context. Applicants should confirm current eligibility and instructions before relying on it.
Admission is only the first academic checkpoint.
First year includes Understanding the Business Environment, Critical Thinking and Communication Skills, Financial Accounting, microeconomics, macroeconomics, calculus, and non-Business electives. Students must meet progression standards to continue into Year 2 BBA.
- Complete all 5.0 first-year credits
- Minimum 7.0 GPA in Business courses
- Minimum 5.0 GPA in non-Business courses
- Complete required courses within stated timelines
- First-year performance affects BBA progression
- It also determines co-op interview eligibility
- Course repeats are limited
- Your cohort’s academic calendar is authoritative
Do not treat first year as a warm-up. Build consistent study habits early, especially across BU111, BU121, accounting, economics, and mathematics, while leaving enough time for meaningful activities and co-op preparation.
Core management knowledge with room to focus.
Enter business
Learn business context, communication, accounting, economics, mathematics, and complete non-Business electives.
Integrate functions
Move through core courses in finance, marketing, operations, law, organizational behaviour, analytics, and strategy.
Build depth
Use senior electives, a concentration, capstone work, and experiential opportunities to refine your direction.
Laurier lists nine BBA concentrations: Accounting, Business and Sustainability, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Human Resource Management, Insurance and Risk Management, International Business, Marketing, Strategic Management, and Supply Chain Management. The current student requirements page should be used to confirm the exact list and courses for your cohort.
Only one concentration may be declared on the transcript. A concentration shows focused coursework; it is not itself a professional designation. Students can also explore minors, options, exchanges, competitions, and eligible professional-course pathways.
Co-op is valuable—and earned after first year.
Regular Laurier BBA students may apply to co-op at the end of first year. Eligible candidates are interviewed early in second year, and successful students complete three four-month work terms for 12 months of experience. Co-op admission is competitive and is not included automatically with a BBA offer.
The published 2025 process required a minimum 9.0 out of 12 first-year GPA for a Business and Economics co-op interview; future cutoffs can change.
Meeting the GPA threshold creates interview eligibility, not automatic admission to the co-op program.
Admitted BBA co-op students normally complete three work terms between second and fourth year.
Live cases, competitions, clubs, exchanges, volunteering, and independently found summer jobs remain valuable for every student.
Laurier’s BBA double-degree programs have different co-op rules. This guide covers the single-degree Laurier BBA, where co-op is optional and competitively selected.
A broad degree with many possible destinations.
Common paths include accounting, finance, consulting, marketing, sales, human resources, insurance, supply chain, analytics, entrepreneurship, and general management. Course selection, experience, networking, and recruiting preparation matter more than the concentration title alone.
The 99% figure is a university-wide statement for co-op students on Laurier’s program page, not a guaranteed BBA graduate outcome. Review definitions and current reporting before comparing schools.
The Accounting concentration can cover accredited undergraduate CPA prerequisites, with Laurier’s Graduate Diploma in Accounting offered as a further academic step. Finance courses can support CFA exam preparation. Neither pathway automatically grants a designation; professional bodies impose additional education, exams, experience, and membership requirements.
Use per-term figures carefully.
Laurier’s approved 2026–27 tuition report lists BBA tuition per full-time term, effective September 1, 2026, at $5,282 for Ontario domestic students entering in 2026, $5,509 for out-of-province domestic students, and $22,166 for international students. These figures exclude compulsory incidental fees, books, housing, food, transportation, and co-op-related fees.
A typical non-co-op year includes two study terms. Co-op sequencing can move academic and work terms across the calendar, so compare total degree cost and cash flow—not simply one term.
Laurier offers entrance scholarships, competitive awards, bursaries, government aid, and other support. For domestic BBA and BBA double-degree students beginning September 2026 or later, automatic entrance scholarships start at a 90% admission average.
Explore official fundingWho might thrive here?
- Want a direct-entry, broad business education
- Like teamwork, live cases, presentations, and competitions
- Want several concentration choices
- Are prepared to compete for co-op after first year
- Value Waterloo’s student and employer ecosystem
- Need co-op guaranteed with your admission offer
- Want a highly specialized degree from day one
- Prefer mostly independent coursework
- Are not prepared for first-year GPA pressure
- Have not budgeted for full per-term costs
Laurier BBA offers breadth, a strong student culture, concentration flexibility, and a respected co-op opportunity. Its central tradeoff is that regular BBA students must earn co-op admission after first year—making early academics and involvement especially important.
Verify before you apply.
Every factual claim was checked against Wilfrid Laurier University material. Admission ranges, progression rules, co-op cutoffs, courses, concentrations, fees, and professional pathways can change.