Undergraduate alumni
Our BA alumni find positions at corporations, government organizations, in the private sector and in financial institutions as economic analysts, insurance advisers, financial managers, corporate economists and project managers, among others. Some of our BA alumni also continue to pursue further academic development in graduate schools and law schools.
Our alumni profiles
Undergraduate alumni placement data
The Department of Economics reviewed data from the 2010-2020 alumni, reaching out on LinkedIn to increase the number of connections to our Alumni group and to get a sense of the professional roles our alumni have attained so far. We managed to collect data on 681 out of 1,033 alumni who obtained a BA from our department between 2010 and 2020.
- 73% of BA alumni indicate that they are still living or working in the Greater Montreal area.
- Of the 106 students who moved on to a Master’s (101) or doctoral degree (5) after completing their BA or a Minor (Analytical Economics or Economics) with us, 43 pursued graduate studies in Economics, mostly in Canadian institutions (33 out of 43, including 9 at Concordia).
- Banking is the most popular industry in this group, with 17.6% of BA alumni reporting a current role in this sector.
- Job fields (determined by job title) are overwhelmingly white-collar: management, consultant/advisor, analytics, accounting, and sales management are the most represented amongst our BA alumni group.
- The ‘Management’ category includes roles such as team lead, senior manager, property administrator, supervisor, retail manager, director of operations, business development manager, etc. The ‘Analytics’ category includes business intelligence analyst, market analyst, lead of advanced analytics, data analyst, pension analyst, financing analyst, etc.
- 23 BA alumni report being a student as their main occupation.
n=490
n=681
| Alumna/Alumnus | Year | Current Placement |
|---|---|---|
| Megan Cao | 2017 | Data Scientist, MavTek Inc. M.Sc. graduate in Mathematical and Computational Finance at Université de Montréal |
| Sajidul Quayum | 2016 | Policy analyst at Government of Canada |
| Federico Bettini | 2015 | Junior Researcher, Government of Canada; MA graduate in Economics, Concordia University |
| Zhanna Astakhova | 2014 | Senior Administrator, Data Management and Reporting at Maples Group |
| Stephen Ossom | 2013 | Merchant at Loblaws Companies LD |
| Meagan Peters | 2012 | Mortgage Review Officer, BMO |
| Maxime Joyal | 2011 | Coordinator, Cégep de Thetford |
Testimonials
2003, BA in Economics
Actuary-Consultant at Monreau Shepell
How are you applying your degree in Economics from Concordia?
In my job, I have to determine assumptions that are based on economic variables and I also have to understand how different events impact our economy.
What do you value most from your Economics experience?
I was able to take a variety of classes and complement my degree with a Minor in Business Studies, which introduced me to the business world.
Is there a particular memory that stands out from your time at Concordia?
I will always be proud of receiving the Dean's scholarship upon completing my first year in the economics program.
What advice would you give to someone considering graduate studies in Economics?
Be curious and make sure to earn a graduate degree.
2005, BA in Economics
Senior Manager, Product Analytics at CIBC Asset Management
How are you applying your degree in Economics from Concordia?
I do a great deal of modeling, market and competitive analysis, as well as a great deal of statistics.
What do you value most from your Economics experience?
Many of my professors taught me that Economics is a science that can be applied in virtually any field of employment.
Is there a particular memory that stands out from your time at Concordia?
Unfortunately, I cannot remember the names of all my professors; however, I do remember how each one was passionate about economics and its application outside.
What advice would you give to someone considering graduate studies in Economics?
Do it as soon as you can. I do not have many regrets in life; however, I do regret jumping into the workforce directly after completing my undergraduate degree. I should have enrolled in the master's program while working part-time. It is never too late, but life tends to catch up with you quickly (career, marriage, kids, etc.).
1991, BA in Economics
President/CEO at TWMG Inc. financial services firm
How are you applying your degree in Economics from Concordia?
In many ways: managing client portfolios, educating financial advisors with diligent compliance regimes and financial planning concepts, building and protecting wealth.
What do you value most from your Economics experience?
The discipline and knowledge of the professors.
Is there a particular memory that stands out from your time at Concordia?
The simplicity and comfortable energy of the academic environment. Both of my children have chosen to pursue their studies at Concordia - engineering and philosophy majors. Both were accepted at McGill BUT have chosen Concordia due to its simplicity.
What advice would you give to someone considering graduate studies in Economics?
Great future if you like the financial industry. Exploring different options that may help in pursuing goals within the financial sector. Macro and micro economics will certainly set the academic stage for many different positions...
2013, BA in Economics
Associate Merchant at Loblaws Companies LD
How are you applying your degree in Economics from Concordia?
I do a lot of analysis using Excel and other programs to determine the impact of our pricing/promo strategies.
What do you value most from your Economics experience?
This degree helped me get my first job as a Pricing Analyst with Sobeys and now with Loblaws. The analytical experience from economics has helped me excel in all my roles.
Is there a particular memory that stands out from your time at Concordia?
Concordia was very fun and I do miss it sometimes. I like that it is situated in downtown so I have other things to do in between my classes if I want to relax my mind a bit.
What advice would you give to someone considering graduate studies in Economics?
It is definitely worth your time and resources as it will prepare you for the real world job market. It will help shape how you think analytically, which will serve you very well in the job market.
1994, BA in Economics
Senior Manager at Tata Communications
How are you applying your degree in Economics from Concordia?
In many ways: deal governance, due diligence, contract terms, pricing, billing, etc.
What do you value most from your Economics experience?
It helped me advance forward in my career.
Is there a particular memory that stands out from your time at Concordia?
Researching in the career orientation department helped me find a starting position in the company I now work for.
What advice would you give to someone considering graduate studies in Economics?
It will help you acquiring business acumen, get you an interesting career and also open doors into project management, product development, sales, etc.
1989, BA in Economics
Cybersecurity Risk Advisor and Privacy Lawyer at Bombardier Aerospace
How are you applying your degree in Economics from Concordia?
Not directly in my work, but more generally in everyday life. It allows me to have a better understanding of economic issues globally.
What do you value most from your Economics experience?
The diversity and quality of professors I met and my interactions with other students and the friends I made.
Is there a particular memory that stands out from your time at Concordia?
Working on our term papers for an econometrics class all night until 9:00 AM the next morning, with a friend, so we could hand them in to the professor on time.
What advice would you give to someone considering graduate studies in Economics?
Carefully consider if you really want to pursue graduate studies in Economics, if you already hold an undergraduate degree in economics.
Unless you have a specific objective (i.e., become an economist or teach economics), you may be better off combining your undergraduate degree in economics with another type of degree. I believe there is more value in diversity and the combination of different fields of study, rather than becoming an expert in one specific area. I personally combined economics with law and technology.