Canadian Parliament

Ottawa-Carleton Graduate School of Economics (OCGSE)

Two universities, two departments, and one vision for graduate studies in economics.

The Departments of Economics at the University of Ottawa and Carleton University are pleased to announce the official launch of the Ottawa-Carleton Graduate School of Economics (OCGSE).

For over 35 years, the University of Ottawa and Carleton University have enjoyed a fruitful cooperation through their joint Ph.D. program in economics, itself in existence since 1981.

This longstanding partnership is now taken to a new level, for the benefit of both institutions, their respective departments, and their graduate students at the M.A. and Ph.D. levels.

This new step will generate significant visibility and enhance awareness of both departments on a national and international scale.

At a time when other institutions around the world have also merged previously distinct programs from different establishments into one overarching school, the strategic advantages for both universities to follow suit are incontestable, especially given their location in the capital of a G8 country:

“The official launch of the OCGSE leverages the best of our programs and expertise while increasing the reputational weight and ranking of our respective departments and institutions” states Prof. Marcel Mérette, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences and professor of economics at the University of Ottawa. “This step is in keeping with our shared and renewed intention to recruit only the best Ph.D. candidates and researchers in our field while ensuring that they benefit from a continuum of diverse learning opportunities in a coordinated system.”

Advantages to students

  • Benefit from a pool of professors and professionals whose expertise and interests vary across a wide range of themes:
    • Econometrics
    • Economic development
    • Economics of the environment
    • Industrial organization
    • International economics
    • Labour economics
    • Monetary economics
    • Public economics.
  • Become part of a school, branded with the credibility and reputational weight of two institutions located in the national capital of a G8 country.
  • Take advantage of the reputation of both institutions and enjoy a greater competitive edge as a candidate entering the job market.

To officially launch the OCGSE, a conference was held on March 24th(at University of Ottawa) and 25th (at Carleton University), 2017. Photos from the conference as well as the special convocation can be found on the Faculty's Flickr account.