The UBC Department of Economics, Sociology and Political Science was established in 1915 within the Faculty of Arts. However, there were no officers and staff in the department at that time. Instead, three courses in economics were offered by Samuel Mack Eastman, assistant professor of the Department of History. Theodore H. Boggs became the first professor of economics in 1917 and head of the department in 1920 when Henry F. Angus joined him. In 1931, Angus succeeded Boggs, and he served as a head until 1956.
Meanwhile, the department name was changed to the Department of Economics, Political Science, Commerce, and Sociology in 1934. Five years later, the Department of Commerce was created. The department was then renamed the Department of Economics, Political Science, and Sociology. A program leading to a master's degree in economics was offered in 1926, and a doctoral program was instituted in 1962. The Department of Economics and Political Science was divided into separate units; the Department of Economics and the Department of Political Science in 1964. The Department of Economics belongs to the Faculty of Arts that administers all departments and programmes in the humanities, social sciences, and creative arts. The department is responsible for teaching, research, and service to the university, profession, and community economics. Other heads of the department have been John J. Deutsch (1956-1959), Joseph A. Crumb (1959-1960), John H. Young (1960-1966), Anthony D. Scott (1966-1969), A. Milton Moore (1969-1973), Ronald A. Shearer (1973-1977), John G. Cragg (1977-1986), Samuel P. S. Ho (1986-1990), John F. Helliwell (1990-1993), William C. Riddell (1993-1997), Ashok Kotwal (1997-2002), and Angela Redish (2002- ).