Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) Majoring in Philosophy, Politics and Economics
University of Otago
Key Information
Campus location
Dunedin, New Zealand
Languages
English
Study format
On-Campus
Duration
3 years
Pace
Full time
Tuition fees
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Application deadline
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Earliest start date
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Introduction
Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) Majoring in Philosophy, Politics and Economics
The Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) degree program enables each student to develop his or her own interests in business and related subjects. Students are able to create individualised courses using a range of papers offered across teaching departments in the School of Business and University as a whole. Students have the flexibility within the BCom degree to combine two specialisations and graduate with a double major.
Why study PPE?
Students in the Otago PPE program complete rigorous courses of study in the three core disciplines, in addition to interdisciplinary seminars and original research.
There are natural affinities and common roots among several strands of philosophy, politics, and economics. For example, economics developed from the field of political economy, welfare economics utilises concepts of social justice from philosophy, and the philosophy of science has important implications for methodologies adopted in economics and politics.
The aim of the program is to give a broader exposure to the range of analytical approaches in these three disciplines than would be gained within any one of the traditional single-discipline majors.
Admissions
Scholarships and Funding
Several scholarship options are available. Please check the university website for more information.
Curriculum
100-level
- Economic Principles and Policy
- Principles of Economics 2
- Critical Thinking
- One 100-level POLS paper (POLS 102 New Zealand Politics - Introduction, recommended)
- Business and Society, BSNS 112 Interpreting Business Data, BSNS 114 Financial Decision Making, BSNS 115 Accounting and Information Systems – must normally be taken in first year of study.
200-level
- Political Economy 1: Method, Philosophy, Applications
- Microeconomics or ECON 271 Intermediate Microeconomic Theory
- One further 200-level ECON paper
- One 200-level PHIL paper
- One 200-level POLS paper
- One further 200-level ECON, PHIL or POLS papers
300-level
- Business Ethics
- Five 300-level ECON, PHIL, PHPE, or POLS papers, including at least two papers in Economics and at least one paper in each of Philosophy and Politics.
Program Outcome
You can pursue a number of different qualification options to study PPE. The PPE major is compatible with double degrees in other subjects such as law or computer science. PPE students can complete double majors and add minor subjects as listed in the Guide to Enrolment. High achieving students may apply for postgraduate study, which consists of small seminars in each of the core disciplines plus completion of a dissertation.
Program Tuition Fee
Career Opportunities
Graduates with a PPE degree go on to apply their analytical skills in many different fields: recent graduates are working as diplomats, journalists, lawyers, project managers, academics, business executives, entrepreneurs, accountants, and policy analysts.
There are PPE graduates in entertainment, in tourism, and in information technology; those in government work at the Supreme Court and at the Ministries for the Environment, Treasury, Social Development, and Inland Revenue, among others.
You can find people with Otago PPE degrees in government, industry, academia, and civil society in New Zealand, North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.
Program delivery
Application details
Applicants must apply online. They should also attach all the necessary supporting documents which includes scanned copies of their official high school or foundation transcripts (awards gained, marks, grades); scanned copies of the relevant official transcripts of previous university study; and provide proof of their identity: this is usually achieved by providing a certified copy of the personal details page of their passport or a birth certificate (in English). Applicants may also be required to submit an Educational Credential Evaluators report (ECE). As soon as applicants have completed their online application, their proof of identity document must be posted to International Office, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand. International student applications for semester 1/summer school study close: Oct-31; Semester 2 study close: Apr-30.