Master of Business (Mbus) in Politics, Philosophy and Economics
Dunedin, New Zealand
DURATION
1 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Request application deadline
EARLIEST START DATE
Request earliest startdate
TUITION FEES
Request tuition fees
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
Introduction
In Philosophy, Politics and Economics ( PPE ) we prepare students to solve the world’s problems by combining the analytical reasoning of philosophy, the social insight of political studies, and the methodological rigour of economics. Students complete a challenging course of study in logic, ethics, collective action, human behaviour, political theory, economics, and the history of ideas.
Developed originally at Oxford, our programme in PPE includes a foundation in the classic texts of the human sciences, engagement with the best new ideas about society, and analysis of present-day policy challenges. Today’s policy challenges are more complicated than ever, and PPE’s interdisciplinary course of study prepares students to meet them.
Why study PPE?
Students in the Otago PPE programme 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 programme aims 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.
Curriculum
The PPE programme was founded in 1999 as the first and only such course of study in New Zealand, and one of only a few in Australasia. From the beginning, PPE has attracted high-achieving students curious about the world and interested in employing their talents in public service.
Students begin in the first year with introductory papers in economics, politics, and philosophy, but quickly progress to advanced work in small interdisciplinary seminars. Usually in the second year or the first term of the third year, students may participate in student exchange.
The humanities internship practicum, in which students go out into the community to provide research services, is available for second and third-year students. Third-year students may pursue supervised independent research on a topic of their choosing by taking the PHPE 301 paper.
Degree options
You can pursue several 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 the completion of a dissertation.
Student exchange
We encourage PPE majors to participate in student exchange, and many do so. Twelve universities offer PPE programmes for exchange with students from Otago, as well as dozens more without formal PPE programmes that offer appropriate coursework. You can participate in student exchange while moving forward with your degree and paying domestic fees.
Requirements
PHPE Papers
- PHPE201 Political Economy I: Method, Philosophy, Applications
- PHPE301 Research Essay
ECON Papers
- ECON112 Principles of Macroeconomics
- ECON201 Microeconomics
- ECON202 Macroeconomics
- ECON206 The World Economy
- ECON207 Environmental Economics
- ECON210 Introduction to Econometrics
- ECON271 Intermediate Microeconomic Theory
- ECON301 Labour Economics
- ECON302 International Trade
- ECON303 Economics of Developing Countries
- ECON306 Economics of Health and Education
- ECON308 Public Economics
- ECON318 Behavioural Economics
- ECON319 Game Theory
- ECON375 Econometrics
- ECON377 Mathematical Economics
- ECON403 Monetary Economics
- ECON407 Topics in Advanced Economics
- ECON410 Advanced Microeconomic Theory
- ECON411 Advanced Macroeconomic Theory
- ECON412 Macroeconometrics
- ECON413 Microeconometrics
- ECON480 Dissertation
- ECON485 Master's Thesis Preparation
- ECON492 Dissertation for Philosophy, Politics and Economics
- ECON590 Research Dissertation
POLS Papers
- POLS101 Political Philosophy - Basic Problems
- POLS102 New Zealand Politics - Introduction
- POLS104 International Relations - Introduction
- POLS105 Comparative Politics - Introduction
- POLS202 Theories of Justice
- POLS211 Global Political Economy
- POLS216 Politics of the European Union
- POLS221 New Zealand Political Parties and Elections
- POLS230 Special Topic: Settler State Politics in Aotearoa and Australia
- POLS234 Asian Security
- POLS250 International Security in a Globalising World
- POLS306 Politics and the Media in New Zealand
- POLS307 Nature, Conflict, and the State
- POLS312 Ethics and International Relations
- POLS318 Chinese Foreign Policy
- POLS319 Treaty Politics
- POLS321 Public Policy in New Zealand
- POLS325 International Relations: Concepts and Theories
- POLS326 Politics of the Arabian Peninsula
- POLS330 Special Topic: Politics of Climate Change
- POLS413 Political Theory for the Environment
- POLS475 The Ethics and Politics of Resistance
- POLS490 Dissertation
- POLS501 The 'Political': Theory and Practice
- POLS512 The Ethics and Politics of Resistance
- POLS513 Political Theory for the Environment
- POLS520 New Zealand Government and Politics
- POLS540 International Relations Theory
- POLS550 Comparative Regional Conflicts
- POLS590 Research Dissertation
PHIL Papers
- PHIL101 Mind and Reality
- PHIL103 Ethical Issues
- PHIL105 Critical Thinking
- PHIL106 Radical Philosophy
- PHIL222 Introduction to Formal Logic
- PHIL223 Metaphysical Questions
- PHIL225 Philosophy of Science
- PHIL227 Morality and Politics: Hobbes to Hume
- PHIL228 Ethics
- PHIL229 Reason, Belief and the Sacred
- PHIL231 Early Modern Philosophy A: Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz
- PHIL233 Philosophy of Mind and Language
- PHIL234 Are there moral facts?
- PHIL235 Environmental Philosophy
- PHIL315 Are There Moral Facts?
- PHIL323 Metaphysical Questions
- PHIL329 Reason, Belief and the Sacred
- PHIL331 Early Modern Philosophy A: Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz
- PHIL333 Philosophy of Mind and Language
- PHIL338 Ethical Theory
- PHIL413 Ethical Theory
- PHIL417 Advanced Issues in Foundational Philosophy
- PHIL418 Advanced Problems in Applied Philosophy
- PHIL480 Research Essay
- PHIL490 Dissertation
- PHIL590 Research Dissertation
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, tourism, and information technology; those in government work at the Supreme Court and 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.