Students should ensure they review the Course Structure information provided on the Course Details page for their Bachelor’s Degree. It is essential that students complete any Foundation units identified in that information at the earliest available opportunity in their studies. For those degrees which do not identify any Foundation Units, the necessary fundamental knowledge is incorporated within each degree specific major in your course. Where Foundation units are identified, they are essential and are chosen to provide fundamental knowledge which will assist you throughout the remainder of your studies. In some cases these foundation units are also essential prerequisites to enable you to undertake required units within your chosen majors, so these units should always be completed as early as possible in your course.
Students can access specific major pages through the handbook search function.
Course overview
- Description
- Very many important issues – climate change, healthcare, political participation, taxation and much more besides – have philosophical, political, and economic dimensions. UWA's Bachelor of Philosophy, Politics and Economics is a challenging and rigorous programme which equips students to engage with such issues from an interdisciplinary perspective. Students receive a thorough grounding in each of the three disciplines, and will examine the ways in which insights from each area of
study can fruitfully inform scholarship in the others. Students will also study the intertwined history of philosophy, politics, and economics, and develop invaluable critical thinking and analytical skills essential for success in the modern workplace.
The Bachelor of Arts features diverse majors from music and design to law, humanities and social sciences. This degree provides students with the lifelong, transferable skills that employers are seeking, giving an immediate competitive edge in the employment market.
Combining the BPPE and the BA provides the opportunity for high achieving students with specific interests and strengths in the Humanities and Social Sciences to achieve both a BPPE and a BA within a four year study period.
Enrolment Guidance for Majors and Minors:
Students should choose one degree-specific major from their specialised degree BP012 Bachelor of Philosophy, Politics and Economics. When enrolling on StudentConnect, this major will start with the code MJDC.
Students should also choose one degree-specific major from their comprehensive degree BP001 Bachelor of Arts. On StudentConnect, this major will start with the code MJD.
Students are permitted to take one second major (on StudentConnect, this will start with the code MJS) and up to two minors (on StudentConnect, minors start with the code MNR), if they meet the pre-requisite requirements of those majors and minors and can complete all majors and minors within the 192 credit points of their combined degree.
Students are not permitted to enrol in the following degree-specific major(s) or second major(s) in this combined course:(1) MJD-POLSC Political Science and International Relations (2) MJD-PHILY Philosophy (3) MJD-PSYCH Psychological and Behavioural Sciences (4) MJS-PSYCY Psychological and Behavioural Sciences.
Please see the course rules for more information. Students should contact their Student Advising Office via AskUWA for further information.
- Course code
- CB012
- Status
- Current / 2025
- Administered by
- School of Humanities
- Course Coordinator(s)
- Dr Lachlan Umbers
- CRICOS code
- 107724H
Course details
- Credit points required
- 192
A standard full-time load is 24 points per semester. - Structure
- 192 points comprising 32 six-point units. Students normally take eight units each year, four in each semester.
- Available to international students
- Yes. For information on international student fees see 'Student Procedures: Fees'. (Enquiries: https://www.uwa.edu.au/askuwa)
- Attendance type
- Full- or part-time (Student visa holders should read Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000 for more information.)
- Delivery mode
- Internal
- Standard full-time completion
- 4 years
- Standard part-time completion
- 8 years (maximum 12 years)
- Locations offered
- UWA (Perth)
- First Degree major(s)
Students should take a degree-specific major from the BP012 - Bachelor of Philosophy, Politics and Economics
- Second Degree major(s)
- Students should take a degree-specific major from the BP001 - Bachelor of Arts
excluding the majors listed below:
(1) MJD-PSYCH Psychological and Behavioural Sciences
(2) MJD-POLSC Political Science and International Relations
(3) MJD-PHILY Philosophy - Domestic fee type
- Commonwealth supported and/or HECS-HELP; or postgraduate fee-paying/FEE-HELP
- Fees
- Visit the fees calculator.
Prospective students should see the Future Students website for details on admission requirements, intake periods, fees, availability to international students, careers information etc.
Course structure
Key to availability of units:
- S1
- Semester 1
- SS
- summer teaching period
All units have a value of six points unless otherwise stated.
This unit is absolutely essential for all students to complete. It presently forms part of the extended major in Philosophy, Politics, and
Economics. However, it makes more sense for it to have status as a foundation unit for the BPPE degree, rather than for it to part of the
major. Rather than being a unit IN philosophy, politics, or economics, PHIL1002 is rather a skills-based unit that teaches students how to
understand and analyse arguments - abilities that are absolutely essential if students are to successfully complete their other units of
study. We have therefore removed it from the major, and will be introducing it as a foundation unit. It is worth noting, to this end, that
PHIL1002 has status as a foundation unit in a number of other, related, specialised degrees for very similar reasons. These include the
Bachelor of Human Rights (and its associated combined degrees) and the Bachelor of International Relations. This change, then, is also
desirable for reasons of consistency.
Finally, the removal of the unit from the extended major and introduction as a foundation unit also facilitates other important curriculum
changes in the extended major, itself, insofar as it creates room in the major for the addition of POLS2220 as a core unit at second-year.
Take all units (6 points):
| Availability | Unit code | Unitname | Unit requirments | Contact hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S1, SS | PHIL1002 | Introduction to Critical Thinking |
| lectures and workshops: up to 3 hours per week |
Rules
Title
1. These rules are the Bachelor of Philosophy, Politics and Economics and Bachelor of Arts Degree Combined Course Rules.
Terms Used
2. The Glossary provides an explanation of the terms used in these rules.
Applicability of the Student Rules, policies and procedures
3.(1) The Student Rules apply to students in this course.
(2) The policy, policy statements and guidance documents and student procedures apply, except as otherwise indicated in the rules for this course.
Academic Conduct Essentials module
4.(1) Except as stated in (2), a student who enrols in an undergraduate degree course of the University for the first time irrespective of whether they have previously been enrolled in another course of the University, must undertake the Academic Conduct Essentials module (the ACE module), Communication and Research Skills (the CARS module) and Indigenous Studies Essentials (the ISE module) in the teaching period in which they are first enrolled.
(2) A student who has previously achieved a result of Ungraded Pass (UP) for the CARS module or the ISE module is not required to repeat the relevant module.
English Language competency requirements
5. To be considered eligible for consideration for admission to this course an applicant must satisfy the University's English language competence requirement as set out in the University Policy on Admission: Coursework.
Admission requirements
6.(1) To be considered for admission to this course an applicant must have—
(a) achieved an ATAR of at least 92, or equivalent as recognised by UWA;
or
(b) an assured pathway offer;
or
(c) a place in a relevant UWA access program.
Admission ranking and selection
7. Where relevant, admission will be awarded to the highest ranked applicants or applicants selected based on the relevant requirements.
Transfer Requirements
8.(1) A student enrolled in an undergraduate degree course at UWA may apply to transfer into this combined degree course if they satisfy the following conditions:
(a) the student has not commenced their final semester of enrolment in their current course;
and
(b) the course transfer is undertaken within the two transfer windows in each academic year;
and
(c) there are no quotas preventing the student from enrolling in a major or unit in which the student seeks to enrol; and
(2) the student has completed a minimum of 24 points of study in their current course and achieved a WAM of at least 65
Course structure
9.(1)The Combined Bachelor's degrees consists of 192 credit points (normally 32 units), comprising:
(a) no more than 96 credit points (normally 16 units) at Level 1; and
(b) at least 96 credit points (normally 16 units) completed at Level 2 and Level 3, including at least 36 credit points (normally 6 units) at Level 3; and
(c) a degree-specific major for the BP012 - Bachelor of Philosophy, Politics and Economics :
(d) a degree-specific major for the BP001 - Bachelor of Arts except the majors listed below:
(1) MJD-PSYCH Psychological and Behavioural Sciences
(2) MJD-POLSC Political Science and International Relations
(3) MJD-PHILY Philosophy
and(e) any relevant foundation units.
and(2) Students may choose to undertake an additional major and/or up to two minors from any undergraduate degree, provided the student will be able to complete all nominated majors and minors within 192 credit points.
(3) A student is not permitted to enrol in the following majors:
MJD-ECNSM Economics
MJD-PHILY Philosophy
MJD-POLSC Political Science and International Relations
MJD-PSYCH Psychological and Behavioural Sciences
Exit awards
10.(1) This course has the following exit awards:
BP012 - Bachelor of Philosophy, Politics and Economics
BP001 - Bachelor of Arts
(2)(a) A student who withdraws from the Bachelor of Philosophy, Politics and Economics and Bachelor of Arts before completing it, but after completing a minimum of 144 credit points of study, including all requirements of the Bachelor of Philosophy, Politics and Economics, may apply to the School to be awarded the BP012 - Bachelor of Philosophy, Politics and Economics.
(b) A student who withdraws from the Bachelor of Philosophy, Politics and Economics and Bachelor of Arts before completing it, but after completing a minimum of 144 credit points of study, excluding the following majors, may apply to the School to be awarded the BP001 - Bachelor of Arts.
(1) MJD-PSYCH Psychological and Behavioural Sciences
(2) MJD-POLSC Political Science and International Relations
(3) MJD-PHILY Philosophy
Satisfactory progress
11.(1) To make satisfactory progress a student must pass units to a point value greater than half the total value of units in which they remain enrolled after the final date for withdrawal without academic penalty.
(2) A student who has not achieved a result of Ungraded Pass (UP) for the CARS module or the ISE module when their progress status is assessed will not have made satisfactory progress.
(3) A student who fails a unit twice is not permitted to enrol again in that unit unless the relevant board approves otherwise.
Progress status
12.(1) A student who makes satisfactory progress is assigned the status of 'Good Standing'.
(2) Unless the relevant board determines otherwise because of exceptional circumstances —
(a) a student who does not make satisfactory progress for the first time under Rule 11(1) is assigned a progress status of 'On Probation';
(b) a student who does not make satisfactory progress for the second time under Rule 11(1) is assigned a progress status of 'Suspended';
(c) a student who does not make satisfactory progress for the third time under Rule 11(1) is assigned a progress status of 'Excluded';
(d) a student who does not make satisfactory progress under Rule 11(2) is assigned a progress status of 'On Probation' unless they have been assigned a progress status of 'Suspended' or 'Excluded' for failure to make satisfactory progress under Rule 11(1).
Deferrals
13. Applicants awarded admission to the course are entitled to a deferral of up to 12 months, as per the University Policy on: Admissions (Coursework).