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 Commerce develops students' analytical, communication and problem-solving skills, providing students with a global perspective on business and preparation to pursue a career within the business, government or not-for-profit sectors. Combining the BPPE and the BCom provides the opportunity for high achieving students with specific interests and strengths in the field of commerce to achieve both a BPPE and a BCom 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 BP002 Bachelor of Commerce. 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-ECNSM Economics (2) 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
CB017
Status
Current / 2025
Administered by
School of Humanities
Course Coordinator(s)
Dr Nin Kirkham
CRICOS code
108803A

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 BP002 - Bachelor of Commerce
excluding the majors listed below:
MJD-ECNSM Economics
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.

Example Study Plan

See study plans for more information.

Course structure

Key to availability of units:
S1
Semester 1
S2
Semester 2
SS
summer teaching period

All units have a value of six points unless otherwise stated.

Foundation units in the degree:

Take all units (36 points):

AvailabilityUnit codeUnitnameUnit requirmentsContact hours
S1, S2ACCT1101Financial Accounting
Incompatibility
ACCT5432 Introductory Financial Accounting
lectures/tutorials/seminars/workshops: up to 3 hours per week
S1, S2ECON1101Microeconomics: Prices and Markets
Incompatibility
ECON1000 Economics for Business
lectures/tutorials/seminars/workshops: up to 3 hours per week
S1, S2MGMT1135Organisational Behaviour
Incompatibility
MGMT2235 Organisational Behaviour
lectures/tutorials/seminars/workshops: up to 3 hours per week
S1, S2MKTG1203Introduction to Marketing
Incompatibility
MKTG2203 Marketing Management
lectures/tutorials/seminars/workshops: up to 3 hours per week
S1, SSPHIL1002Introduction to Critical Thinking
Incompatibility
PHIL1105 Introduction to Critical Thinking
lectures and workshops: up to 3 hours per week
S1, S2STAT1520Economic and Business Statistics
Prerequisites
Mathematics Applications ATAR
or MATH1720 Mathematics Fundamentals
or MATX1720 Mathematics Fundamentals
or ECON1111 Quantitative Methods for Business and Economics or equivalent
Incompatibility
STAT1400 Statistics for Science
or STAX1400 Statistics for Science
Lectures: 2-hours per week; Practical Classes/Labs: 2-hours per week; problem-solving sessions: 1-hour per week

Rules

Title

1. These rules are the Bachelor of Philosophy, Politics and Economics and Bachelor of Commerce 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 BP002 - Bachelor of Commerce except the majors listed below:

MJD-ECNSM Economics

and(e) any relevant foundation units.

and(2) Students may choose to undertake an additional major and/or a minor 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
BP002 - Bachelor of Commerce

(2)(a) A student who withdraws from the Bachelor of Philosophy, Politics and Economics and Bachelor of Commerce 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 Commerce 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 BP002 - Bachelor of Commerce.

MJD-ECNSM Economics

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).