Politics, philosophy and economics degrees have produced political and community leaders who have shaped our world, including Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai, journalist and film activist Tariq Ali, and former Australian Prime Ministers Malcolm Fraser and Bob Hawke. The world needs creative leaders to respond to society’s greatest challenges, including the global effects of the climate crisis and the social impacts of inequalities in resources, opportunity and power. La Trobe's Bachelor of Politics, Philosophy and Economics gives you a multi-disciplinary perspective on the political and economic systems that shape the world. Develop the skills to respond to urgent problems and make a positive social impact
Improve your ability to reason, both critically and empathetically
Develop your knowledge of political institutions and their histories, so as to understand the opportunities and constraints that frame the formulation of policy.
Advance your understanding of how the economy works, in a world of interdependent and global markets.
Advance both your literacy and your numeracy, so that you can undertake nuanced analyses that require both qualitative and quantitative skills.
Grasp how the disciplines of politics, philosophy and economics each throw a different yet interconnected light on the many practical problems that we face in our societies and in our everyday lives.
Balance broad coverage of all three PPE disciplines with a specialisation in politics, philosophy, economics, political economy or political philosophy.
Understand the variety of approaches that comprise the history of economic thought, and consider the relevance of these competing approaches for understanding today's economies.
Engage professionally and communicate effectively with individuals, organisations, and communities in a manner that is respectful of their needs, values, and capabilities.
In the Philosophy major you will explore fundamental human questions that can help us explore ourselves and our world. If you have ever puzzled over why some actions or scenarios seem right and others seem wrong, or if you would like to explore what makes a belief in gravity more sensible than a belief in Santa Claus, then our Philosophy major is for you. Big and complex questions often have more than one answer, and you will be trained to think rationally, creatively, and fairly. This makes the skills acquired in a Philosophy major broadly applicable, and these are human-skills that are not able to be replaced by machines.
In the Philosophy major you can explore topics such as what human freedom is, whether and how we can know our world (including knowledge of god), how we might resolve disagreement about what should be done, and what it might mean to lead a good life in our changing world.
