Philosophy, Politics and Economics

Entry requirements

A postgraduate diploma can usually be taken at any time after the completion of your bachelor's degree.

If your first language is not English you need to meet our English language requirements as follows: IELTS score of 6.5 in the academic module (with no individual band below 6.0); we also accept a number of other English language tests. Due to COVID-19, we currently accept Duolingo English Test (DET), IELTS Indicator Test, and TOEFL iBT Special home Edition.

Don’t meet the English language requirements? The University of Otago Language Centre "English for Otago" programme offers a pathway for Undergraduate and Postgraduate students to meet the English language requirements for undergraduate and postgraduate study.

Months of entry

February, July

Course content

Philosophy, Politics and Economics is a multidisciplinary programme that incorporates an attractive and intellectually stimulating combination of three long-established and influential disciplines. There are natural affinities and common roots among several strands of Philosophy, Political Studies and Economics. For example, Economics developed from the field of Political Economy, Welfare Economics utilizes 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 programme 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. The Postgraduate Diploma in Arts Subjects (PGDipArts) programme in Philosophy, Politics and Economics is the same as the programme for the degree of Bachelor of Arts with Honours (BA(Hons)).

Information for international students

Otago offers students an unrivalled campus experience and a vibrant, social student culture. The majority of Otago’s 21,000 students live, work and play in Dunedin - New Zealand’s only true university city. Otago is home to over 3,000 students, from over 100 countries.

Fees and funding