Philosophy, Politics and Economics BA - Program Requirements

Common Foundations:

PSC 200 Empirical Political Science
PSC 101 Introduction to American Politics OR PSC 102 Introduction to International Politics OR PSC 103 Introduction to Comparative Politics
PHI 342 Political Philosophy
One of the following:

• PHI 105 Contemporary Moral Problems
• PHI 107 Introduction to Ethics
• PHI 162 Law, Morality, Authority
• PHI 238 Philosophy of Law
• PHI 322 Philosophy of Social Sciences
• PHI 335 Contemporary Ethical Theory
• PHI 337 Ethics and Economics
• PHI 341 Social Philosophy
• PHI 438 Topics in Ethics

ECO 181 Introduction to Macroeconomics OR ECO 380 Economic Statistics and Data Analytics OR ECO 407 Macroeconomic Theory
ECO 182 Introduction to Microeconomics OR ECO 405 Microeconomic Theory

PPE Core Skills:

PHI 185 Model-Based Reasoning
One Course in Game Theory:

• ECO 467 Economics and Game Theory
• PHI 323 Decision Theory
• PSC 393 Game Theory and Politics

One of the following Policy and Change Courses:

• PHI 353 Conflict and Dispute Resolution
• PSC 314 Public Policy Making
• PSC 343 The Politics of the Civil War
• PSY 332 Social Conflict and Its Resolution
• PSY 333 Organizational Psychology
• PSY 409 Organizational Development and Change
• SOC 309 Social Change
• SOC 384 Social Movements
• SOC 467 Sociology and Social Policy

One of the following Political Economy Courses:

• ECO 464 Public Economics
• PHI 350 Philosophy of Political Economy
• PSC 315 American Political Economy
• PSC 328 International Political Economy
• PSC 413 Comparative Political Economy
• SOC 360 Political Sociology

Students must select and complete 4 courses from a single Thematic Domain: Local, National or Global. Courses must be from at least two different departments, and three of the four courses must be completed at the 300/400 level. See below for a list of course options. Please note that some courses require prerequisites.

Capstone

• PHI 485 Integrating Insights from Philosophy, Politics and Economics

Thematic Domain Areas and Elective Options:

Local Domain Courses:

• APY 474 Cities and Cultures
• ECO 209 Introduction to Urban Economics
• ECO 421 Urban Economics
• END 212 Urban and Environmental Planning
• END 279 Exploring the Design of Buffalo Niagara
• END 301 Perspective on Land Use and Development
• END 302 Sustainable Urban Environments
• END 304 Transportation in Environmental Design and Urban Life
• END 308 Health and Urban Environments
• END 313 Local Government, Policy and Politics
• END 322 Race and Place in the Built Environment
• END 406 Housing and Community Development
• END 408 Race, Class, Gender and the City
• END 422 Economic Development Planning
• END 441 Nonprofit Management
• END 442 Central City Revitalization
• END 467 Legal Issues in Planning and Development
• GEO 366 Urban Geography
• GEO 367 urban Social Geography
• GEO 430 Applied Urban Geography
• HIS 327 The City in American History
• HIS 448 Race and American Urban History
• PSC 312 Urban Politics
• SOC 315 Sociology of City Life
• SOC 342 Social Groups in Urban Spaces
• SOC 348 Urban Sociology
• SOC 385 Neighborhoods and Health

National Domain Courses:

• ECO 201 Economic History of the United States
• ECO 208 Introduction to Environmental Economics
• ECO 212 Current Economic Problems
• ECO 411 Health Economics
• ECO 412 Environmental Economics
• ECO 425 Money and Financial Institutions 
• ECO 440 Economics of Education
• ECO 443 Labor Economics
• PSC 215 Law and the Political Process
• PSC 222 Politics and Society
• PSC 225 Equality and Justices in the US
• PSC 293 Race and the Law
• PSC 301 Cases in Civil Liberties
• PSC 302 Protecting Civil Liberties
• PSC 303 Constitutional Law
• PSC 304 Legislative Politics
• PSC 307 Political Parties
• PSC 309 American Federalism
• PSC 384 American Political Principles
• PSY 415 Psychology and the Law
• PSY 452 Psychology of Prejudice
• SOC 206 Social Problems
• SOC 211 Sociology of Diversity
• SOC 317 Criminal Justice Systems
• SOC 321 Race and Ethnicity
• SOC 328 Social Inequality
• SOC 349 Classical Social Theory
• SOC 371 Individual and Society
• SOC 373 Law and Society

Global Domain:

• ECO 416 Economic Development
• ECO 434 International Finance
• ECO 435 International Economics
• ECO 493 Topics in International Economics
• END 363 Cities and Globalization
• END 476 Comparative and Global Development Issues
• GEO 333 International Trade
• GEO 460 Geography of Development
• PHI 343 Global Justice
• PSC 332 International Organizations
• PSC 333 International Relations Theory
• PSC 338 Comparative Foreign Policies
• PSC 339 International Law
• PSC 342 Politics of Developing Nations
• PSC 412 Comparative Political Institutions
• PSC 418 The International System

Senior Philosophy, Politics and Economics BA majors may apply for the honors program if they have an overall GPA of 3.000 or higher, have a GPA of 3.250 or higher in their philosophy courses (including at least 2 advanced courses taken at UB), and have already completed at least 50% of the requirements for their major.

Students may also complete their major “with distinction” if their final program GPA is at least 3.250, “with high distinction” if their final PPE GPA is at least 3.500, and “with highest distinction” if their final PPE GPA is at least 3.750.

Students should consult with an academic advisor to determine how any transfer or exam credit might be utilized in meeting general education, prerequisite, or major requirements.

See Baccalaureate Degree Requirements for general education and remaining university requirements.

Total Credit Hours Required represents the minimum credits needed to complete this program, and may vary based on a number of circumstances. This chart should not be used for financial aid purposes.