Political Economy is concerned with the interplay between politics, society and economics. It explains the crucial role of political factors in determining economic outcomes.
Athabasca University’s Political Economy program provides the knowledge and skills that students and employers need to meet the challenges of the 21st century. You will develop your knowledge of
- global political and economic issues
- the dynamics and needs of a global, knowledge-based society and marketplace
- local and global political and economic practices, policies and institutions
You can focus your studies in either Global Political Economy or Canadian Political Economy.
This program is North America's first distance education undergraduate degree program in Political Economy.
Why take the Bachelor of Arts?
The Bachelor of Arts strengthens critical and creative thinking through a broad range of social, political and cultural studies. The program is designed to
- broaden your perspective on local and global affairs
- encourage community and social involvement
- prepare you for lifelong learning and occupational diversity
As a result of completing this program, students should be able to
- Advance the knowledge of global political and economic issues from a variety of perspectives.
- Analyze the dynamics and needs of a globalized society in an increasingly knowledge-based economy with persistent structural inequality.
- Debate the evolving theoretical and conceptual debates in the dynamic field of political economy.
- Critically evaluate existing theory, policy, and practices in the era of economic globalization and global climate change.
- Apply the theoretical knowledge to research on specific problems/issue areas.
- Determine local and global linkages within political and economic practices, policies, and institutions to extend knowledge in the interdisciplinary area of political economy.
- Create connections with political and economic policy communities in the academic, government, non-governmental, and the private sectors.
Possible career options
- Research Specialist
- Analyst in foreign trade, business, the market or public finance
- Business Advisor
- Policy Co-ordinator
- Benefit Administrator
- Manager of not-for-profit organization
- Writer
- English as a Second Language (ESL) Teacher
