Program Overview

Introduction to the Business and Political Economy Program

The Business and Political Economy (BPE) program at NYU Stern offers a unique curriculum that combines business, politics, and economics coursework with international study. This program provides students with a real-world understanding of the global business environment.

Curriculum Overview

The BPE curriculum includes:

• Liberal Arts Core: A solid grounding in the liberal arts and sciences, with four courses designed to hone critical quantitative skills, promote creative and logical thinking, and heighten cultural awareness.
• Business Core: An introduction to the key business disciplines of accounting, finance, and marketing, as well as an introduction to international business.
• Economics Core: Exposure to the major concepts, tools, and debates of economics today, with a strong focus on global economic linkages and trends.
• Politics Core: Introduction to the study of politics, covering political theory, comparative politics, and international relations.
• Social Impact Core: A four-course sequence focusing on issues of personal and professional ethics, corporate social responsibility, and the interconnections between corporations, markets, cultures, governments, and our global society.

Sample 4-Year Curriculum

The following is a typical 4-year curriculum for a student pursuing the BS in Business and Political Economy degree:

First Year in New York City

• Cohort Leadership Program (CLP) (Business Core)
• Microeconomics (Economics Core)
• Macroeconomics (Economics Core)
• Natural Science (Liberal Arts Core)
• Statistics (Liberal Arts Core)
• Writing: Intro to Political & Economic Thought (Politics Core)
• Business & Society (Social Impact Core)

Sophomore Year in London (fall) and NYC (spring)

• Foundations of Finance (Business Core)
• Macroeconomics (Economics Core)
• International Economics (Economics Core)
• Introduction to Marketing (Business Core)
• Organizational Communication & Its Social Context (Social Impact Core)
• Political Economy (Politics Core)
• Principles of Financial Accounting (Business Core)
• Foreign Language

Junior Year in NYC (fall) and Shanghai (spring)

• Business and Government (Politics Core)
• Econometrics-focused course (Economics Core)
• Electives
• Law, Business, and Society (Social Impact Core)
• Political Economy of East Asia (Politics Core)
• Option to spend an additional semester away at any NYU global site or International Business Exchange (IBEX) location

Senior Year

• Area studies elective in East Asian or European studies (Liberal Arts Core)
• BPE Senior Seminar (Capstone)
• Economics elective (Economics Core)
• Electives
• Professional Responsibility and Leadership (Social Impact Core)
• Partner with the Wasserman Center for Career Development to complete your job search

Program Details

The BPE program is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the global business environment. The program includes two semesters of study abroad, in London and Shanghai, and offers students the option to spend an additional semester away at any NYU global site or International Business Exchange (IBEX) location. The program also includes a capstone course, the BPE Senior Seminar, which provides students with the opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills they have acquired throughout the program.