Undergraduate Current Students | BS in Business and Political Economy

Official BPE curriculum information is exclusively in the University Bulletin. All other content, including this webpage, is for informational purposes only.

The Bachelor of Science degree in Business and Political Economy is a specialized curriculum inspired by the observation that businesses operate in environments greatly influenced by political decisions, decisions that the businesses themselves contribute to shaping. BPE students do not declare concentrations in specific business areas, but with planning, and consultation with your BPE academic adviser, you can choose to incorporate an NYU minor, or a Stern Track into your time at NYU; some students may be able to incorporate a second major through the College of Arts and Science. The degree culminates in a senior capstone project.

To foster a uniquely global perspective, the BPE program includes:

• Two full semesters of global study at NYU's global campuses: London in your sophomore fall and Shanghai in your junior spring. 
• An optional additional semester at any NYU site where you are able to fulfill BPE requirements.

Below is an overview of our core requirements. You can find detailed information such as course descriptions, prerequisites, and more via NYU Albert’s Public Course Search. You can also view this in our BS in BPE curriculum worksheets to navigate these requirements visually:

• BPE Class of 2028+ Curriculum Worksheet
• BPE Class of 2027 Curriculum Worksheet
• BPE Class of 2025-2026 Curriculum Worksheet
• BPE Class of 2024 Curriculum Worksheet

Quickly access the requirements of each area of your degree:

• Liberal Arts Core
• Business Core
• Politics Core
• Economics Core
• Social Impact Core
• Capstone
• Electives

Liberal Arts Core

Our Liberal Arts Core includes four courses designed to hone your critical quantitative skills, promote creative and logical thinking, and heighten your cultural awareness. This core includes:

• Mathematics: Calculus I (MATH-UA 121) or higher (approved advanced standing credit may be applied)
• Statistics:
  • Statistics for Business Control & Regression/Forecasting Models (STAT-UB 103)
  • OR
  • Passing the Statistics Proficiency Exam AND Regression/Forecasting Models (STAT-UB 3)
• Culture: Area Studies course
• Natural Science: (approved advanced standing credit may be applied)
  • CORE 200-399
  • Any Biology (BIOL-UA)
  • Any Chemistry (CHEM-UA)
  • Any Physics (PHYS-UA)
  • Select ENVST-UA courses:
    • ENVST-UA 100, 210, 226/9226, 254, 275/9275, 323, 360 (Not approved: ENVST-UA 101 or ENVST-UA 4XX/5XX) all other ENVST can be reviewed on a case-by-case basis
  • Select ANTH-UA courses:
    • ANTH-UA 2, 50-59, 80, 90, 240, 326, 511, 512 
  • Select PSYCH-UA courses:
    • PSYCH-UA 25, 34, 35
  • SCIED-UE 2XX ("Science in Our Lives") courses (must be 3 credits or more). After Fall 2023, no other SCIED-UE courses are eligible.

Business Core

The Business Core introduces you to the key business disciplines of accounting, finance, marketing, and global business. This core includes:

• Cohort Leadership Program (MULT-UB 9)
• Principles of Financial Accounting (ACCT-UB 1)
• Foundations of Finance (FINC-UB 2)
• Introduction to Marketing (MKTG-UB 1)
   

Politics Core

The Politics Core introduces you to the study of how economic outcomes are influenced by policy, how policy is shaped by politics, and how politics responds to stakeholders’ preferences. The course sequence stresses the role of international differences in institutions and cultural traditions. This core includes:

• Introduction to Economic and Political Thought (BPEP-UB 1)
• Political Economy (BPEP-UB 9012)
• Political Economy of East Asia (BPEP-SHU 9042)
• Business and Government (BPEP-UB 5)

Economics Core

The Economics Core exposes you to fundamental concepts and tools of economics, allowing you to understand major current economic trends and contribute to ongoing policy debates. This core includes: 

• Microeconomics (select one):
  • Microeconomics with Algebra (ECON-UB 1): This course relies on algebra and graphical illustrations to make key economic concepts accessible to students. Assessments are more qualitative and essay-based. 
  • Microeconomics with Calculus (ECON-UB 2): This course adopts a calculus-based approach to sharpen students’ understanding of the same fundamental economic concepts. Assessments involve the solution of formal problem sets. 
• Macroeconomics (BPEP-UB 2)
• International Economics (ECON-UA 9238 or BPEP-SHU 238)
• Economics elective
  • Any “ECON-UB” elective above ECON-UB 11
  • Game Theory (MULT-UB 20)
  • The Financial System (MULT-UB 27)
  • Economy & Business in Singapore (MULT-UB 131)
  • The Global Theme/Amusement Park Industry: USA (MULT-UB 132)
  • Business & Economy of the Netherlands (MULT-UB 134)
  • An ECON-UA 200-399 elective (4 credits)
    • Many CAS electives require either Intermediate Macroeconomics (ECON-UA 12) or Intermediate Microeconomics (ECON-UA 10) as prerequisites. If you have any questions about prerequisites, please contact your adviser. 
    • The following CAS economics courses are not open to Stern students: Intro to Macroeconomics and Intro to Microeconomics (ECON-UA 1 or ECON-UA 2); Intermediate Microeconomics (ECON-UA 10); Statistics (P) (ECON-UA 18); Money and Banking (ECON-UA 231); and Financial Economics (ECON-UA 368).

Social Impact Core

The Social Impact Core is a four-course sequence focusing on issues of personal and professional ethics, corporate social responsibility, the role of law in business and commerce, and the interconnections between corporations, markets, culture and governments, and our global society. This core includes:

• Business and Society (SOIM-UB 125)
• Organizational Communication & Its Social Context (SOIM-UB 65)
• Law, Business & Society (SOIM-UB 6)
• Professional Responsibility and Leadership (SOIM-UB 12)

The BPE senior seminar is a capstone experience that draws on all the business, political economy, and economics coursework you have taken throughout your four years at Stern.

• BPE Senior Seminar (BPEP-UB 8)

You are required to take electives to complete your degree. Of those units, some must be taken outside of Stern (excluding courses at the School of Professional Studies [SPS]) and some must be taken at Stern. The remaining units are multidisciplinary, and thus can be taken inside or outside of Stern. See your class' curriculum worksheet to determine what your elective requirements are for your class year.

Electives are courses used to complete a minor, delve deeper into an area inside of or outside of business, or sample an array of intellectual perspectives. Some examples of courses that count in the Electives area:

• Study away required coursework
• Business electives (These may be distributed broadly or could be used toward a Track.)
• Cross-school minor
• Secondary major through the College of Arts and Science (CAS)

Please refer to our electives page for more information.