Australia’s first double degree of its kind
Choose an industry internship from 600+ employers
Employability units are built into the degree
Why choose Deakin
Transform your understanding of the world and your ability to influence it with our Bachelor of Politics, Philosophy and Economics (PPE) and Bachelor of Communication. This double degree teaches you how to be an ethical leader, skilled communicator and opinion shaper. Whether your goal is to influence policy, lead public relations campaigns, or work in non-governmental organisations (NGOs) or private enterprise, you will gain the knowledge and skills needed to excel.
Taught by leading academics and researchers from four disciplines we are the only university offering this innovative double degree. Learn the nature of public decision-making, exploring resource management issues, and gain the skills to analyse business problems in line with social justice. Exploring different communication mediums, you will develop specialist skills with the option to major in advertising, digital and social media, journalism or public relations.
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Australia’s only double degree of its kind
This pioneering double degree connects politics, philosophy and economics with communication, so you build broad insight and ability to influence.
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Top ranking course
Study at the #1 Victorian uni for communication course overall satisfaction.
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Cutting-edge technology
Spend your days learning in speciality spaces like our industry-standard newsroom and creative media lab, at the #1 Victorian uni for facilities and resources.
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Learn by doing
Answer industry briefs, gain valuable experience and build networks. Be supported by Deakin to design your internship – choose from 600+ employers or craft your own.
Connected to industry
Deakin’s strong industry connections help shape your learning. Build practical experience in real workplace contexts through work-integrated learning, mentoring and networking opportunities. Industry advisory boards also help shape our degrees, which means what you study is current, relevant and aligned to what your future employers need.
Deakin puts employability first
Career outcomes
Combine analytical insight with communication expertise to pursue careers across government, media, NGOs and private enterprise, where you can research complex issues, shape ideas and communicate with diverse audiences.
Policy officer
Research and analyse complex issues, consult with stakeholders and prepare policy advice, briefings and reports that support decisions across government, NGOs and other organisations.
- $113k
Typical salary in Australia
- 14.8%
Projected job growth in 5 years
Journalist
Research, investigate and communicate news and current issues across digital, print, radio or television, using interviews, evidence and strong storytelling to inform audiences.
- 4.3/5
Job satisfaction
- $88k
Typical salary in Australia
Other roles you may find:
- Advocacy roles in NGOs
- Community engagement specialist
- Government relations manager
- Public relations manager
- Speech writer
- Strategy consultant
Key dates
Direct applications
Trimester 1 2027 applications close 7 February 2027
VTAC
FAQs
Yes – every Deakin student can access work-integrated learning (WIL) in their degree. Each year, more than 30,000+ students complete a placement or internship with partners including Microsoft, KPMG, EY and the National Australia Bank. You can access WIL through placements, industry projects, field-based experiences, simulations and global programs, helping you apply your skills and graduate with the experience and confidence employers value.
DeakinTALENT is Deakin's award-winning career service, and you can access it for life – not just while you're studying. From personalised career coaching sessions and AI-enhanced resume support to a jobs and internships board with employment opportunities, it’s designed to give you the career management skills and connections you need to stand out. Every Deakin degree is built with input from employers, so your course is designed around real workplace needs, now and into the future.
Entry requirements and the minimum ATAR vary by degree and are detailed on the degree page, but if your ATAR is below the cut-off, you still have options. Use the pathway finder tool to find the opportunities available to you, including associate degrees and Deakin Guaranteed ATAR, which offers eligible students a guaranteed entry score that's on average 10 points below the lowest selection rank. If you don't have an ATAR, Deakin Uni Ready is a free, supported program designed to build your skills and confidence and open doors to degrees in arts, health, science and business. Access programs and equity schemes are also available.
At Deakin, employability isn't an add-on – it's built in. Our degrees are designed with industry input, so your skills are aligned to what employers actually need. Every Deakin student can access work-integrated learning through opportunities such as placements, internships and industry projects, helping you build your professional network and practical experience before you even graduate. It's an approach that works: nine out of 10 Deakin graduates get a job within four to six months of finishing their degree.
Yes. Most eligible undergraduate students are offered a Commonwealth Supported Place meaning the government subsidises part of your tuition fees. If eligible, you can pay your student contribution using a HECS-HELP loan that you only start repaying once your income is above the repayment threshold. Deakin has scholarships that cater to our diverse student community, ranging from $5,000 per year for high ATAR achievers to $10,000 per year for students facing financial or personal hardship. The University also offers support services including financial counselling, budgeting help and access to short-term, interest-free loans to help you stay on track.
Deakin is the #1 Victorian university for student support and that starts the moment you accept your offer. Orientation is designed to help you feel welcome and get to know your community of classmates and teachers from day one. Across all campuses, there's a vibrant student community with clubs, events and opportunities to build real friendships. Deakin offers a range of services to help students stay healthy and safe, including sport and fitness facilities, free counselling, on-campus medical services and around-the-clock security.
Yes, and it's straightforward. You can transfer to Deakin in a few steps and apply for credit through recognition of prior learning (RPL), so you won't necessarily repeat subjects you've already completed. If you're coming from a TAFE partner, you may get guaranteed entry into second year with guaranteed RPL. Deakin's three-trimester system also means you may be able to start mid-year rather than waiting until March.
Most Deakin courses run across three trimesters per year instead of the traditional two semesters. Trimester 1 begins around March, Trimester 2 around July and Trimester 3 around November, each with roughly 12 weeks of teaching followed by an exam period. This means you can usually start your degree at three different points in the year and have more flexibility to manage your study load. Check the intakes by location section on the course page for details.
*Deakin references data from a range of government, higher education and reputable media sources. Learn more about our achievements on our University rankings page, or explore our sources page for supporting references.
What will I study in the Bachelor of Politics, Philosophy and Economics/Bachelor of Communication?
Build insight into how societies work while learning how to communicate ideas with clarity, strategy and impact. Across four years, your study becomes more focused, more applied and more tailored to your future career.
Build your base across both degrees
Build foundations
Start with essential study in politics, economics, communication and critical thinking. Build a strong base for the combined degree and the confidence to tackle unfamiliar ideas.
Start shaping your study early
Develop your pathway from first year through selected stream and major study, which means your degree starts taking shape sooner rather than later.
Begin career thinking from day one
Built-in employability introduces reflection, planning and direction-setting, so your professional thinking grows alongside your academic progress.
Deepen your direction
Tackle complex social questions
Dive further into policy, ethics, justice and argument. Build the skills needed to assess ideas carefully rather than simply taking them at face value.
Tailor your combined pathway
Continue your communication major, progress your PPE stream choices and use electives to shape a degree that reflects both your strengths and your emerging goals.
Grow practical communication skills
Through applied assessment and the next step in the employability sequence, you practise presenting ideas clearly for different audiences.
Apply your learning
Advance into higher-level study
Move into senior PPE and communication learning, where your analysis becomes more nuanced and you are expected to work with greater independence and judgement.
Build practical experience
The employability sequence includes work-integrated learning, with experiences that can range from simulated practice to community, industry or global projects.
Connect ideas with influence
Keep developing how to research, write and communicate persuasively, linking complex public issues with the audiences, sectors and settings you want to reach.
Consolidate and graduate
Complete your advanced study
Finish the upper-level PPE and communication requirements, bringing both sides of the degree together in a focused, integrated and purposeful way.
Round out your expertise with choice
Final electives let you add depth where it counts, whether that means extending a strength, balancing your disciplines or broadening your career options.
Graduate ready to make an impact
On completion you have built analytical depth, ethical judgement and professional communication skills suited to work across public, private and community settings.
Course structure
To complete the Bachelor of Politics, Philosophy and Economics/Bachelor of Communication, you must pass 32 credit points.
Most units are equal to one credit point. As a full-time student you will study four credit points per trimester and usually undertake two trimesters per year.
Are you a current student? For course information that applies to the year you started your degree, visit the handbook.
All students are required to meet the University's academic progress and conduct requirements
Units
Communication core:
ACC213 Dilemmas, Defamation, Deception and Disinformation [no longer available for enrolment]
ACC310 Communication Futures [no longer available for enrolment]
Employability Sequence:
Plus one credit point from:
Plus one credit point from:
Core units:
What to expect while studying
You may be able to study available units in the optional third trimester to fast-track your degree, however your course duration may be extended if there are delays in meeting course requirements, such as completing a placement.
Any unit which contains work integrated learning, a community placement or interaction with the community may require a police check, Working with Children Check or other check.
The Work Integrated opportunities within the Bachelor of Politics, Philosophy and Economics/Bachelor of Communication are conveyed within the structure of the Bachelor of Communication. Within the Bachelor of Communication a compulsory three credit point Employability/WIL sequence, embedded within the course across each year level, offers scaffolded career development learning and WIL experiences to ready students for their post-study futures. Experiences range from the completion of tasks in environments that simulate the workplace to volunteering and service learning, study tours and other global experiential learning programs, collaborative team-based projects for industry or community, and internships.
Authentic learning activities and assessment enable students to develop knowledge of career strategies and pathways; enhance their discipline-specific expertise while building employability skills and their sense of purpose and professional identity; connect and network with industry, community and peers; and enhance their capacity to make meaningful contributions to society and within work environments that are increasingly characterised by rapid change, automation and digitisation. Students will develop an enterprising mindset that allows them to construct a rewarding career across multiple positions and sectors.
At Deakin, we're committed to ensuring an inclusive environment that supports all students to belong, thrive and succeed. We work closely with students, where needed, to identify potential barriers to participation and where possible, provide tailored support so students can engage with learning and assessment activities.
If you are neurodivergent, have a disability, health condition or mental health condition that may impact your study or participation in university life, and want to know how Deakin could support you, contact our Domestic students (opens in a new window) or International students (opens in a new window) or Disability Resource Centre (opens email client) teams for a collaborative and confidential discussion. This discussion is to support you to make plans for your studies and future career and will not have any bearing on your application to the course.
When can I start?
When you study depends on your course, location and available intakes. Check the table to see when you can start and how study is offered throughout the year.
- Award granted
Bachelor of Politics, Philosophy and Economics/Bachelor of Communication
- Year
2027 course information
- VTAC code
- 1400312281 - Waurn Ponds (Geelong), Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP)
1400512281 - Burwood (Melbourne), Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP)
1400612281 - Online, Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP) - Deakin code
- D337
- Level
- Undergraduate
- Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) recognition
The award conferred upon completion is recognised in the Australian Qualifications Framework at Level 7
Fees
Estimated tuition fee
$18,026
for 1 yr full-time - Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP)
The estimated tuition (student contribution) fee above is based on a typical first-year full-time enrolment of 8 credit points and is provided as a guide only. Your student contribution is determined by the units you enrol in and will vary depending on the units you choose, your study load, the course duration, and any approved recognition of prior learning. You may also be eligible for a HECS-HELP loan to defer payment of all or part of your student contribution.
Check your eligibility or learn more about CSP or HECS-HELP.
Scholarships
We want to help you excel at Deakin. Our scholarships recognise your dedication and achievements, providing financial support that can ease the cost of living and studying. With less pressure, you'll have more freedom to focus on what matters most – your education and future success.
Applications for 2027 are open
Ready to take the next step? Apply now to start your journey at Deakin and get ready for what’s next.
Key dates
Direct applications
Trimester 1 2027 applications close 7 February 2027
VTAC
Apply now
Apply direct
Simply create an account in the Deakin Application Portal, enter your personal and educational details, upload your supporting documents and submit your application.
Apply through VTAC
Applications are open. Apply through VTAC if you're:
- currently in Year 12 and applying for Trimester 1 or Semester 1
- applying for multiple undergraduate courses
Need help? Follow our step-by-step undergraduate guide to prepare and submit your application.
Recognition of prior learning
We value your previous study and experience. Recognition of prior learning enables you to get credit for what you've already achieved. When you apply, we'll consider your previous study and experience for recognition of prior learning.
Not sure if you'll meet entry requirements?
Deakin offers a range of pathways into the Bachelor of Politics, Philosophy and Economics/Bachelor of Communication to suit your background and goals. Explore the pathways finder to see how previous study, diplomas or alternative qualifications can lead you into the course.