Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE)

A typical week

Your weekly timetable will usually be divided between six to eight lectures and two meetings, which may be either tutorials or classes, supplemented by private study which will be mainly spent preparing essays or problem sets for tutorials and classes.

Tutorials are usually two-four students and a tutor. Class sizes may vary depending on the options you choose. Teaching in all three PPE subjects is normally done in tutorials rather than classes. Where classes do form part of the teaching for a paper, there would usually be no more than around 20 students though classes for some of the more popular papers may be up to 30 students. Most tutorials, classes, and lectures are delivered by staff who are tutors in their subject. Many are world-leading experts with years of experience in teaching and research. Some teaching may also be delivered by postgraduate students who are usually studying at doctorate level.

To find out more about how our teaching year is structured, visit our Academic Year page.

Academic YearCourse structureYEAR 1

COURSES

All three branches of PPE are studied equally:

• Philosophy
  • General philosophy
  • Moral philosophy
  • Elementary logic
• Politics
  • The theory of politics (introductory political theory)
  • The practice of politics (introductory comparative government and politics)
  • Political analysis (introductory empirical and quantitative methods)
• Economics
  • Microeconomics: the functioning of the market economy
  • Macroeconomics: dealing with national output and employment, exchange rates and policy issues
  • Mathematical techniques used in economics

ASSESSMENT

First University examinations: three written papersYEARS 2 AND 3

COURSES

Students choose to continue with all three branches (tripartite) or concentrate on any two (bipartite), taking compulsory courses in the chosen branches along with optional courses:

• Philosophy
  • Ethics
  • Either Early modern philosophy or Knowledge and reality or Plato’s Republic or Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics
• Politics (any two of these)
  • Comparative government
  • British politics and government since 1900
  • Theory of politics
  • International relations
  • Political sociology
• Economics
  • If bipartite at least one of Microeconomics, Macroeconomics and Quantitative economics
  • If tripartite, at least one of Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, Quantitative economics and Development of the world economy since 1800
  • Option choices in Economics depend on having completed pre-requisite courses which are one of the courses listed above.
• Optional courses
  • Usually more than 50 choices

Please note that the options offered may change. A full list of current options is available on the course website.

ASSESSMENT

Final University examinations: eight papers, typically assessed by written examination, but in some cases by coursework. One of these eight papers may be a thesis/supervised dissertation.

YEAR 1

COURSES

All three branches of PPE are studied equally:

• Philosophy
  • General philosophy
  • Moral philosophy
  • Elementary logic
• Politics
  • The theory of politics (introductory political theory)
  • The practice of politics (introductory comparative government and politics)
  • Political analysis (introductory empirical and quantitative methods)
• Economics
  • Microeconomics: the functioning of the market economy
  • Macroeconomics: dealing with national output and employment, exchange rates and policy issues
  • Mathematical techniques used in economics

ASSESSMENT

First University examinations: three written papersYEARS 2 AND 3

COURSES

Students choose to continue with all three branches (tripartite) or concentrate on any two (bipartite), taking compulsory courses in the chosen branches along with optional courses:

• Philosophy
  • Ethics
  • Either Early modern philosophy or Knowledge and reality or Plato’s Republic or Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics
• Politics (any two of these)
  • Comparative government
  • British politics and government since 1900
  • Theory of politics
  • International relations
  • Political sociology
• Economics
  • If bipartite at least one of Microeconomics, Macroeconomics and Quantitative economics
  • If tripartite, at least one of Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, Quantitative economics and Development of the world economy since 1800
  • Option choices in Economics depend on having completed pre-requisite courses which are one of the courses listed above.
• Optional courses
  • Usually more than 50 choices

Please note that the options offered may change. A full list of current options is available on the course website.

ASSESSMENT

Final University examinations: eight papers, typically assessed by written examination, but in some cases by coursework. One of these eight papers may be a thesis/supervised dissertation.

YEAR 1YEAR 1YEAR 1

COURSES

All three branches of PPE are studied equally:

• Philosophy
  • General philosophy
  • Moral philosophy
  • Elementary logic
• Politics
  • The theory of politics (introductory political theory)
  • The practice of politics (introductory comparative government and politics)
  • Political analysis (introductory empirical and quantitative methods)
• Economics
  • Microeconomics: the functioning of the market economy
  • Macroeconomics: dealing with national output and employment, exchange rates and policy issues
  • Mathematical techniques used in economics

ASSESSMENT

First University examinations: three written papers

COURSES

All three branches of PPE are studied equally:

• Philosophy
  • General philosophy
  • Moral philosophy
  • Elementary logic
• Politics
  • The theory of politics (introductory political theory)
  • The practice of politics (introductory comparative government and politics)
  • Political analysis (introductory empirical and quantitative methods)
• Economics
  • Microeconomics: the functioning of the market economy
  • Macroeconomics: dealing with national output and employment, exchange rates and policy issues
  • Mathematical techniques used in economics

COURSES

COURSES

• Philosophy
  • General philosophy
  • Moral philosophy
  • Elementary logic
• Politics
  • The theory of politics (introductory political theory)
  • The practice of politics (introductory comparative government and politics)
  • Political analysis (introductory empirical and quantitative methods)
• Economics
  • Microeconomics: the functioning of the market economy
  • Macroeconomics: dealing with national output and employment, exchange rates and policy issues
  • Mathematical techniques used in economics

Philosophy

• General philosophy
• Moral philosophy
• Elementary logic

Philosophy

• General philosophy
• Moral philosophy
• Elementary logic

General philosophy

Moral philosophy

Elementary logic

Politics

• The theory of politics (introductory political theory)
• The practice of politics (introductory comparative government and politics)
• Political analysis (introductory empirical and quantitative methods)

Politics

• The theory of politics (introductory political theory)
• The practice of politics (introductory comparative government and politics)
• Political analysis (introductory empirical and quantitative methods)

The theory of politics (introductory political theory)

The practice of politics (introductory comparative government and politics)

Political analysis (introductory empirical and quantitative methods)

Economics

• Microeconomics: the functioning of the market economy
• Macroeconomics: dealing with national output and employment, exchange rates and policy issues
• Mathematical techniques used in economics

Economics

• Microeconomics: the functioning of the market economy
• Macroeconomics: dealing with national output and employment, exchange rates and policy issues
• Mathematical techniques used in economics

Microeconomics: the functioning of the market economy

Macroeconomics: dealing with national output and employment, exchange rates and policy issues

Mathematical techniques used in economics

ASSESSMENT

First University examinations: three written papers

ASSESSMENT

ASSESSMENTYEARS 2 AND 3YEARS 2 AND 3YEARS 2 AND 3

COURSES

Students choose to continue with all three branches (tripartite) or concentrate on any two (bipartite), taking compulsory courses in the chosen branches along with optional courses:

• Philosophy
  • Ethics
  • Either Early modern philosophy or Knowledge and reality or Plato’s Republic or Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics
• Politics (any two of these)
  • Comparative government
  • British politics and government since 1900
  • Theory of politics
  • International relations
  • Political sociology
• Economics
  • If bipartite at least one of Microeconomics, Macroeconomics and Quantitative economics
  • If tripartite, at least one of Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, Quantitative economics and Development of the world economy since 1800
  • Option choices in Economics depend on having completed pre-requisite courses which are one of the courses listed above.
• Optional courses
  • Usually more than 50 choices

Please note that the options offered may change. A full list of current options is available on the course website.

ASSESSMENT

Final University examinations: eight papers, typically assessed by written examination, but in some cases by coursework. One of these eight papers may be a thesis/supervised dissertation.

COURSES

Students choose to continue with all three branches (tripartite) or concentrate on any two (bipartite), taking compulsory courses in the chosen branches along with optional courses:

• Philosophy
  • Ethics
  • Either Early modern philosophy or Knowledge and reality or Plato’s Republic or Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics
• Politics (any two of these)
  • Comparative government
  • British politics and government since 1900
  • Theory of politics
  • International relations
  • Political sociology
• Economics
  • If bipartite at least one of Microeconomics, Macroeconomics and Quantitative economics
  • If tripartite, at least one of Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, Quantitative economics and Development of the world economy since 1800
  • Option choices in Economics depend on having completed pre-requisite courses which are one of the courses listed above.
• Optional courses
  • Usually more than 50 choices

Please note that the options offered may change. A full list of current options is available on the course website.

COURSES

COURSES

Students choose to continue with all three branches (tripartite) or concentrate on any two (bipartite), taking compulsory courses in the chosen branches along with optional courses:

tripartitebipartite

• Philosophy
  • Ethics
  • Either Early modern philosophy or Knowledge and reality or Plato’s Republic or Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics
• Politics (any two of these)
  • Comparative government
  • British politics and government since 1900
  • Theory of politics
  • International relations
  • Political sociology
• Economics
  • If bipartite at least one of Microeconomics, Macroeconomics and Quantitative economics
  • If tripartite, at least one of Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, Quantitative economics and Development of the world economy since 1800
  • Option choices in Economics depend on having completed pre-requisite courses which are one of the courses listed above.
• Optional courses
  • Usually more than 50 choices

Philosophy

• Ethics
• Either Early modern philosophy or Knowledge and reality or Plato’s Republic or Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics

PhilosophyPhilosophy

• Ethics
• Either Early modern philosophy or Knowledge and reality or Plato’s Republic or Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics

Ethics

Either Early modern philosophy or Knowledge and reality or Plato’s Republic or Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics

EitherororRepublicNicomachean Ethics

Politics (any two of these)

• Comparative government
• British politics and government since 1900
• Theory of politics
• International relations
• Political sociology

Politics (any two of these)

• Comparative government
• British politics and government since 1900
• Theory of politics
• International relations
• Political sociology

Comparative government

British politics and government since 1900

Theory of politics

International relations

Political sociology

Economics

• If bipartite at least one of Microeconomics, Macroeconomics and Quantitative economics
• If tripartite, at least one of Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, Quantitative economics and Development of the world economy since 1800
• Option choices in Economics depend on having completed pre-requisite courses which are one of the courses listed above.

EconomicsEconomicsEconomics

• If bipartite at least one of Microeconomics, Macroeconomics and Quantitative economics
• If tripartite, at least one of Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, Quantitative economics and Development of the world economy since 1800
• Option choices in Economics depend on having completed pre-requisite courses which are one of the courses listed above.

If bipartite at least one of Microeconomics, Macroeconomics and Quantitative economics

If tripartite, at least one of Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, Quantitative economics and Development of the world economy since 1800

Option choices in Economics depend on having completed pre-requisite courses which are one of the courses listed above.

Optional courses

• Usually more than 50 choices

Optional courses

• Usually more than 50 choices

Usually more than 50 choices

Please note that the options offered may change. A full list of current options is available on the course website.

Please note that the options offered may change. A full list of current options is available on the course website.on the course website

ASSESSMENT

Final University examinations: eight papers, typically assessed by written examination, but in some cases by coursework. One of these eight papers may be a thesis/supervised dissertation.

ASSESSMENT

ASSESSMENT

Final University examinations: eight papers, typically assessed by written examination, but in some cases by coursework. One of these eight papers may be a thesis/supervised dissertation.

The content and format of this course may change in some circumstances. Read further information about potential course changes.

The content and format of this course may change in some circumstances. Read further information about potential course changes.

The content and format of this course may change in some circumstances. Read further information about potential course changes.

The content and format of this course may change in some circumstances. Read further information about potential course changes.

potential course changes

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Overview

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Overview
Overview