PPE at Queen’s

Politics, Philosophy and Economics

Dr Stefan Andreasson

Pathway Convenor

Politics, International Studies & Philosophy

Outline

• History, impact and recognition of PPE

• PPE at Queen’s

• Good reasons to study PPE at Queen’s

• What we study and learn

• Degree requirements and structure

• Further information

History, impact and recognition of PPE

• The Oxford PPE: 1920s ‘Modern Greats’, alternative to Classics

• An interdisciplinary foundation for modern social science

• Well represented among prime ministers, top civil servants and political leaders worldwide:

– David Cameron, William Hague, Lord Mandelson, David & Ed Miliband, Yvette Cooper; Tony Abbott, Benazir Bhutto…

• Wide impact on top echelons of academia, business, and beyond:

– Isaiah Berlin, Nicky Oppenheimer, Rupert Murdoch, US Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer…

• Why does PPE rule Britain? (BBC 2010)

‘Diplomacy is about surviving until the next century - politics is about surviving until Friday afternoon.’

-- Sir Humphrey (Yes, Minister)

PPE at Queen’s

• First and only degree of its kind in this island

• Highest entry requirement in Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (together with Accounting and Law)

• Started in September 2009; four cohorts have graduated

• Consistently strong student performance and outcomes

• An active PPE Student Society and network of former students

• Expertise of academic staff particularly well suited to the provision of the PPE (including input from the Management School)

• A vocational element to the PPE – optional internship in final year

Ed Livingstone, BA PPE, graduated 2013

‘The School is of not too large a size as to be impersonal, and therefore the relationships between the students and with the staff were strong and highly inclusive.The relatively small intake of the PPE programme meant that across all three years there were plenty of opportunities to interact with the other students, and the PPE society always had great socials as well as academic events.

Even though I’m now in London I return to Belfast quite often to catch up with friends now working in Northern Ireland or studying at Queen’s.’

Good reasons for studying PPE at Queen’s

• Student choice: can be designed to suit your needs and requirements

– Four possible combinations: specialisation in one of the three subjects, or equal amounts of each

• Intellectual versatility and dexterity: training and grounding in three disciplines (politics, philosophy and economics)

– A demanding degree (high entry requirement)

– ‘Three for the price of one’ (a multidimensional lens)

– Valued by employers (range of skills)

– High prestige and ‘brand recognition’ of the PPE internationally

What the PPE degree provides

• Intellectual foundation and cornerstone of contemporary social science with a rich heritage and tradition

• Learning to navigate the real world overlap of issues in business and policy communities

Intellectual foundations of modern social science

Contemporary issues transforming global affairs

Degree requirements and structure(BA Single Honours)

• Entry requirements: AAB + GCSE Mathematics grade B

• Level I: 2 economics, 1 philosophy, 1 politics + 2 choices

• Level II: 2 core interdisciplinary modules (Democracy, Ethics and Economics, and Politics of the Devolved UK), 1 economics, 1 philosophy + 2 choices

• Level III: A wide range of choices across politics, philosophy and economics (from at least two of the three disciplines)

– normally includes a double-weighted dissertation, or an internship (semester abroad on Erasmus also an option)

Further information

• Phone or email the Programme Convenor, Dr Stefan Andreasson: 028 9097 3051 / s.andreasson@qub.ac.uk

• Access the School website:www.qub.ac.uk/pisp

Access the University’s Course Finder website:http://www.qub.ac.uk/home/StudyatQueens/CourseFinder/UG/

• UCAS code: LV00

• ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS? PLEASE GET IN TOUCH!