Politics, Philosophy and Economics

Description

Queen’s PPE stands out for its emphasis on interdisciplinarity, linking moral philosophy to political economy. It provides a number of modules in political philosophy and political economy. Students are encouraged to make links between politics, philosophy and economics and to think about how these areas relate to and complement one another. This gives students a rounded and integrated intellectual training, which combines the versatility of an understanding of all three subject areas, with the dexterity to move between and supplement the different modes of thinking that the three disciplines involve.

Student choice is a feature of the programme as students are able to design and structure the programme to suit their interests, within a tightly defined structure, that provides a training in all three areas.

The School of Politics, International Studies and Philosophy’s well established and highly successful internship programme gives students the opportunity to develop vocational skills and build up workplace based experience, in areas such as public policy analysis, formation and delivery, private sector consultancy and analysis, political broadcasting and journalism.

Examples of the opportunities provided for learning on this course are:

• Lectures: introduce basic information about new topics as a starting point for further self-directed private study/reading. Lectures also provide opportunities to ask questions, gain some feedback and advice on assessments (normally delivered in large groups to all year group peers).
• Seminars/tutorials: Significant amounts of teaching are carried out in small groups (typically 10-20 students). These provide significant opportunity for students to engage with academic staff who have specialist knowledge of the topic, to ask questions of them and to assess your own progress and understanding with the support of peers. Students should also expect to make presentations and other contributions to these groups.
• Self-directed study: This is an important part of life as a Queen’s student when important private reading, engagement with e-learning resources, reflection on feedback to date and assignment research and preparation work is carried out.
• E-Learning technologies: Information associated with lectures and assignments is often communicated via a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) called Queen’s Online. A range of e-learning experiences are also embedded in the degree through, for example, online discussion forums, research methods modules involving statistics, additional learning resources, online readings, and opportunities to use IT programmes in project- based work.
• Supervised research: In final year, students will be expected to carry out a significant piece of research. This may be a project directly related to their internship, which draws on academic literatures and applies it to an issue or question relevant to the organization to which they have been seconded, and ties in with the role they have played in that organization. Alternatively, students may produce a piece of academic research on a topic of their choosing, carried out over the entire academic year. Students will receive support to guide them in terms of how to carry out their research and will be provided with feedback in person and via email.
• Personal Tutor: Undergraduates are allocated a Personal Tutor from their first day at the university. The Personal Tutor is available to meet with them and to give advice throughout their time at Queen’s, in support of their academic development and to act as an important point of contact with the School.
• Study abroad opportunities: Students have the opportunity to spend some time studying in one of our linked universities through Socrates/ Erasmus and Study Abroad schemes. For example, this can take the form of a semester’s study in Sweden (Lünd) (for which credits are transferred back to your degree here in Queen’s), in the Netherlands (Rotterdam), (teaching in English) and in the United States or Canada
• Prizes: The highest achieving students in Politics, Philosophy and Economics are given year and graduating awards, we also support our students entering essays to the annual Undergraduate Awards, for which one of our students received a prize in the Social Science category in 2011.

Careers

Overview: PPE graduates are ideally placed for work in a range of occupations, including the civil service, public services, policy analysis, media, research, teaching, business, the voluntary sector, commerce, marketing and management. Some graduates build on the degree by undertaking postgraduate training in fields such as Legislative Studies, Economics and Finance, Politics, International Relations, International Law and Cognitive Science, as well as social science research and teaching. Tailored careers advice and study guidance is available to all students throughout their time at Queen’s

The particular benefit of PPE is that it provides students with a multi-disciplinary approach to problems and issues. It enables students to understand the political, philosophical and economic issues involved, and the overlap between them, in the course of the making of a particular policy, or business decision. The programme is policy relevant and has a particular focus on policy analysis. Students will leave with a good level of economic and financial literacy. The testimonies of PPE graduates repeatedly reveal that the biggest single advantage a PPE degree programme has provided them with is the versatility and dexterity that results from a training and grounding in three different disciplines. It is this versatility, flexibility and dexterity that opens up such a wide range of career options for PPE graduates, and is highly valued by employers, giving PPE students an advantage over many other Social Science graduates

The diversity of interests and topics covered in the discipline, plus the wide range of skills it equips you with, means that our students enter a wide range of careers on graduation. These include the public sector (e.g. social services, education, civil service,) private sector (e.g. market research, policy analysis, human resources, banking), and third sector (e.g. policy analyst, researcher, , charity fundraiser). A number of our students also go on to postgraduate study, on a full or part-time basis.

Famous PPE graduates include in the field of politics include David Cameron, Yvette Cooper, David Miliband, and Ed Balls), the civil service journalism, the media and broadcasting (David Dimbleby, Nick Robinson and John Sergant).

The first cohort of QUB PPE students are currently graduating and are moving into areas such as further postgraduate study (internationally and in Britain and Ireland), teacher training, banking, consultancy, the civil service and politics, including as a StormontMLA.

Consultations with Employers: The School of Politics, International Studies and Philosophy includes an active and engaged Employers Forum, which is a panel composed of individuals of high ranking in organisations in fields directly relevant to our degree programmes, including Northern Bank, Price Waterhouse, Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action, a range of government departments based at Stormont, and the BBC. The members of this panel advise staff in incorporating employability skills in the development of our degree programmes and in helping prepare our students for the world of work. They also contribute to advisory sessions for students on careers and employability.

Detailed Course Facts

• EUR 4160 Year (EEA)
• EUR 13380 Year (Non-EEA)

England, Scotland and Wales £9,000; EU £3,575; International: £11,500

• English

Course Content

Level 1

At Level 1, students take two Economics modules, one Politics module, one Philosophy module, and have two choices.

Levels 2 and 3

At Level 2, students take two core interdisciplinary modules which examine the linkages between the disciplines:

• Democracy and Ethics and Economics
• The Politics and Economics of Devolution in the UK
• Students also take:
• Economic Policy
• Moral Theories
• plus two optional modules

At Level 3, students take six modules including either a double-weighted dissertation or double-weighted internship and at least one Politics, one Philosophy and one Economics module.

The range of optional modules at Levels 2 and 3 include:

Level 2 modules

• Comparative Politics
• Economic Growth Theory
• Epistemology
• Game Theory
• History of Philosophy
• Industrial Organisation
• International Relations
• Irish Politics
• Logic and Critical Thinking
• Managerial Economics
• Modern Political Thought
• Philosophy of Mind
• Politics and Policy in the European Union
• Politics of Deeply Divided Societies
• Skills and Methods in the Study of Politics

Level 3 modules

• Applied Ethics
• Contemporary Social and Political Thought
• Contemporary Theories of Justice
• Decision-making in the EU
• Economics of the Environment
• Economics of the Public Sector
• Ethics and Politics of Foreign Policy
• Ethnicity, Multiculturalism and the Nation State
• Irish Political Thought
• International Economics
• Making Politics Count
• Metaphysics
• Mind and Nature
• Philosophy of Law
• Philosophy of Science
• Political Parties and Democracy
• Politics and Policy in the UK
• Politics and Power in the Global Economy
• Regional Economics
• The Politics of Sustainable Development
• The Religious and Secular in Modern Political Thought
• Theory and Practice of International Security
• War and Visual Culture
• Women and Politics
• Internship

Lecturers

Introduce basic information about new topics as a starting point for further self-directed private study/reading. Lectures also provide opportunities to ask questions, gain some feedback and advice on assessments (normally delivered in large groups to all year group peers).

English Language Requirements

IELTS band : 6.5

To study at this university, you have to speak English. We advice you to

Requirements

• A-level: AAB + GCSE Mathematics B
• Irish Leaving Certificate: AB2B2B2B2B2 + if not offered at Higher Level then Ordinary Level grade B in Mathematics

For students whose first language is not English

An IELTS score of 6.5 with a minimum of 5.5 in each test component or an equivalent qualification acceptable to the University.

Work Experience

No work experience is required.

Related Scholarships*

• Academic Excellence Scholarship

  "The Academic Excellence Scholarship can provide up to a 50 % reduction in tuition per semester. These scholarships will be renewed if the student maintains superior academic performance during each semester of their 3-year Bachelor programme. The scholarship will be directly applied to the student’s tuition fees."

• Access Bursary

  Bursary for UK students all subjects where the variable tuition fee rate is payable.

• Alumni Bursary

  Alumni Bursary for UK Undergraduate students

* The scholarships shown on this page are suggestions first and foremost. They could be offered by other organisations than Queen's University Belfast.