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Description
The Politics, Philosophy, & Economics (PPE) program is an interdisciplinary major drawing from three academic disciplines, political science, philosophy, and economics. The program is structured to provide students with a foundation in policy, ethics, and economics so that they may develop a comprehensive understanding of the complexity of contemporary and enduring social issues.
Learning Objectives
The aim of the Politics, Philosophy, & Economics (PPE) major is to equip students with a diversity of perspectives and skills that enable them to pursue careers in the profit, non-profit, and public sectors:
The PPE major will provide students with an understanding of the disciplines of government, economics, and philosophy.
The PPE major will enable students to apply theory and methods from government, economics, and philosophy to a variety of social and political questions and challenges.
The PPE major will provide the student with an interdisciplinary perspective, knowledge, and skill set.
Students will understand the institutions and rules that govern and structure political decision-making.
Students will understand the main theories and concepts of ethics and political philosophy.
Students will be able to access existing economic knowledge and to interpret and manipulate economic data.
Students will be able to analyze and critically assess quantitative and qualitative research.
Students will correctly distinguish and identify the ethical, political, and economic aspects of social and political questions and challenges.
Students will relevantly and correctly combine the perspectives, theories, and data from politics, philosophy, and economics to engage in real world social and political issues.
Detailed Course Facts
Application deadline February 15, 2015 Tuition fee- USD 16265 Semester (National)
Full-time: 12-17 credits per semester $16,265
Start date 2016 Duration full-time 48 months Languages Take an IELTS test- English
Course Content
Major Requirements: 14 courses, 56 creditsCore Requirements (8 classes, 32 credits)
The following classes are required for all PPE majors (each class is 4 credits unless otherwise noted).- GVT-110 Introduction to American Democracy
Credits:
4.00
Description:
An introduction to the American political system and constitutional framework. Focus will be on the interplay of various institutions (the Presidency, Congress and the Judiciary) in creating public policies. Contemporary public issues will be discussed, as will the role of political theory in shaping American democracy. Attention will be given to the role of the news media, public opinion, political ideology, political parties and interest groups in the American system.
Type:
Social Science,BSJ SOCIAL SCIENCE
- GVT-243 American Constitutional Law
Prerequisites:
not open to freshmen
Credits:
4.00
Description:
The growth of Constitutional law and the role of the Supreme Court is examined by analysis of court decisions dealing with Judicial Review, Federalism, Presidential and Congressional powers. Normally offered every year.
Type:
Social Science,BSJ SOCIAL SCIENCE
- EC-101 Applied Microeconomics
Prerequisites:
Non CAS majors need to have completed at least 16 credits.
Credits:
4.00
Description:
This course introduces students to foundational principles of microeconomic theory, with an emphasis on applications of concepts to management decision-making in specific industry and market settings. It describes and analyzes the interaction of supply and demand and the behavior of the prices of goods, services. It explains the determinations of costs, output, strategic pricing, and governance by firms under conditions of perfect and imperfect competition in a global economy. In addition, it describes the supply demand for factors of production and the impact of taxes and government regulation and intervention on firms and consumers.
Type:
Social Science,BSJ SOCIAL SCIENCE
- EC-102 Global Macroeconomics
Prerequisites:
Non-CAS majors need to have completed at least 16 credits
Credits:
4.00
Description:
This course examines the workings of the national and the global economy. It will describe the determination of Gross Domestic Product, the problems of unemployment, inflation, and the determination of economic growth. It will also describe and analyze the determination of the country's exchange rate, the balance of payments, and international borrowing and lending. A particular focus will be on understanding economic fluctuations (booms, busts, and recessions) in the domestic economy and its effects on other economies. It will analyze the role of the government and the effects of government spending and taxation on the economy. Furthermore, it will describe and analyze the determination of the quantity of money and interest rates in the economy and the role of the country's central bank. It examines the basis and pattern of international trade and the effects of a country's trade policy on the economy.
Type:
Social Science,BSJ SOCIAL SCIENCE
- PHIL-120 Ethics and Civic Life
Credits:
4.00
Description:
In this class you will be introduced to the perspectives and methods of politics, philosophy, and economics and see how these three disciplines present distinct but interconnected dimensions of current social and political issues. All students in this course will engage in service learning with placement in governmental or non-governmental organizations to explore how the issues discussed in class are reflected in actual policy activities.
- PHIL-250 Social & Political Philosophy
Credits:
4.00
Description:
An examination of persistent debates in political and social philosophy, such as the meaning of property and welfare, the tensions between liberty and equality, censorship and freedom of expression, the relation of church and state, the possibility of political education and civic virtue, legitimacy of the state and revolution, war and problems of end and means, addressing historic injustice, such as racism, genocide, or sexism, among other topics. The class will focus on no more than two such themes. Students will read both classic and contemporary writings to address both the historical roots and the contemporary treatment of these questions. 1 term - 4 credits. Normally offered every year.
Term:
Occasional
Type:
Humanities & History,Humanities Literature Requirement
Choose one of the following courses:
- STATS-240 Introduction to Statistics
Prerequisites:
Math 128 or higher.
Credits:
4.00
Description:
Topics include: data presentation, measures of central locations and dispersion, probability and probability distributions, estimation, hypothesis testing, simple and multiple regression models. The use of Excel and SPSS will be emphasized throughout the course. Prerequisite: Math 130 or higher. 1 term - 4 credits (4 hours per week). Normally offered each semester.
Type:
Quantitative Reasoning
- STATS-250 Applied Statistics
Prerequisites:
MATH 128 or higher
Credits:
4.00
Description:
Application of statistical analysis to real-world business and economic problems. Topics include data presentation, descriptive statistics including measures of location and dispersion, introduction to probability, discrete and continuous random variables, probability distributions including binomial and normal distributions, sampling and sampling distributions, statistical inference including estimation and hypothesis testing, simple and multiple regression analysis. The use of computers is emphasized throughout the course. Normally offered each semester.
Type:
Quantitative Reasoning
- GVT-201 Statistics for Political Science
Prerequisites:
Sophomore Standing GVT 110 and 120 and Math 128 or higher.
Credits:
4.00
Description:
This course is an introduction to statistics and empirical research methods generally used in political science. The course will emphasize the use of statistics and its value in substantive political science research. Statistics is a tool for drawing conclusions and making inferences from observable evidence. As well, the specification of conditions under which evidence is observed affects the conclusions and arguments that political scientists draw about how social and political processes work. The purpose of this course is to equip students with tools to interpret and conduct original data analysis, critique and make an argument based on data, and provide a view into the process of political science research and how political scientists use statistical methods and research design to answer substantive questions about politics. Since most applied data analysis utilizes data management software, students will learn how to use SPSS as a tool for conducting data analysis. Prerequisites: Sophomore Standing, GVT 110 and 120 and Math 130 or instructor's consent. 1 term - 4 credits.
Type:
Quantitative Reasoning
- PHIL-212 Formal Logic
Credits:
4.00
Description:
An introduction to formal (or semi-formal) study of the basic types of deductive arguments (propositional and syllogistic logic). 1 term - 4 credits. Normally offered every year.
Term:
Occasional
Type:
Quantitative Reasoning
Senior Capstone Course
- PPE-401 Political Economy
Prerequisites:
Take 1 of the following courses- PHIL 119, PHIL 123 OR PHIL 127. AND take 2 of the following courses- GVT 110, GVT 225 EC 101 EC 102 PHIL 250, STATS 240, STATS 250, GVT 201, OR PHIL 212.
Credits:
4.00
Description:
This interdisciplinary class brings together the fields of politics, philosophy, and economics at a high academic level. You will be confronted with hard questions about the sources, ends, and limits of government; the usefulness and troubles of free markets; the proper distribution of economic advantages in society; and what works best for building a just and efficient system of economic institutions.
Electives (6 courses, 24 credits)
In addition to the above requirements, students must choose 2 courses from each of the groups A, B, and C listed below.A. Government
Choose any Government course at the 300-level or higher, including all internship optionsB. Philosophy
- PHIL-253 The Philosophy of America
Credits:
4.00
Description:
A systematic exploration of thinking of and about America, from the founding of the republic to American issues and traditions of thought that reflect upon the founding principles and the unfolding American experiment. The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution will be studied with an eye to their philosophical content and sources. Other works, primary and secondary, that help to illuminate these documents and their philosophical significance will also be read. The course may also examine works of philosophers and other thinkers who address conflicts over the meaning of founding principles in the course of the nation's history, from the struggle over slavery to America's contemporary role in the world. In addition to the founding documents, authors and texts may include: Locke, The Federalist Papers, Jefferson, Adams, Madison, Washington, de Tocqueville, Emerson, Douglass, Lincoln, Stanton, Thoreau, James, and Dewey, as well as contemporary authors. 1 term - 4 credits. Normally offered every third year.
Term:
Occasional
Type:
Humanities & History,Humanities Literature Requirement
- PHIL-309 Philosophy of Freedom
Prerequisites:
Prerequisite: One Philosophy course or consent of instructor.
Credits:
4.00
Description:
Focuses on the paradoxical relationship between freedom and responsibility and how that affects our thinking about freedom in the individual, social and political sphere. Both classical and contemporary thinkers will be considered. Prerequisite: One course in Philosophy or consent of instructor. 1 term - 4 credits. Normally offered every other year.
Term:
Offered Spring Term
- PHIL-319 Topics in Applied Ethics
Prerequisites:
PHIL 119, or 123 or 127
Credits:
4.00
Description:
This course will address in depth one or more specific issues in applied ethics. Topics will vary and may range from applied issues in political thought, such as just war theory or transitional justice, to specific questions in professional ethics or social policy, such as end-of-life care, economic justice, or the role of technology in the human future. Prerequisite: PHIL 119, or 123, or 127. 1 term - 4 credits. Normally offered every other year.
Term:
Occasional
Type:
Cultural Diversity Opt B
- PHIL-362 Environmental Ethics
Prerequisites:
Prerequisite: PHIL 119, or 123, or 127.
Credits:
4.00
Description:
An examination of the moral issues involved in the interaction of humans with their natural environment. Topics include: the environmental crisis, human-centered vs. nature-centered ethics, intrinsic value in nature, obligations to future generations, the importance of preserving endangered species and wilderness, radical ecology, eco-feminism, and the role of social justice in environmental issues. Prerequisite: PHIL 119, or 123, or 127. 1 term -4 credits. Normally offered every year.
Term:
Occasional
- PHIL-363 Bio and Medical Ethics
Prerequisites:
Prerequisite: Phil 119, or 123, or 127.
Credits:
4.00
Description:
An examination of the moral problems facing health-care practitioners, their patients, and others involved with the practice of medicine in today's society. Issues include euthanasia, the ethics of medical experimentation, the use of reproductive technologies, genetic counseling and genetic engineering, truth-telling and confidentiality in doctor-patient relationships, the cost and availability of medical care. Prerequisite: PHIL 119, or 123, or 127. 1 term -4 credits. Normally offered every third year.
Term:
Occasional
- PHIL-364 Business Ethics
Prerequisites:
Prerequisite: Phil 119, or 123, or 127
Credits:
4.00
Description:
An examination of the ethical questions in the working life and policies of the business and professional sectors of society. The focus will vary, but common themes will include: the role of commerce in civil society; the relation of business to conceptions of economic and social justice; the meaning and application of codes of ethics; obligations of corporations and professional organizations to shareholders and stakeholders; responsibilities to clients and colleagues; workplace conduct; the nature of success and conflicts between legal and moral obligations; the impact of globalization. The course will employ a variety of readings, including ethical theory and specific case studies. Prerequisite: PHIL 119, or 123, or 127. 1 term -4 credits. Normally offered every other year.
Term:
Occasional
- PHIL-401 History of Ethics and Political Philosophy 1: Ancient and Medieval
Prerequisites:
Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.
Credits:
4.00
Description:
A survey of major works and themes of moral and political philosophy from ancient Greece to the late medieval period. Topics covered will include the nature of moral duties, the connection between happiness and morality, citizenship and virtue, the meaning of a good life, the attractions and limitations of moral relativism, the foundations of legitimate government, arguments for and against democracy, realism and idealism in statecraft, and the relationship between law and ethics. Authors may include the Pre-Socratic thinkers, Plato, Aristotle, Cicero, Augustine, and Aquinas, among others. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. 1 term -4 credits. Normally offered every year in the fall.
Term:
Offered Fall Term
- PHIL-402 History of Ethics & Political Philosophy II
Prerequisites:
Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.
Credits:
4.00
Description:
A continuation of PHIL 401, covering the early modern era to the dawn of the 20th century. Authors may include Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Kant, Hegel, Mill, Marx, and Nietzsche, among others. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. 1 term -4 credits. Normally offered every year in the spring.
Term:
Offered Spring Term
- PHIL-513 Internship in Applied Ethics
Prerequisites:
Prerequisite: PHIL 119 or 123 or 127 and consent of instructor
Credits:
4.00
Description:
Students in this course will serve as interns in a department-approved position with a service provider, professional organization, government agency, or non-governmental organization whose work is relevant to issues in applied ethics. A faculty mentor will meet with students regularly to develop individually designed programs of readings and to discuss this material and its relation to the internship experience. In addition to the substantial time commitment to the internship, course requirements will usually include a journal and a research project. PHIL 119 or 123 or 127 and consent of instructor. 1 term -4 credits. Normally offered every year.
Term:
Offered Both Fall and Spring
Type:
Expanded Classroom Requirement
C. Economics
(At least 1 of the 2 courses must be at the 300-level or higher)- EC-122 Poverty and Inequality
Credits:
4.00
Description:
This course looks at economic inequality, with a particular focus on those in the United States who have low or no incomes - the poor. Measures inequality, identifies the poor, and considers a variety of explanations for poverty. Evaluates the purposes and effects of a range of public policies that might help alleviate poverty. Since race and gender play prominent roles in discussions of poverty, this course also considers issues pertaining to race and gender discrimination, and so examines the economics of both poverty and of discrimination. Cultural Diversity A.
Type:
Cultural Diversity Opt A,Social Science,BSJ SOCIAL SCIENCE
- EC-131 Environmental Economics
Credits:
4.00
Description:
Identifies the environmental effects of economic activity, including polluted water and air, noise, and radiation, and values their costs and benefits. Analyzes mechanisms, including taxes and permits, for achieving a socially preferable level of pollution. Traces role played by institutions, including common ownership, in affecting environmental decay. Resource depletion (of oil, forests, and fisheries) and appropriate policy responses.
Type:
Social Science,BSJ SOCIAL SCIENCE
- EC-141 Development Economics
Credits:
4.00
Description:
Why do so many countries remain so poor? Why have some (e.g. the Asian tigers) grown so rapidly? Why have most of the countries of Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union been slow to ignite economic growth? These questions are addressed by looking at domestic factors (government policies, resource endowments) as well as the international environment (mobile investors, international financial institutions). Asks what economic choices these countries face now. Normally offered yearly. Cultural Diversity B
Type:
Cultural Diversity Opt B,Social Science,Asian Studies,BSJ SOCIAL SCIENCE
- EC-151 Economic & Human Geography
Credits:
4.00
Description:
The study of how economic and human activity is distributed across space, the reasons for these spatial distributions, and the processes that change the spatial organization of economic activity over time. Topics include: maps, map projections, and geographic information systems; population geography; the organization and location of cities, towns and villages; transportation and communication policy; industrial location; the geography of world trade; and geographic features of economic development. The course takes a global perspective, and draws on cases and examples from all over the world. Cultural Diversity B
Type:
Cultural Diversity Opt B,Social Science,BSJ SOCIAL SCIENCE,Asian Studies
- EC-311 Intermediate Micro Theory
Prerequisites:
EC 101 and EC 102
Credits:
4.00
Description:
Theory of consumer behavior and demand. Theory of production and costs of production. Theory of the firm, and price and output decisions in different market structures, i.e., under perfect competition, monopoly, monopolistic competition and oligopoly. Decisions relating to pricing and employment of various inputs (labor and capital) under perfectly competitive, and less than perfectly competitive, resource markets. Required of all majors in Economics. Normally offered every semester.
Type:
Social Science,BSJ SOCIAL SCIENCE
- EC-331 History of Economic Thought
Credits:
4.00
Description:
Presents the leading contemporary schools of economic thought as the outcome of theoretical and philosophical controversies that began with the ancient Greeks and that continue today. The course covers the major contributors to economic thought, including Aristotle, Aquinas, the mercantilists, and the contributors to the 18th-century enlightenment, notably Adam Smith and David Hume. Going forward, it considers Marx, the neoclassical school of Jevons, Menger and Walras and the Keynesian school, along with some of the more modern schools such as behaviorism, institutionalism and cognitive economics. The contributions of the economists and philosophers studied in the course are considered in context of the times in which they wrote and lived. Students will acquire a grasp of the principal tenets of contemporary economic theory as well as an understanding of the historical origins of the disputes that still divide economists on major theoretical and philosophic issues.
Type:
Social Science,BSJ SOCIAL SCIENCE
- EC-340 Economics of Energy and Natural Resources
Prerequisites:
Take EC-101;
Credits:
4.00
Description:
This course applies economic analysis to identify the origins, consequences, and policy implications of problems related to renewable and non-renewable natural resources, with particular attention to energy. Resources considered include forests, fisheries, water, minerals, and land. Energy resources covered include oil, gas, coal, nuclear, and alternatives (wind, solar, biomass, hydrogen, etc.), as well as electricity. Concepts examined include externalities, learning-by-doing, peak-load pricing, regulation, sustainability, cost-benefit analysis, and the commons problem.
Type:
BSJ SOCIAL SCIENCE,Social Science
- EC-421 Public Economics: Tax and Budget
Prerequisites:
EC 101 and EC 102
Credits:
4.00
Description:
The theory of tax policy and tax structure. The effects on economic behavior (including labor supply, saving, risk-taking and investment, charitable giving, and growth) of different taxes (income, sales, value-added, inheritance, wealth, property). Tax equity, efficiency and incidence, in the United States and in comparative perspective. Additional topics include modeling state taxes; social security and pensions; and tax compensation. Normally offered yearly.
Type:
Social Science,BSJ SOCIAL SCIENCE
- EC-423 Economics of Regulation
Prerequisites:
EC 101 and EC 102
Credits:
4.00
Description:
This course examines regulation and analyzes the structure, conduct, and performance of American industry. Monopoly and strategic behavior in oligopoly and monopolistic competition are considered. U.S. antitrust law and the effect of regulatory laws on industrial performance are explored. Regulatory practices, rate setting, deregulation, public-enterprise pricing, and issues in privatization are examined, with an emphasis on case studies and policy analysis. Normally offered every other year.
Type:
Social Science,BSJ SOCIAL SCIENCE
- EC-430 International Trade Theory & Policy
Prerequisites:
EC 101 and EC 102
Credits:
4.00
Description:
This course examines theories of international trade. The policy implications of each theory are explored and the effect of trade on the welfare of the nation is examined. Also the development of trade blocs and the the political economy of trade are studied. Normally offered every year.
Type:
Social Science,BSJ SOCIAL SCIENCE
- EC-433 Public Choice
Prerequisites:
EC-101 and EC-102
Credits:
4.00
Description:
This course considers the degree to which it is possible to explain, predict, and guide political decision through the application of economic analysis. The course is organized around two competing visions of public choice: (1) a traditional organic approach that sees the core problem for public choice as requiring the maximization of social welfare and (2) a newer contractual approach that sees that problem as requiring attention to the institutional framework within which political decisions are made. Topics to be considered include the Arrow paradox and other problems in aggregating individual choices, rent-seeking, the Leviathan hypothesis, and non- market demand-revealing methods.
Type:
Social Science,BSJ SOCIAL SCIENCE
- EC-442 International Monetary Economics
Prerequisites:
EC 101 and EC 102
Credits:
4.00
Description:
The balance of payments and foreign exchange markets and instruments, and the determination of exchange rates. Balance-of-payments adjustments under alternative exchange-rate systems, international liquidity, international economics policy and open economy macroeconomics.
Type:
Social Science,BSJ SOCIAL SCIENCE
- EC-460 Game Theory
Prerequisites:
EC 101 and EC 102
Credits:
4.00
Description:
This course introduces students to the foundations of game theory using applications from economics and everyday decision-making. The course examines the common strategic elements of interactions between consumers and producers, governments and citizens, politicians and their constituencies, countries and their trading partners, and various other participants in social relationships. The course provides a theoretical framework for modeling strategic interaction, beginning with the development of the concept of a Nash equilibrium, reputation, signaling, collective-action problems, and voting procedures and strategies. Normally offered every other year.
Type:
Quantitative Reasoning
- EC-503 Internship in Economics
English Language Requirements
TOEFL paper-based test score : 550 TOEFL iBT® test : 77
To study at this university, you have to speak English. We advice you to
take an IELTS test. More About IELTSRequirements
We do not use specific minimums for scores or grades in the decision process, but weigh all factors together to gain a whole view of you and your potential for success as a Suffolk University student:
- Level and range of high school courses selected
- Grades achieved (official high school transcript with senior year grades)
- SAT or ACT scores (our code is 3771)
- Recommendations (two required; one from a guidance counselor, one from a teacher)
- The essay
- Other required forms
- Admission interview (optional)
- Transfer students should view the transfer requirements page for more details.
In high school, you should have completed:
- Four units of English
- Three units of mathematics (algebra I and II and geometry)
- Two units of science (at least one with a lab)
- Two units of language
- One unit of American history
- Four units distributed among other college preparatory electives
We may also consider other factors in the review process, such as:
- Class rank
- Honors courses
- AP courses
We are also very interested in personal qualities that will offer us further insights into you as an applicant, including:
- Admission interview
- Extracurricular involvement
- Community service
- Special interests
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."
- Alumni Study Travel Fund
Scholarships for students who are already attending the University of Reading.
- Amsterdam Merit Scholarships
The University of Amsterdam aims to attract the world’s brightest students to its international classrooms. Outstanding students from outside the European Economic Area can apply for an Amsterdam Merit Scholarship.
* The scholarships shown on this page are suggestions first and foremost. They could be offered by other organisations than Suffolk University.
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