Welcome to PPE at Warwick
Professor Andrew Reeve
Offer Holder Day, 17th February 2016
Introducing myself
I am Andrew Reeve, a Professor of Politics.
I specialise in the history of political thought.
I am the current PPE Director of Studies and I am
one of the people who created the programme with
colleagues in Economics and Philosophy (first entry
2004
a.w.reeve@warwick.ac.uk
To revisit these slides, go to
http://warwick.ac.uk/ppe/prospective/
What is PPE?
Philosophy, Politics, and Economics have been
taught together in Britain since the 1920s.
First university to offer this course was Oxford.
Today PPE is offered by many excellent
universities:
– From UK, France, and Germany to North America,
China, Japan, and Australia.
– Among them is Warwick.
What is PPE?
Philosophy, Politics, and Economics can all be studied separately in many Universities
P
P
E
When you combine them in one programme, there are two models: bridge and pillar.
Some PPE programmes
follow a pillar model with
three separate elements.
P
The Warwick PPE follows a
bridge model that seeks to
cross the gaps.
P
E
5
What is PPE?
Philosophy, Politics and International Studies, and
Economics may each be studied separately here. Warwick
has undergraduate degrees in each of those disciplines
(‘single-honours’) e.g. B.A. (Politics), B.Sc.(Economics)
------------------------------------------------------------There are also many ‘joint-honours’ degrees e.g.
History & Politics; Economics & Politics and International
Studies, Philosophy and Literature.
Who studies PPE?
Across all years of study this year (the academic year 20142015) we have 353 students. Roughly 40% are UK students
and 60% non-UK.
In the current first year we have 42% females and 58%
males.
PPE at Warwick is an international experience. In 2013-2014
our first-years had 37 different nationalities. In 2014-2015
they came from 31 different nations.
Who studies PPE?
This year’s international intake come from 33 different countries:
South Korea
Oman
Singapore
Indonesia
Russia
Netherlands
Switzerland
Tanzania
France
Ghana
Vietnam
Pakistan
Denmark
Germany
Italy
Malaysia
Qatar
China
United Arab
Emirates
Cyprus
UK
Norway
Romania
Bermuda
Spain
India
Hong Kong
Finland
Taiwan
Poland
Latvia
Luxembourg
Serbia and
Montenegro
Sweden
What does Warwick offer?
Year 1 is a qualifying year: Pass to proceed.
There are compulsory and optional modules
–
–
–
–
Introduction to Philosophy.
Introduction to Politics.
Economics 1: micro- and macroeconomics.
Quantitative Techniques: maths and stats.
– Plus an option (or options).
What does Warwick offer?
Choose first-year option(s) from a list.
Several provided within the three departments:
– Philosophy: Introduction to Ancient Philosophy; Ideas of Freedom,
Descartes and Mill, Logic I
– Politics: World Politics; Contemporary Themes in Comparative Politics;
Foundations of Political Economy; Justice, Democracy & Citizenship;
Nine International Security Ideas
– Economics: World Economy: History and Theory; The Industrial Economy;
Linear Algebra; Topics in Applied Economics; Mathematical Analysis
Others provided by other departments in Social Sciences or Arts,
including a language.
Languages
Language options
include:
Arabic
Chinese
French
German
Japanese
Italian
Portuguese
Russian
Spanish
What does Warwick offer?
After the first year there are several pathways.
At Foundation (year 1) level, PPE combines all three
disciplines.
At Honours level (years 2 and 3), you can focus:
– On all three disciplines or, at a first approximation,
drop one.
– More or less on quantitative methods used in
economics.
What does Warwick offer?
• The final year Principles core has three units: Phil/Pol, Phil/Econ,
Pol/Econ.
• In Principles, everyone must do two units out of three, so three
disciplines
What does Warwick offer?
What does Warwick offer?
How will you spend your day?
Lecture, seminars and tutorials
1-2 hr lecture
1 hr tutorial or seminar
Seminar preparation
Self-study
Changes each year
Advice and Feedback
Hours with tutors
Where do our Graduates go?
• Warwick graduates are in the top 3 most
targeted by employers (High Fliers research 2015)
• Our graduates go on to great things
• in financial-sector jobs
• in government services
• in social-service NGOs
• in graduate school and
• as entrepreneurs.
Where do our Graduates go?
(Unistats 2015)
https://unistats.direct.gov.uk/Subjects/Overview/10007163FTU-LV00/ReturnTo/Search
What our careers service say
Employers like PPE students because they:
Are likely to have a clear understanding of how thoughts and decisions in
one area can affect those made in another. Students interested in
economics will understand how political decisions and the philosophy
behind them will affect decisions made, students interested in politics
will be able to identify and analyse the philosophical standpoints and
economic reasoning behind political decisions, and so on.
Can use the experience of seeing things from different standpoints to
notice aspects of an idea which might otherwise have been missed
Can work effectively with different kinds of information, numerical and
written
Are familiar with presenting information in a variety of ways
Have developed excellent research skills and demonstrated the ability to
work without close supervision.
Careers
Job titles of current alumni include:
Analyst, Broadcasting Intern, Business Analyst,
Campaigns Officer, Charity Intern, Civil Service Policy Adviser,
Corporate Tax Adviser, Diplomatic Attaché, Economist,
Maths Teacher, Parliamentary Assistant, Portfolio Manager,
Production Editor (Publishing), Researcher (Think Tank, academia),
Risk analyst, Sales Manager, Trainee Lawyer.
Supporting Your Career
Warwick rated top Russell Group university for
careers advice (International Student Barometer
2013)
• Providing knowledge and skills
• Practical help
• Applications/CVs/Interviews/Job hunting
• Social Science-specific events
• One-to-one careers guidance
• Visits from employers
• Support for work based
learning.
Further study
Of those who went on to further study:
In 2014, 61.1% went on to study a higher degree as a taught course
(almost always a Master’s) at some point after their degree. 30% directly
after.
Titles of courses taken over the past few years included:
Actuarial Science, Continental Philosophy, Development Management,
Economics, Economics and Philosophy, European Public Policy,
Globalisation and Development, International Politics, International
Security, History of Political Thought, Management, Medicine, Modern
Chinese Studies, Political Theory, Public Administration.
As well as several who have continued on to take a Doctorate.
Almost all took further professional qualifications.
What qualities do you need?
A capacity for hard work and perseverance.
– Willingness to take on new subjects.
– Managing being unsettled by unfamiliar ways of thinking.
Versatility
– Solving an economic model for equilibrium one day.
– Tackling moral dilemmas the next.
– Looking at the political science of elections the day after
that.
Willingness to ignore intellectual boundaries.
– Ultimately all knowledge is ‘joined up’
What qualities do you need?
Numeracy as well as literacy.
– No one takes pride in illiteracy…….
….but there are already lots of clever people who “don’t do maths.”
Why is maths useful in PPE?
–
–
–
–
Simplification.
Abstract thinking.
Logical proof.
What data do and do not show.
The maths is generally simple and we don’t require A-level.
– But you do need to be comfortable with it…
– … not to see solving simple problems as mere drudgery.
PPE at Warwick may not be for you if you really hate maths.
Some questions only you can
answer
Do you want to study PPE?
– If so, do you want to come to Warwick?
Some things to consider:
–
–
–
–
Numeracy as well as literacy.
PPE versus more specialized courses.
Campus university versus city university.
Midlands versus other regions.
Unique Student Experience
• PPE Society
• Social Activities in 3 Departments
• Exciting Induction Week
including Economics Question Time
and introductory lectures
• Economics 360 Lecture Series
• PPE Socials
• PPE Forum
Great Facilities and Opportunities
• A bespoke PPE Office
• Common Room with free coffee and tea
• Study facilities around campus and in
Leamington
Pastoral Care
Personal Tutor
Senior Tutor
PPE Office
Residential Life
Student Support
Accommodation
Over 6400 rooms on campus
Off-site accommodation
Residential Life Tutors
Range of facilities and prices
Applications open late May
Deadline 31st July
http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/services/accommodation/studentaccommodation/
Admissions – FAQs
•
•
•
•
•
How the application process works
What if I don’t meet my offer?
How many people are accepted onto the course?
How much will it cost?
More on our admissions website:
https://www2.warwick.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/apply/
• ugadmissions@warwick.ac.uk (course code and UCAS
number in the subject line)
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