BA (Honours) in Politics, Philosophy and Economics Open University

Politics, philosophy and economics (PPE) are central to understanding how modern societies are organised and governed. By studying them together you'll gain a combination of skills that’s in high demand across the private, public and non-profit sectors. Whilst PPE has been described as ‘the degree that runs Britain’, this combination is better viewed as the study of how countries are run, what motivates and constrains their rulers and residents, and how social order and prosperity are best understood and promoted. All three disciplines are presented in up-to-date form, covering alternative as well as ‘mainstream’ approaches and firmly rooted in the real world.

Key features of the course

• Understand the debates that dominate the daily news and look beyond the headlines
• Learn skills and techniques to help you analyse, present and contribute to the discussion
• Explore how arguments and public policies are constructed in theory and tested in practice
• Increase your employability across the private and public sectors
• Enjoy synergies among three complementary disciplines while studying a full curriculum in each

Accessibility

We make all our qualifications as accessible as possible and have a comprehensive range of services to support all our students. The BA (Honours) Politics, Philosophy and Economics uses a variety of study materials and has the following elements:

• studying a mixture of printed and online material – online learning resources may include websites, audio/video media clips, and interactive activities such as online quizzes
• using and/or producing diagrams and/or screenshots
• working in a group with other students
• finding external/third party material online
• understanding mathematical and scientific expressions, notations and associated techniques
• continuous and end-of-module assessment in the form of essays, short answer questions, and in some cases an examination or project
• using feedback: continuous assessment involves receiving detailed feedback on your work from your tutor and using this feedback to improve your performance
• engagement with learning and assessment within a pre-determined schedule or timetable – time management will be needed during your studies and the University will help you to develop these skills throughout your degree
• using specialist software provided with the module.

This qualification develops your learning in four main areas:

• Knowledge and understanding
• Cognitive skills
• Practical and professional skills
• Key skills

The level and depth of your learning gradually increase as you work through the qualification. You’ll be supported throughout by the OU’s unique style of teaching and assessment – which includes a personal tutor to guide and comment on your work; top quality course texts; e-learning resources like podcasts, interactive media and online materials; tutorial groups and community forums.

Course details

This degree has three stages, each comprising 120 credits.

• At Stage 1 you’ll choose among three optional modules before completing the stage with a compulsory module that will introduce you to studying politics.
• Next, in Stage 2, you’ll study two further compulsory modules, one in each of economics and philosophy.
• Finally, in Stage 3, you’ll focus on any two of the three PPE subjects.