Learn about the foundations of thought and political theory. You'll develop an understanding of the ancient and modern philosophical debates that drive political ideals. What is freedom, without the power to act? By what right do our rulers govern? What makes a society good and is ethical governance even possible?

Learn from internationally-respected experts across two academic departments. With their guidance, you'll learn to combine different disciplinary perspectives in an instructive way. You'll develop a solid grounding in Philosophy and Politics. The skills you'll develop in thinking across boundaries and engaging critically with a range of materials are highly valued by employers.

Tailor your learning to your emerging specialisms. With a wide range of option modules, this course is highly customisable. You'll have the freedom to tailor your degree to focus on the topics that interest you most. There are also opportunities to gain practical experience with a placement year.

Gain a global perspective in an inclusive community. You'll study as part of a diverse international student body. This array of experiences and perspectives will help you to reconsider your own. You'll also have the opportunity to diversify your study with a year abroad.

Make lifelong connections with the Club of Politics, Economics and Philosophy (PEP). The Club of PEP is an entirely student-run society associated with the School of Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE). They run a variety of events throughout the year, including socials, networking events and even overseas trips. The Club will support you during your studies and enable you to get the most from your degree socially and academically.

Studying in the School of Philosophy, Politics and Economics at the University of York

16th in the UK

for Politics, according to the Times Good University Guide 2027.

13th in the UK

for Graduate Prospects in Philosophy and 15th in the UK for Graduate Prospects in Politics (Times Good University Guide, 2027).

7th in the UK

for Philosophy, according to the Times Good University Guide 2027.

Upon joining Club of PEP you are allocated to a family which basically consists of 6 or 7 people in first year and two people in second or third year. They act as ‘mentors’, offering advice on what to expect from your degree, and giving you any tips and tricks to make the most of life whilst at York.

Rosie, PPE student. Read Rosie's blog post.

Year one - 2 core modules and 4 option modules

Year two - 6 option modules

Year three - 1 core modules and 5 option modules

You also have the option of taking the Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) dissertation - an independent piece of work in which you'll be able to apply the analytical skills you have developed across these disciplines.

Course transfer within PPE

It is reasonably easy to transfer between the courses in the School of PPE, subject to space being available on the course you want to move to and providing you have the required qualifications. It is relatively easy to change within the first few weeks of the first year. After this, you may have to wait until the start of the second year, and at that point you can move only into a course for which you have taken the relevant first year introductory modules.

Explore our PPE courses

Your first year will be split equally between Politics and Philosophy.

Core modules

Political Analysis

Philosophical Analysis

Option modules

You will study four option modules - two from Philosophy, and two from Politics. Examples can be found below. Some option module combinations may not be possible. The options available to you will be confirmed after you begin your course.

Philosophy

Knowledge and Perception

Power and Consent

Metaphysics and Humans

Politics

Introduction to Comparative Politics

Global Challenges: From Theory to Practice

Introduction to Political Theory: States, Liberty and Revolution

Introduction to Global Politics

York Policy Lab

The options available to you will be confirmed later in the year. For further information please get in touch.

Academic integrity module

In addition to the above you will also need to complete our online Academic Integrity module.

This module covers some of the essential skills and knowledge which will help you to study independently and produce work of a high academic standard which is vital for success at York.

This module will:

define academic integrity and academic misconduct

provide interactive exercises to help you to assess whether you've understood the concepts

provide answers to FAQs and links to useful resources.

Second Year enables you to start specialising in the areas of Philosophy and Politics that interest you most.

You will study a range of option modules - three Philosophy modules, and three Politics modules. Examples can be found below. Some option module combinations may not be possible. The options available to you will be confirmed after you begin your course.

Applied Ethics

Being and Reason: Spinoza’s Metaphysics

Ethical Theory

Knowledge and the Social Sciences

Logic and Paradox

Love, Law, and Solidarity: Recognition from Rousseau to Honneth

Metaphysics

Philosophy and Society

Philosophy of Mind

Philosophy of Language

Philosophy of Science

Politics and Freedom: Anarchism and Conservatism

Religious Ethics

The Limits of Reason: Kant's Theoretical and Practical Philosophy

Critical Global Security Studies

Elections and Voting Behaviour

Global Political Economy

Justice, Equality, and Difference

Capitalism: Beyond States and Markets

The Politics of Gender

European Union Politics

Politics of Development

British Politics

The US and Global Politics after the Cold War

The Rising Powers

Things Fall Apart: Political Thought in Times of Crisis

War and Peace

In your third year, you will be able to select a variety of topics from Philosophy and Politics.

Dissertation

You may choose the PPE dissertation of 4,000-5,000 words as one of your option modules. You’ll receive one-to-one support from a supervisor.

Examples of previous dissertation titles include:

How Can Liberal Democracy Contain Populism?: A Pragmatist Critique of Liberal Responses To Contemporary Populism

Personal and Social Morality in Hume’s Political Theory: Are the Artificial Virtues ‘Real’ Virtues?

The Impact of Foreign Aid on Poverty Rates

Philosophy and Public Policy

You will study up to five option modules. Two from Politics, two from Philosophy, and one of your choice. In previous years, PPE students have taken modules including (but not limited to):

Africa and International Politics

Global Governance: Purpose, Power, and Performance

Green Politics

Karl Marx

Politics of Technology: From the Luddites to the Unabomber

Morality and Modern Warfare

Politics of the Middle East: Regimes and societies in transition

The Politics of (Post-) Colonialism

Action and Agency

Buddhism as Philosophy

Causation and Laws

Consciousness

Contemporary Issues in Bioethics

Experimental Philosophy: The Psychology of Philosophy

Foundations of Maths

German Idealism: Moral, Legal & Political Philosophy

Happiness, Utility and Wellbeing

Nine Artworks, Nine Philosophical Problems

Theories of Social Justice: Rawls and Beyond

The Nature of Time

Topics in Feminist Philosophy

World and Mind

Our modules may change to reflect the latest academic thinking and expertise of our staff, and in line with Department/School academic planning.

Study abroad

There are opportunities for you to spend time abroad during your course:

Explore global opportunities

Placement year

The university-wide placement scheme gives you the chance to work for a year as part of your degree to prepare you for the world of work. Previous placements have included GlaxoSmithKline, HSBC, British Airways, DAI and Lloyds Bank.

Explore placement year opportunities

Learning outcomes

Every course at York has been designed to provide clear and ambitious learning outcomes. These learning outcomes give you an understanding of what you will be able to do at the end of the course. We develop each course by designing modules that grow your abilities towards the learning outcomes and help you to explain what you can offer to employers. Find out more about our approach to teaching and learning.

Learning outcomes for this course

Understand and explain key problems, issues, and debates across a wide range of areas of philosophy and politics—including some at the forefront of contemporary work - and communicate complex and difficult ideas in clear, precise, and accessible terms in a variety of formats.

Apply theories, concepts and methods to political and philosophical phenomena, showing reflexive disciplinary understanding and using cross-disciplinary relations when appropriate.

Develop and articulate systematic, logical arguments for and against alternative solutions considered in relation to a particular problem, subjecting key concepts and principles to critical scrutiny.

Communicate issues, methods and results as we find them in philosophy and politics in a clear and accessible manner showing disciplinary understanding and drawing cross-disciplinary relations when appropriate.

Critically engage with, and, when necessary, synthesise academic and professional research in both disciplines, thereby becoming a versatile and multi-skilled analyst.

Use interdisciplinary thinking to reflect upon and engage with complex contemporary issues arising in modern societies by drawing on the complementary set of skills developed in both disciplines.

Improve academic and personal performance by developing initiative, self-organisation and time management skills, as well as the ability to assimilate advice and feedback in individual or collaborative work.

Demonstrate intercultural awareness and a reflective approach to differing visions of the public good in light of the values of tolerance and inclusivity.

The fees and funding information here is for students starting in the 2027/28 academic year.

If you take a year abroad or year in industry you'll pay a reduced rate of fees for that year.

Annual tuition fees

UK (home)

International and EU

The UK government has announced its intention to increase tuition fees from £9,790 to £10,050 for the 2027/8 academic year. We expect this to apply to new UK (home) undergraduate students starting their studies in September 2027.

UK (home) or international fees?

The level of fee that you will be asked to pay depends on whether you're classed as a UK (home) or international student. Check your fee status.

Fees for subsequent years

UK (home) fees may increase within the government fee cap in subsequent academic years. We will notify you of any increase as soon as we can.

International fees are subject to increase in subsequent years in line with the prevailing Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation rate (up to a maximum of 10%).

More information

For more information about tuition fees, any reduced fees for study abroad and work placement years, scholarships, tuition fee loans, maintenance loans and living costs see undergraduate fees and funding.

Additional costs

There are no mandatory additional fees, but we do recommend that you set aside some money for photocopying. Course books will be available from the Library and online reading packs are available for most modules, but you may wish to buy your own copies.

We'll confirm more funding opportunities for students joining us in 2027/28 throughout the year.

UK government loans

UK scholarships and bursaries

International scholarships

Country-specific funding

US loans

Living costs

You can use our living costs guide to help plan your budget. It covers additional costs that are not included in your tuition fee such as expenses for accommodation and study materials.

York, Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial

Just four UK universities are rated Gold for teaching and top ten for research* in the latest national assessment exercises.

See why York is rated Gold for teaching

Explore our research performance

* Awarded joint 10th in the Times Higher Education ranking of the Research Excellence Framework 2021.

You’ll study and learn with academics who are active researchers, experts in their field and have a passion for their subjects. Our approach to teaching will provide you with the knowledge, opportunities, and support you need to grow and succeed in a global workplace. Find out more about our approach to teaching and learning.

Teaching format

We teach in two main ways: seminars and lectures. The main focus of your coursework will be in seminar groups, normally of 15-20 students. In seminars you will produce and discuss your own work, under the guidance of a module tutor. Seminars are normally accompanied by lectures, attended by all of the students taking the module.

In the first year, you will take introductory modules alongside students from a wide range of degree courses. In the second and third year modules and lectures are smaller - often with as few as 20 students.

Timetabled activities

In your first year, you can expect:

Lectures

6 hours per week

Seminars

3-5 hours per week

These figures are representative of a typical week. Your contact hours will vary throughout the year due to your module choices, non-compulsory classes, exam periods and changes to scheduled activities.

Outside your timetabled hours, you'll study independently. This may include preparation for classes, follow-up work, wider reading, practice completion of assessment tasks, or revision.

In the UK, full-time students are expected to spend 1,200 hours a year learning. That's about 40 hours of classes and independent study each week during semesters. Everyone learns at a different rate, so the number of hours you spend on independent study will be different to other students on your course.

Teaching location

The School of Philosophy, Politics and Economics is located in Derwent College, on Campus West. Teaching on this course takes place at various locations across Campus West.

About our campus

Our beautiful green campus offers a student-friendly setting in which to live and study, within easy reach of the action in the city centre. It's easy to get around - everything is within walking or pedalling distance, or you can use the fast and frequent bus service. Take a campus tour.

Assessment and feedback

The majority of your assessments will be either unseen examination papers or essays, which will vary depending on the department running the module. Some modules offer alternative assessment formats such as policy reports.

Assessments occur throughout the three years of study, usually at the end of a semester.

Free online courses

Get a taste of university-level study on one of York's free short courses.

Careers and skills

The interdisciplinary nature of Philosophy and Politics provides transferable skills that are highly sought after by employers. With our highly customisable and interdisciplinary modules and opportunities for internships and study abroad you'll be prepared to enter the global marketplace.

The Club of PEP also provides a platform for students to meet with experts and and industry insiders through their careers branch, YorkWorks.

Career opportunities

Central and local government

Private industry

Creative arts and media

Teaching

Social work

Journalism

Accountancy

Publishing

Transferable skills

Analytical and problem solving skills

Debating and clear expression of ideas

Development and structuring of arguments

Processing information

Time management

Working collaboratively in a diverse environment

Working and learning independently

Turn ambition into achievement with our expert guidance and connections. From your first day here to life after graduation, we'll help you find your career advantage.

Qualification

A levels

Access to Higher Education Diploma

36 credits at Distinction and 9 credits at Merit or higher

BTEC National Extended Diploma

We consider a range of BTEC qualifications equivalent to 3 A Levels, or in combination with A Levels or other qualifications. For example:

Distinction, Distinction in BTEC Level 3 National Diploma plus A at A Level

Distinction in BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate plus AA at A level

Distinction, Distinction in 2 BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificates plus A at A level

European Baccalaureate

80% overall

International Baccalaureate

35 points

T levels

Distinction overall including grade A in the Core

T Level subjects in Accounting; Design and Development for Engineering and Manufacturing; Design, Surveying and Planning for Construction; Digital Business Services; Digital Production, Design and Development; Digital Support and Services; Engineering, Manufacturing, Processing and Control; Finance; Health; Healthcare Science; Legal Services; Maintenance, Installation and Repair for Engineering and Manufacturing; Management and Administration; Marketing; Science

Scottish Highers / Advanced Highers

Scottish Highers - AABBB

Advanced Highers - not required for entry

We may also be able to consider three Advanced Highers or a combination of Highers and Advanced Highers, where an applicant does not meet the grade requirement through Highers alone. Please contact us to discuss your qualifications.

International foundation programme

Foundation Certificate from our International Pathway College or an appropriate alternative.

Other qualifications

We welcome applications from mature students (ie those aged over 21), and usually admit a number each year. In all cases we look for evidence of ability, interest and commitment, but we may not require specific formal qualifications. In most cases, we prefer to interview mature candidates before offering them a place.

Other international qualifications

Equivalent qualifications from your country

Alternative offers

Meeting the following additional criteria may qualify you for an alternative offer.

Criteria

Adjustment

Widening participation

This is conditional upon successful completion of the WP programme including the YorJourney module (Black Access Programme, Next Step York) or successful completion of Realising Opportunities More about widening participation.

Contextual offer

If you achieve C or higher in the EPQ, you may be eligible for an alternative offer up to one A level grade (or equivalent) below our typical offer.

If you successfully complete our online course Logic: the language of truth, you may be eligible for an alternative offer up to one A level grade (or equivalent) below our typical offer. Details about how to evidence completion of the MOOC will be sent in your offer letter. Please note: you do not need to pay for the certificate. More about MOOCs.

English language

If English isn't your first language you may need to provide evidence of your English language ability. We accept the following qualifications:

Minimum requirement

IELTS (Academic)

6.5, with a minimum of 6.0 in each component

Other English language qualifications

To see what other language tests we can accept and the scores required, visit our IELTS equivalences webpage and click on the IELTS requirement for your chosen course.

We also accept various school-leaving certificates to meet our English Language requirements. Please visit our country-specific information for further details.

For more information see our undergraduate English language requirements.

If you haven't met our English language requirements

You may be eligible for one of our pre-sessional English language courses. These courses will provide you with the level of English needed to meet the conditions of your offer.

The length of course you need to take depends on your current English language test scores and how much you need to improve to reach our English language requirements.

After you've accepted your offer to study at York, we'll confirm which pre-sessional course you should apply to via You@York.

To apply to York, you'll need to complete an online application via UCAS (the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service).

How to apply

Next steps

Contact us

Get in touch if you have any questions

Dr Tim Stuart-Buttle

ppe@york.ac.uk

Department

Related courses

BSc Economics and Politics

BSc Economics and Philosophy

BA International Relations

BA Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE)

BSc Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE)

BA Politics

BA Politics and International Relations

BA Philosophy

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