1. Welcome to the Warwick PPE Open Day
Professor Mark Harrison, March 14, 2012

2. Introducing us Three Professors in charge of PPE.
Me (Mark Harrison, Economics).
Began as an economist, became an economic historian.
Interested in Russia, wars, defence, and security.
And PPE director of studies.
Fabienne Peter (Philosophy).
Began as an economist, became a political philosopher.
Interested in justice, political legitimacy, and democracy
Will give the taster lecture at 3:00 pm.
Andrew Reeve (Politics and International Studies)
Began with PPE at Oxford, became a political theorist.
Interested in theories of property, exploitation and welfare.
And PPE senior tutor.
Maureen Tod (PPE Office)
Michael Youlton (Student Admission and Recruitment).
Katherine Shipton (PPE Society).
March 14, 2012

3. Our schedule today 1:00 Introduction to PPE at Warwick
With three PPE convenors, Michael Youlton, and Katherine Shipton.
2:00
Campus tour
With a student guide.
3:00
Taster lecture
With Prof. Fabienne Peter.
4:00
Q&A
With Fabienne and me.
March 14, 2012

4. 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 Warwick.
March 14, 2012

5. What is PPE?
Philosophy, Politics, and Economics may be studied separately.
When you study PPE at Warwick, you follow them together.
Contrast the Oxford PPE, based on a pillar model with three independent elements.
Warwick follows a bridge model that seeks to cross gaps between P, P, and E.
To illustrate, Principles of Political Economy is core module of the final year.
Taught by members of staff from all three disciplines.
Integrates study of all three disciplines.
Focuses on the global political economy.
Topics have included global justice, development, globalization and international trade, global governance, and aid and humanitarian interventions.
March 14, 2012

6. Who takes PPE?
Across three years of study we now have 268 undergraduates (40% female) from 40 countries.
PPE is an international experience.
Top Ten by number (after UK): India, Singapore, China, Germany, France, Malaysia, Norway, Sweden, Pakistan, Denmark.
Demand for PPE is strong.
Annually we receive around 1,000 applications.
We make around 300 offers.
We fill around 100 places.
Candidates from outside EU are around one in four at all points in the cycle.
This year almost unchanged from last year.
Strong demand for places is tough for applicants.
But reflects the fact that Warwick PPE is a valuable qualification when you leave.
March 14, 2012

7. Where do they go? PPE a highly respected degree.
Most posts open to any discipline, so Warwick’s reputation also counts strongly.
At our largest careers fair, 82% of employers recruited from any degree.
Warwick consistently among Top Ten universities targeted by graduate recruiters.
Association of Graduate Recruiters survey
Warwick the top UK university for careers advice.
International Student Barometer 2010, an independent survey of student opinion
March 14, 2012

8. Where do they go? Data for 2007/08 to 2009/10 N %
Warwick PPE graduates
146
Survey respondents 96
96/146 = 66% of all graduates
Available for work or study 91
Actually in work or study 86
86/91 = 94% of all available
Working 34
Studying 40
Working and studying 12
In work or study at graduate level 74
74/86 = 86% of all in work or study
Data for 2007/08 to 2009/10 N %
Warwick PPE graduates
146
Survey respondents 96
96/146 = 66% of all graduates
Data for 2007/08 to 2009/10 N %
Warwick PPE graduates
146
Survey respondents 96
96/146 = 66% of all graduates
Available for work or study 91
Actually in work or study 86
86/91 = 94% of all available
Working 34
Studying 40
Working and studying 12
March 14, 2012

9. Where do they go? Employers included:
BDO International; centre forum; Clinphone/Perceptive Informatics; Deloitte; Ernst & Young; Global Environment Institute; Goldman Sachs; HomeServe Plc; Investigo; JP Morgan; Kingston Smith; KPMG; Mayfield Asset Management; McQuarrie Capital; N M Rothschild; OHO Group; Oxford University Press; RBC Capital Markets; the Polish Ministry of Health; Royal Bank of Scotland; Singapore Tourism Board; Smith & Williamson; South Bank Employers Group; War on Want.
Median salary (18 respondents): £20k to 24.9k.
March 14, 2012

10. Where do they go? Of those going on to further study:
Taught Master's programme: 60%
Postgraduate diploma: 20%
PG diplomas often lead to a taught Master's in a related subject.
Professional qualification: 10%.
Master’s programmes:
Either at highly ranked UK institutions (Imperial College London, London School of Economics, Oxford, University College London, Warwick).
Or overseas, e.g. Sciences-Po (Sciences Politiques de Paris).
Typically in:
Economics, development studies, finance, philosophy, history, management, international security, European or international political economy, political thought or political science, public administration, and public policy.
March 14, 2012

11. What does Warwick offer?
Three PPE Departments.
All strong in both research and teaching.
All run their own more specialized programmes too.
All three are large:
Well resourced administratively.
Support a specialized PPE Office.
Scope to cover all main fields of discipline.
All are close neighbours in the Social Sciences building.
We talk to each other a lot.
March 14, 2012

12. What does Warwick offer?
Year 1 is a qualifying year: Pass to proceed.
There are core (compulsory) modules.
Introduction to Philosophy.
Introduction to Politics.
Economics 1: micro- and macroeconomics.
Quantitative Techniques: maths and statistics.
Plus:
An optional subject.
March 14, 2012

13. What does Warwick offer?
Choose first-year option from a list.
Several provided within the three departments.
Philosophy: Introduction to Ancient Philosophy; Ideas of Freedom.
Politics: World Politics.
Economics: World Economy: History and Theory; The Industrial Economy; Mathematics for Economists.
Others provided by other departments in Social Sciences or Arts, including a language.
March 14, 2012

14. 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.
Six pathways:
Tripartite (all three).
Phil/Pol.
Phil/Econ.
Pol/Econ.
Econ major/Phil.
Econ major/Pol.
March 14, 2012

15. What does Warwick offer?
Phil core
Pol core
Econ core QM
Prin- ciples
Options
Leads to
Year 2
2 or 3 3
2 and 3
Tripartite 
 BA
Phil/Pol

Phil/Econ
Pol/Econ
Phil core
Pol core
Econ core QM
Prin- ciples
Options
Leads to
Year 2
2 or 3 3
2 and 3
Tripartite 
 BA
Phil core
Pol core
Econ core QM
Prin- ciples
Options
Leads to
Year 2
2 or 3 3
2 and 3
Tripartite 
 BA
Phil/Pol

Phil/Econ
Pol/Econ
Econ major/Phil
BSc
Econ major/Pol
No one drops any discipline altogether.
The final year Principles core has three units: Phil/Pol, Phil/Econ, Pol/Econ.
In Principles, everyone must do two units out of three.
March 14, 2012

16. What does Warwick offer?
Academic support: Lectures.
Usually two per week in each module, attended by all students taking the module
Seminars.
Small discussion groups with a tutor, usually once per week or fortnight in each module.
Regular assessment.
Essays, tests, projects, exams, final-year dissertation.
PPE student-staff liaison committee.
Private study and self-motivation are vital.
University services.
Library and Learning Grid (24/7 space for group work).
Excellent careers advice and skills provision.
March 14, 2012

17. What does Warwick offer?
Study abroad: PPE students have access to links established by all three three PPE departments.
Erasmus programme (mainly Economics and Politics).
Adds a year of study abroad between Years 2 and 3.
Graduate after four years in “PPE with study abroad.”
Austria (Salzburg), Belgium (UFSI, Antwerp), France (IEP de Bordeaux, Grenoble, Paris; CU, Lille; Sciences Po, Paris; Paris Sorbonne), Germany (Jena, Konstanz, Munich), Italy (CU Milan; Pavia); Netherlands (Amsterdam), Norway (Bergen), Portugal (Nova, Lisbon), Spain (Autonoma, Barcelona; Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona; Carlos III, Madrid; UC, Madrid).
Exchange programmes (Politics and Philosophy).
Study abroad during Year 2, mirroring the Warwick Year 2 programme.
Graduate after three years.
Canada (Queen’s University Ontario), China (City University of Hong Kong), USA (Georgetown, Washington, DC; University of California; University of Wisconsin-Madison).
March 14, 2012

18. What does Warwick offer?
Pastoral support.
See your Personal Tutor at least once a term.
PPE director of studies and senior tutor also available.
PPE Society organizes student mentors.
University services.
Senior Tutor.
Student Counsellors.
Student Union advice service.
March 14, 2012

19. What qualities do you need?
A capacity for self-discipline and perseverance.
Set your own goals and work towards them.
Willing to take on new subjects.
Manage discomfort of unfamiliar ways of thinking.
If you’re not confused, you’re not learning.
Versatility:
Solving an economic model for equilibrium one week.
Parsing moral dilemmas the next.
Conceptualizing democracy the week after that.
Willingness to ignore intellectual boundaries.
Ultimately all knowledge is one.
Why Warwick is a university, not a multiversity.
March 14, 2012

20. What qualities do you need?
Numeracy as well as literacy.
No one takes pride in illiteracy.
But there are already lots of clever people that “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 drudgery.
If maths is a drag or a barrier, PPE may not be for you.
March 14, 2012

21. 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.
Now I’m going to pass the baton to Katherine Shipton (PPE Society).
March 14, 2012

22. Lecture Series Socials The PPE Ball
Mentor scheme, sports, the Exec, Fresher’s booklet, Social Media