BA (Hons) Philosophy, Politics and Economics (with Foundation Year)

- Focus on values and beliefs to deepen your understanding of the specific needs of individuals and communities within local and global societies- Benefit from opportunities for work placements in politics, field visits and face-to-face engagement with major political figures- Gain specialist skills that equip you to work in politics, but also in journalism, business, and for NGOs and think-tanks- Enjoy extra weekly talks and seminars by leading international thinkers across the campus on questions relating to your courseUnderstanding the fast-moving contemporary world with its financial crises, interminable wars, ecological catastrophes and culture clashes, may seem almost impossible. But a degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) at Winchester gives you the strongest possible start to not only making sense of that world, but to finding a role in it where you can enact positive change.On our comprehensive PPE programme, you wrestle with the big questions about humanity, the world, our history and contemporary society. What’s more, it equips you with the skills and understanding to play a part in shaping where our society is going.The interdisciplinary PPE was first developed in Oxford in the 1920s to give politicians and civil servants the range of skills they needed to govern Britain. An astonishing number of today’s high-profile politicians, business people and journalists have studied PPE.At Winchester, the backbone of our course is a three-year sweep of Western philosophy, tracing the development of democracy, freedom and responsibility from the Ancient Greek polis to the modern nation-state. You critically address metaphysical doctrines of freedom, idealism and the existence of God; political ideas of liberalism, democracy and property; and economic notions of growth, laissez-faire capitalism and Marxism.Building on this, you study a wide range of political and economic modules focused on the modern world and debate contentious political issues. It’s an exciting course explicitly oriented towards how future global challenges demand that we learn to think differently.The Foundation Year (first year of study) gives you the chance to commence your studies with us if you have not quite achieved the entry qualifications required or if you feel you would benefit from the opportunity to develop your study skills and subject knowledge prior to embarking on your degree. Through a range of engaging, small-group lessons and practical placements, you will be equipped with the academic, professional and personal skills to help you succeed at university. Modules will cover broad topics as well as an introduction to your chosen subject area. You will also have the opportunity to study alongside students undertaking a range of degree programmes.In Year 1 (second year of study), you study core introductory modules in each discipline as well as Introduction to Ethics and Values in the Modern World.In Year 2 (third year of study), you go head to head with big thinkers such as Hegel, Marx and Kant, and investigate power and economic theories. Possible optional modules range from Global Governance to The War on Terror, and from the Axis of Evil and Beyond to Religion, Conflict and Peacebuilding.In Year 3 (fourth year of study), you produce your dissertation and study Debates in Globalisation and Contemporary Philosophy among other options. Optional modules may include Alternative Economics; Politics, Energy and the Environment, and Geographies of Inequality.