Philosophy, Politics and Economics (COS1)

Curricular information is subject to change

Show/hide contentOpenClose All

Philosophy, Politics and Economics combines the best of the three disciplines. The content and the approaches of each discipline feed into each other, yielding a three-dimensional appreciation of the toughest problems facing our society in the institutional, local, national and international contexts. This programme is designed to provide future politicians, civil servants, journalists and managers with a complex and subtle vision of how to improve things, and the skills to argue in support of such a vision. This appreciation of complexity is thus the greatest value that we strive to inculcate in our students: a reluctance to be fobbed off with cliché and mantra, or to be intimidated by statistics and jargon; a curiosity about what lies behind the newspaper headlines, and a persistence to research a topic thoroughly before forming an opinion; the willingness to engage with others respectfully and sensitively, and a humility to acknowledge one’s own error and prejudice.


1 - demonstrate a broad understanding of the central issues, theories and problems within all three of the disciplines of Philosophy, Politics and Economics;
2 - demonstrate a very detailed knowledge and understanding within a narrower range of areas within these disciplines;
3 - evaluate critically the leading theories and ideas within all of these disciplines;
4 - solve abstract problems using clear and concise arguments;
5 - develop their own ways of thinking about problems in philosophy, politics and economics, with rigour and clarity;
6 - communicate their ideas effectively using written and oral methods;
7 - develop their own research projects, applying research techniques effectively;
8 - work responsibly and directedly as an individual and in teams;
9 - demonstrate an awareness of principles of ethical practice in politics and economics and how these principles should be applied.

PPE programmes are scattered throughout many of the top universities in the world, attracting the best and most ambitious students and educating cohorts of politicians, civil servants, journalists and managers. All three disciplines share a commitment to rigour and problem-solving that will develop useful skills for any career – skills such as research, analysis, written expression and interpreting data. For a list of famous PPE programmes and graduates (such as Bill Clinton, David Cameron and Aung San Suu Kyi), see the Wikipedia entry on ‘Philosophy, Politics and Economics’. According to the BBC, the Oxford PPE “dominates public life in the UK”. 


Stage 3

Please ensure that you register to a minimum of 50 credits in total of Philosophy, Politics & International Relations and Economics modules. You must register to a minimum of 15 credits in EACH subject area. The remaining 5 credits can be in either Philosophy, Politics & International Relations or Economics. If you are studying abroad (Erasmus/non-EU exchange), please see registration guidelines here.

Stage 4

Students are required to take 50 option credits in stage 4. Students can choose modules in two subjects (and no modules in the third) OR they can choose modules in all three subjects.



If choosing modules in all THREE SUBJECTS: You must select 10-20 credits in EACH subject, adding up to 50 credits in total.



If choosing modules in TWO SUBJECTS (and no modules in the third subject.): You must select 20-30 credits in BOTH subjects, adding up to 50 credits in total.



If choosing Politics options: Students wishing to take POL30860 and POL30870 (taken together) must apply to the school in advance.

Module ID Module Title Trimester Credits
Stage 1 Core Modules
     
ECON10030 Introduction to Quantitative Economics Autumn 5
ECON10770 Introduction to Economics Autumn 5
PHIL10160 Critical Thinking Autumn 5
PHIL10190 Introducing PPE Autumn 5
POL10170 Foundations in Political Research Autumn 5
PHIL10040 Introduction to Ethics Autumn and Spring (separate) 5
ECON10010 Principles of Microeconomics Spring 5
ECON10020 Principles of Macroeconomics Spring 5
PHIL10020 Introduction to the Problems of Philosophy Spring 5
POL10160 Foundations of Contemporary Politics Spring 5
POL10180 Foundations of Pol Theory Spring 5
Stage 1 Core Modules
     
Stage 1 Options - A)1OF:
Choose 1 option module.
     
PHIL10030 Introduction to Modern Philosophy Spring 5
PHIL10070 The First Philosophers Spring 5
PHIL10100 Existentialism and Humanism: An Introduction to Continental Philosophy Spring 5
POL10120 Foundations in Global Development Spring 5
Stage 1 Options - A)1OF:
Choose 1 option module.
     
Stage 2 Core Modules
     
ECON20010 Intermediate Microeconomics I Autumn 5
PHIL20490 Knowledge & Scepticism Autumn 5
PHIL20620 Philosophy of Social Science Autumn 5
POL20010 Individuals and the State: The Idea of Freedom in the History of Political Thought Autumn 5
ECON20040 Statistics for Economists Autumn and Spring (separate) 5
ECON20020 Intermediate Macroeconomics Spring 5
POL20050 Research Methods in Political Science Spring 5
Stage 2 Core Modules
     
Stage 2 Options - A)MIN1OF:
Select a minimum of 1 option from the Politics & IR modules listed below. Additional options can be selected in place of electives.
     
INRL20040 Theories and Concepts in International Relations Autumn 5
DEV20010 Topics in Intl Development Spring 5
POL20020 Comparative Politics Spring 5
Stage 2 Options - A)MIN1OF:
Select a minimum of 1 option from the Politics & IR modules listed below. Additional options can be selected in place of electives.
     
Stage 2 Options - B)MIN1OF:
Select a minimum of 1 of the following option modules. Additional options can be selected in place of electives.
     
ECON20080 Economic Policy Analysis Autumn 5
ECON20190 Introduction to Financial Economics Autumn 5
INRL20040 Theories and Concepts in International Relations Autumn 5
INRL20160 Introduction to European Union Politics Autumn 5
PHIL20010 Rationalism and Empiricism Autumn 5
PHIL20440 Feminism & Gender Justice Autumn 5
PHIL20500 Phenomenology & Existentialism Autumn 5
POL20260 Introduction to Chinese Politics Autumn 5
DEV20010 Topics in Intl Development Spring 5
DEV20130 Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals Spring 5
ECON20060 Irish Economy Spring 5
ECON20120 The Economics of the European Union: Institutions, Policies and Crises Spring 5
ECON20130 Economic History: From the Middle Ages to the Second World War Spring 5
ECON20180 Intermediate Microeconomics II Spring 5
ECON20230 Economics, Organisation and Management Spring 5
INRL20110 Intro to Middle East Politics Spring 5
PHIL20020 Logic Spring 5
PHIL20240 Applied Ethics Spring 5
PHIL20580 Plato's Republic Spring 5
PHIL20640 Philosophy of Mind Spring 5
PHIL20730 Revelation and Reason Spring 5
POL10120 Foundations in Global Development Spring 5
POL20020 Comparative Politics Spring 5
POL20250 Irish Politics Spring 5
Stage 2 Options - B)MIN1OF:
Select a minimum of 1 of the following option modules. Additional options can be selected in place of electives.
     
Stage 2 Options - C)MIN1OF:
Select a minimum of 1 Philosophy option from the list below. Additional options can be selected in place of electives.
     
PHIL20010 Rationalism and Empiricism Autumn 5
PHIL20320 Philosophy of Science Autumn 5
PHIL20440 Feminism & Gender Justice Autumn 5
PHIL20500 Phenomenology & Existentialism Autumn 5
PHIL20630 Art and Society Autumn 5
PHIL20710 Body, Mind, World Autumn 5
PHIL20740 Conflicting Truths, a History Autumn 5
PHIL20020 Logic Spring 5
PHIL20240 Applied Ethics Spring 5
PHIL20570 Philosophy & Literature Spring 5
PHIL20580 Plato's Republic Spring 5
PHIL20640 Philosophy of Mind Spring 5
PHIL20700 Introduction to the Philosophy of History Spring 5
Stage 2 Options - C)MIN1OF:
Select a minimum of 1 Philosophy option from the list below. Additional options can be selected in place of electives.
     
Stage 3 Options - A)MIN15CR:
Please ensure that you register to a minimum of 50 credits in total of Philosophy, Politics and Economics modules for stage 3. Select a minimum of 15 credits from the Philosophy option list below. Additional options can be selected in place of electives.
     
PHIL30110 German Idealist Philosophy Autumn 5
PHIL30260 Philosophy of Law Autumn 5
PHIL30280 Philosophy of Interpretation Autumn 5
PHIL30590 Aristotle: Ethics & Politics Autumn 5
PHIL30820 Hume and Kant Autumn 5
PHIL30880 Applied Epistemology Autumn 5
PHIL30900 Personal Identity Autumn 5
PHIL30970 Phenomenology and History Autumn 5
PHIL31000 Philosophy and Ethics of AI Autumn 5
PHIL30070 Philosophy of Language Spring 5
PHIL30650 History & Philosophy: Nazi Germany Spring 5
PHIL30690 Science, Perception & Reality Spring 5
PHIL30870 Philosophy of Fiction Spring 5
PHIL30890 Wittgenstein's Philosophical Investigations Spring 5
PHIL30910 Irish Enlightenment Spring 5
PHIL30960 Love and Knowledge Spring 5
PHIL30990 The Medieval Mind Spring 5
Stage 3 Options - A)MIN15CR:
Please ensure that you register to a minimum of 50 credits in total of Philosophy, Politics and Economics modules for stage 3. Select a minimum of 15 credits from the Philosophy option list below. Additional options can be selected in place of electives.
     
Stage 3 Options - B)MIN15CR:
Please ensure that you register to a minimum of 50 credits in total of Philosophy, Politics and Economics modules for stage 3. Select a minimum of 15 credits from the Economics option list below. Additional options can be selected in place of electives.
     
ECON30100 The Economics of Health and Health Policy Autumn 5
ECON30150 International Money and Banking Autumn 5
ECON30180 Industrial Economics: Economics of Business Strategy Autumn 5
ECON30270 Behavioural Economics and Public Policy Autumn 5
ECON30360 Labour Economics Autumn 5
ECON30400 Political Economy Autumn 5
ECON30410 Development Economics Autumn 5
ECON30520 R for Economists Autumn 5
ECON30570 Economic Growth Autumn 5
ECON30590 Economics of Gender and Diversity Autumn 5
ECON30610 Economics of Natural Resources Autumn 5
ECON30130 Econometrics: Applying Statistics to Economic Data Autumn and Spring (separate) 5
ECON30160 International Trade Economics Spring 5
ECON30170 Financial Economics: Asset Pricing Spring 5
ECON30190 Public Economics: Government Spending, Taxation and Public Choice Spring 5
ECON30260 The Economics of the Transport Sector Spring 5
ECON30390 Experimental Economics: Lab Experiments Spring 5
ECON30430 Economics of International Fin Spring 5
ECON30500 Field Experiments Social Sci Spring 5
ECON30550 Philosophy of Economics Spring 5
ECON30580 Economics of Betting Markets Spring 5
ECON30600 Economics of Climate Change Spring 5
Stage 3 Options - B)MIN15CR:
Please ensure that you register to a minimum of 50 credits in total of Philosophy, Politics and Economics modules for stage 3. Select a minimum of 15 credits from the Economics option list below. Additional options can be selected in place of electives.
     
Stage 3 Options - C)MIN10CR:
Please ensure that you register to a minimum of 50 credits in total of Philosophy, Politics and Economics modules for stage 3. Please select a minimum of 15 credits in total from the Politics options lists below. A minimum of 10 credits must be selected from the level 3 Politics and International Relations option list, and a maximum of 5 credits can be selected from the Politics level 2 option list below. Additional options can be selected in place of electives.
     
INRL30320 Gender in War & Peace Autumn 10
INRL30370 Terrorism & Political Violence Autumn 10
POL30640 Deliberative Mini-Publics Autumn 10
POL30820 Political Risk and Foreign Direct Investment Autumn 10
POL30880 Capitalism and Democracy Autumn 10
POL30890 The Politics of Organised Crime Autumn 10
POL36070 Political Psychology Autumn 10
POL36120 Gender, Religion & Colonialism Autumn 10
POL36140 Parties and Party Systems Autumn 10
INRL30340 Internat. Political Economy Spring 10
INRL30400 EU Foreign Policy: understanding how the European Union and its member states engage with the world Spring 10
POL30660 Data Analytics for Social Sciences Spring 10
POL30680 Gender and Politics Spring 10
POL30690 Introduction to Asian Politics Spring 10
POL30840 Electoral Systems and their Consequences Spring 10
POL36100 Strategies of Politics Spring 10
POL36110 Comparative Political Theory Spring 10
POL36130 Liberalism & its Critics Spring 10
Stage 3 Options - C)MIN10CR:
Please ensure that you register to a minimum of 50 credits in total of Philosophy, Politics and Economics modules for stage 3. Please select a minimum of 15 credits in total from the Politics options lists below. A minimum of 10 credits must be selected from the level 3 Politics and International Relations option list, and a maximum of 5 credits can be selected from the Politics level 2 option list below. Additional options can be selected in place of electives.
     
Stage 3 Options - D)MIN0CR:
Students may select up to 5 credits from the following level 2 options to fulfill your 15 credit Politics requirement. Additional options can be selected in place of electives.
     
INRL20040 Theories and Concepts in International Relations Autumn 5
INRL20080 Irish Foreign Policy Autumn 5
INRL20160 Introduction to European Union Politics Autumn 5
POL20260 Introduction to Chinese Politics Autumn 5
DEV20010 Topics in Intl Development Spring 5
DEV20130 Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals Spring 5
INRL20110 Intro to Middle East Politics Spring 5
POL20020 Comparative Politics Spring 5
POL20250 Irish Politics Spring 5
Stage 3 Options - D)MIN0CR:
Students may select up to 5 credits from the following level 2 options to fulfill your 15 credit Politics requirement. Additional options can be selected in place of electives.
     
Stage 4 Options - A)MIN0OF:
Students are required to take 50 option credits in stage 4. Students can choose modules in two subjects (and no modules in the third), OR they can choose modules in all three subjects. If choosing modules in all THREE SUBJECTS, you must select 10-20 credits in EACH subject, adding up to 50 credits in total. If choosing modules in TWO SUBJECTS (and no modules in the third subject), you must select 20-30 credits in BOTH subjects, adding up to 50 credits in total. If choosing Politics options: Students wishing to take POL30860 and POL30870 (taken together) must apply to the school in advance. Additional options can be selected in place of electives.
     
INRL30320 Gender in War & Peace Autumn 10
INRL30370 Terrorism & Political Violence Autumn 10
POL30640 Deliberative Mini-Publics Autumn 10
POL30820 Political Risk and Foreign Direct Investment Autumn 10
POL30860 Advanced Seminar in Politics 1 Autumn 5
POL30880 Capitalism and Democracy Autumn 10
POL30890 The Politics of Organised Crime Autumn 10
POL36070 Political Psychology Autumn 10
POL36120 Gender, Religion & Colonialism Autumn 10
POL36140 Parties and Party Systems Autumn 10
INRL30340 Internat. Political Economy Spring 10
INRL30400 EU Foreign Policy: understanding how the European Union and its member states engage with the world Spring 10
POL30660 Data Analytics for Social Sciences Spring 10
POL30680 Gender and Politics Spring 10
POL30690 Introduction to Asian Politics Spring 10
POL30840 Electoral Systems and their Consequences Spring 10
POL30870 Advanced Seminar in Politics 2 Spring 15
POL36100 Strategies of Politics Spring 10
POL36110 Comparative Political Theory Spring 10
POL36130 Liberalism & its Critics Spring 10
Stage 4 Options - A)MIN0OF:
Students are required to take 50 option credits in stage 4. Students can choose modules in two subjects (and no modules in the third), OR they can choose modules in all three subjects. If choosing modules in all THREE SUBJECTS, you must select 10-20 credits in EACH subject, adding up to 50 credits in total. If choosing modules in TWO SUBJECTS (and no modules in the third subject), you must select 20-30 credits in BOTH subjects, adding up to 50 credits in total. If choosing Politics options: Students wishing to take POL30860 and POL30870 (taken together) must apply to the school in advance. Additional options can be selected in place of electives.
     
Stage 4 Options - B)MIN0OF:
You may select up to 5 credits from the following list to fulfill stage 4 requirements.
     
INRL20080 Irish Foreign Policy Autumn 5
INRL20160 Introduction to European Union Politics Autumn 5
POL20260 Introduction to Chinese Politics Autumn 5
DEV20010 Topics in Intl Development Spring 5
DEV20130 Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals Spring 5
INRL20110 Intro to Middle East Politics Spring 5
POL20250 Irish Politics Spring 5
Stage 4 Options - B)MIN0OF:
You may select up to 5 credits from the following list to fulfill stage 4 requirements.
     
Stage 4 Options - C)MIN0OF:
Students are required to take 50 option credits in stage 4. Students can choose modules in two subjects (and no modules in the third), OR they can choose modules in all three subjects. If choosing modules in all THREE SUBJECTS, you must select 10-20 credits in EACH subject, adding up to 50 credits in total. If choosing modules in TWO SUBJECTS (and no modules in the third subject), you must select 20-30 credits in BOTH subjects, adding up to 50 credits in total. Additional options can be selected in place of electives.
     
ECON30100 The Economics of Health and Health Policy Autumn 5
ECON30150 International Money and Banking Autumn 5
ECON30180 Industrial Economics: Economics of Business Strategy Autumn 5
ECON30270 Behavioural Economics and Public Policy Autumn 5
ECON30290 Advanced Microeconomics Autumn 5
ECON30360 Labour Economics Autumn 5
ECON30400 Political Economy Autumn 5
ECON30410 Development Economics Autumn 5
ECON30520 R for Economists Autumn 5
ECON30540 Advd Econometrics: Time Series Autumn 5
ECON30570 Economic Growth Autumn 5
ECON30590 Economics of Gender and Diversity Autumn 5
ECON30610 Economics of Natural Resources Autumn 5
ECON30130 Econometrics: Applying Statistics to Economic Data Autumn and Spring (separate) 5
ECON20100 Game Theory Spring 5
ECON30120 Advanced Macroeconomics Spring 5
ECON30160 International Trade Economics Spring 5
ECON30170 Financial Economics: Asset Pricing Spring 5
ECON30190 Public Economics: Government Spending, Taxation and Public Choice Spring 5
ECON30260 The Economics of the Transport Sector Spring 5
ECON30390 Experimental Economics: Lab Experiments Spring 5
ECON30430 Economics of International Fin Spring 5
ECON30500 Field Experiments Social Sci Spring 5
ECON30530 Advanced Econometrics: Microeconometrics Spring 5
ECON30550 Philosophy of Economics Spring 5
ECON30580 Economics of Betting Markets Spring 5
ECON30600 Economics of Climate Change Spring 5
Stage 4 Options - C)MIN0OF:
Students are required to take 50 option credits in stage 4. Students can choose modules in two subjects (and no modules in the third), OR they can choose modules in all three subjects. If choosing modules in all THREE SUBJECTS, you must select 10-20 credits in EACH subject, adding up to 50 credits in total. If choosing modules in TWO SUBJECTS (and no modules in the third subject), you must select 20-30 credits in BOTH subjects, adding up to 50 credits in total. Additional options can be selected in place of electives.
     
Stage 4 Options - D)MIN0OF:
Students are required to take 50 option credits in stage 4. Students can choose modules in two subjects (and no modules in the third), OR they can choose modules in all three subjects. If choosing modules in all THREE SUBJECTS, you must select 10-20 credits in EACH subject, adding up to 50 credits in total. If choosing modules in TWO SUBJECTS (and no modules in the third subject), you must select 20-30 credits in BOTH subjects, adding up to 50 credits in total. Additional options can be selected in place of electives.
     
PHIL30260 Philosophy of Law Autumn 5
PHIL30280 Philosophy of Interpretation Autumn 5
PHIL30590 Aristotle: Ethics & Politics Autumn 5
PHIL30820 Hume and Kant Autumn 5
PHIL30880 Applied Epistemology Autumn 5
PHIL30900 Personal Identity Autumn 5
PHIL30920 Training as a Philosophy Researcher Part 1 Autumn 5
PHIL31000 Philosophy and Ethics of AI Autumn 5
PHIL30070 Philosophy of Language Spring 5
PHIL30650 History & Philosophy: Nazi Germany Spring 5
PHIL30690 Science, Perception & Reality Spring 5
PHIL30870 Philosophy of Fiction Spring 5
PHIL30890 Wittgenstein's Philosophical Investigations Spring 5
PHIL30910 Irish Enlightenment Spring 5
PHIL30930 Training as a Philosophy Researcher Part 2 Spring 5
PHIL30960 Love and Knowledge Spring 5
PHIL30990 The Medieval Mind Spring 5
Stage 4 Options - D)MIN0OF:
Students are required to take 50 option credits in stage 4. Students can choose modules in two subjects (and no modules in the third), OR they can choose modules in all three subjects. If choosing modules in all THREE SUBJECTS, you must select 10-20 credits in EACH subject, adding up to 50 credits in total. If choosing modules in TWO SUBJECTS (and no modules in the third subject), you must select 20-30 credits in BOTH subjects, adding up to 50 credits in total. Additional options can be selected in place of electives.
     
See the UCD Assessment website for further details

Module Weighting Info  
  Award GPA
Programme Module Weightings Rule Description Description >= <=
BHSOC010 Stage 4 - 50.00%
Stage 3 - 30.00%
Stage 2 - 20.00%
Standard Honours Award First Class Honours

3.68

4.20

Second Class Honours, Grade 1

3.08

3.67

Second Class Honours, Grade 2

2.48

3.07

Pass

2.00

2.47


(Google Chrome is recommended when printing this page)