You will study a set of core modules in all three disciplines, which amount to just over half of the required course work. In addition, you can choose optional modules in each of the three PPE departments or from other departments of the University.

Each department is slightly different in how teaching is organised and you will experience different teaching methods, including lectures, small-group seminars and tutorials as well as independent study. Typically you will have 12–15 hours of contact time in your first year and 10–12 hours in your second year. Your third year is mainly dedicated to individual research.

All PPE students will also be allocated a personal tutor. The personal tutor can advise on module choices, help if you have problems studying, and will be happy to write you a reference when you are looking for jobs or applying for postgraduate study.

How will I be assessed?

Assessment is by a mixture of coursework and exams, and in some modules you are allowed to choose the assessment method. The first year exams are qualifying exams and do not count towards your degree classification. This will be determined on the basis of your second- and third-year results. You will also have non-assessed and smaller assessed pieces of work and you will get feedback on this work to help you progress.

Skills sessions and programmes

Study skills will be built into your core modules in the first year. So you will develop your academic reading, essay writing, exam technique, data analysis, critical thinking and presentation skills. We also offer specific sessions for second and third years. Warwick also offers the Undergraduate Skills Programme and Academic Writing Programme to help you perfect a range of skills and develop yourself further.

Support from other students

When you arrive, you will receive a PPE parent from the PPE Society, a current student can tell you about their experiences of life and studies at Warwick. These student volunteers can also help guide and support you, give advice and answer questions you may have. New students very much appreciate knowing that there is another student who is willing to share their experiences with them in this way.

How can I prepare?

Students are not expected to have studied any of the three disciplines before coming to Warwick. If you are particularly enthusiastic and feel like getting started, however, here are some suggestions:

Some classics:

• Thomas Hobbes Leviathan
• David Hume A Treatise of Human Nature
• Adam Smith On the Wealth of Nations
• Immanuel Kant Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals
• John Stuart Mill Utilitarianism
• Karl Marx Capital

Contemporary readings:

• John Rawls. 1971. A Theory of Justice. Harvard University Press, Chapters 3, 4, 11 and 26… A contemporary classic
• Amartya Sen. 1987. On Ethics and Economics. Blackwell.… A discussion of ethical premises in economic theory
• Amartya Sen. 1999. Development as Freedom. Knopf.… What is the goal of international development?
• Deborah Satz. 2010. Why Some Things Should Not Be For Sale. OUP -- An exploration of the ethical limitations of markets
• Peter Singer. 2004. One World – the Ethics of Globalization. Yale University Press.… A proposal for globalizing ethics
• Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo. 2012. Poor Economics. Penguin. ... Why is there still so much poverty in the world?
• Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson. 2012. Why Nations Fail. Profil Books. ... What causes inequalities between nations?
• Paul Collier. 2009. Wars, Guns, and Votes: Democracy in Dangerous Places. Vintage. ... On the difficult path to democracy in poor countries
• Thomas Picketty. 2014. Capital in the 21st Century. Harvard University Press … Why are income and wealth inequalities in advanced economies increasing?
• Joseph Stiglitz. 2012. The Price of Inequality: How Today's Divided Society Endangers Our Future. Norton. ...A study of the consequences of widening income and wealth inequalities in rich countries...
• Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein. 2008. Nudge. Yale University Press.... An essay on paternalism

For students without Maths A level you may find it helpful to look at the Economics Department module description for Mathematical Techniques A.