The PPE major combines three of the most prominent approaches to understanding the social and political world, the way it shapes individuals, and the way individuals shape it. The knowledge and skills it inculcates in students are relevant for a whole range of careers, including but not restricted to politics, journalism, the media, social activism, the NGO sector, business, law, academia. Students will emerge with honed debating skills and with a level of sophistication to their thinking about society’s ills and the best way to address them. The Politics and Economics components enable students to develop an understanding of the many social forces at work around them, and the Philosophy component enables them to reason about these forces with rigour.
Note: You must have studied Mathematics in Classes 11 and 12 to pursue this interdisciplinary major.
To complete the PPE major, students must take 28 courses in total, including foundation courses and major courses. For each of the three subject areas in PPE, students will choose a minimum of 4 and a maximum of 8 courses, with a combined total of 16. So the following distributions are all possible:
| 8-4-4 | 6-6-4 | 5-5-6 | 7-5-4 |
For the cohorts of 2017-2020 and beyond: Those who do 8 courses in one subject (X) will graduate in ‘PPE, with specialization in X’. This will be stated on their transcripts. The only exception to this is Economics, where students need to complete 9 economics courses in order to graduate in 'PPE, with specialization in Economics'.
A PPE major must take at least four Politics courses. Those taking four must take Introduction to Political Theory, Introduction to Indian Politics, Comparative Politics and International Relations. For the specialization in politics, PPE majors must additionally take a methods course (qualitative or quantitative) and three elective courses in Politics.
These courses are listed on the 'Major Courses' section of the Politics Programme page.
A PPE major must take at least four philosophy courses. Those taking four must take the two Required courses, and two courses in different categories among categories 2, 3, and 4. Those taking five must take one elective in addition. The requirements for those taking six or more are the same as those for the philosophy minor. Accordingly, students will earn a specialization in philosophy if they meet the requirements for the minor and take at least two more philosophy classes as electives. All these course requirements are listed on the 'Major Courses' section of the Philosophy Programme page.
Note that a student cannot both major in PPE and minor in philosophy.
For the cohort graduating from 2021 onwards:
Within the overall 16 course requirement across the three disciplines, a PPE major has the option of taking either 4 or 6 or 8 courses in Economics.
(a) 4 course track: Required courses are Introduction to Economics, Mathematics for Economics, Microeconomic Theory I, Macroeconomic Theory I
(b) 6 course track: Within this, there are two options (1) Required courses are Introduction to Economics, Mathematics for Economics, Microeconomic Theory I, Macroeconomic Theory I, Microeconomic Theory II, Macroeconomic Theory II or (2) Introduction to Economics, Mathematics for Economics, Statistics for Economics, Microeconomic Theory I, Macroeconomic Theory I, Econometrics
(c) 8 course track: Within this there are two options (i) Option 1 of the 6 course track plus any two courses chosen from either Statistics for Economics, Econometrics or any 3000 level course in Economics (ii) Option 2 of the 6 course track plus any two courses chosen from either Statistics for Economics, Econometrics or any 3000 level course in Economics.
For the cohort of 2017-2020: A PPE major must take at least four Economics courses. The course requirements in Economics for those taking four or five Economics courses are the same as for a Concentration in Economics. For those taking six or seven Economics courses, the course requirements in Economics are the same as for a Minor in Economics. For those completing the PPE major with a specialization in Economics (i.e. taking nine Economics courses), the course requirements in Economics are the nine compulsory courses for the Major in Economics. All these courses are listed on the Economics Programme page.
For the cohorts of 2015-18 and 2016-19: A PPE major must take at least four Economics courses. Those taking four or five Economics courses must take Maths for Economics, Intermediate Microeconomics and Intermediate Macroeconomics. For those taking six or seven Economics courses, the course requirements in Economics are the same as for a Minor in Economics. For those completing the PPE major with a specialization in Economics (i.e. taking eight Economics courses), the course requirements in Economics are the same as for the Interdisciplinary Major in Economics and History.
Please note that some of the courses have pre-requisites. Students should consult the Economics Representative on the PPE Committee or the Programme Coordinator in Economics about what courses they should choose in Economics.
The following sample curriculum indicates a possible path to completing the PPE major with a specialization in Philosophy.
|
Semester I |
Semester II |
Semester III |
Semester IV |
Semester V |
Semester VI |
|
Introduction to Critical Thinking |
Critical Thinking Seminar |
Foundation Course 4 |
Foundation Course 5 |
Foundation Course 6 |
Foundation Course 7 |
|
Foundation Course 1 |
ECO Introduction to Economic Reasoning |
PHIL2 Symbolic Logic |
PHIL 4 |
PHIL 6 |
PHIL 7 |
|
Foundation Course 2 |
POL 1 |
PHIL 3 |
ECO Math for Economics |
ECO Microeconomic Theory I |
POL 4 |
|
Foundation Course 3 |
PHIL1 Introduction to Philosophy |
POL 2 |
POL 3 |
ECO Macroeconomic Theory I |
PHIL 8 |
|
Elective |
PHIL 5 |
Elective |
Elective |
The following sample curriculum indicates a possible path to completing the PPE major with a specialization in Economics (applicable to the cohort of 2017-2020).
|
Semester I |
Semester II |
Semester III |
Semester IV |
Semester V |
Semester VI |
|
Introduction to Critical Thinking |
Critical Thinking Seminar |
ECO Microeconomic Theory I |
Foundation Course 4 |
Foundation Course 6 |
Foundation Course 7 |
|
Foundation Course 1 |
ECO Introduction to Economic Reasoning |
ECO Macroeconomic Theory I |
Foundation Course 5 |
ECO Development Economics |
ECO Microeconomic Theory II |
|
Foundation Course 2 |
ECO Math for Economics |
ECO Statistics for Economics |
ECO Econometrics |
POL 3 |
ECO Macroeconomic Theory II |
|
Foundation Course 3 |
PHIL 1 Introduction to Philosophy |
PHIL 2 Symbolic Logic |
POL 2 |
PHIL 4 |
POL 4 |
|
POL 1 |
PHIL 3 |
Elective |
Elective |