Politics, Philosophy and Economics
Politics, philosophy, and economics, known as PPE, is one of the most ambitious and widely respected degree combinations in UK higher education. Politics asks how power is distributed and exercised in democratic and non-democratic systems. Philosophy trains you in rigorous argument, ethical reasoning, and the analysis of fundamental concepts.
Economics provides the quantitative and theoretical tools for understanding how individuals, firms, and governments make decisions under scarcity. Studied together at degree level, these three disciplines reinforce each other in ways that none can achieve alone.
At SOAS, the School of Oriental and African Studies, this three-year full-time degree takes on a distinctive character shaped by the institution's global focus. SOAS is unique among UK universities for its specialisation in the cultures, histories, and social sciences of Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, and that perspective enriches all three disciplines. The PPE programme includes a foundation year, making it accessible to students who need additional preparation before the main degree begins.
You will engage with political theory, comparative politics, logic, ethics, economic principles, and quantitative methods, while also drawing on SOAS's particular strengths in development economics, post-colonial political thought, and the comparative study of societies beyond the Western tradition.
PPE graduates are found across an extraordinarily wide range of careers. Politics, journalism, the civil service, diplomacy, management consulting, finance, law, international development, and academic research are all common destinations. The analytical breadth of the qualification means graduates can engage credibly with questions that pure specialists in one discipline cannot.
The SOAS context adds further value for those seeking careers with international, development, or cross-cultural dimensions. Many graduates go on to postgraduate study in economics, political science, philosophy, international relations, or law.