Philosophy, Politics and Economics
Major: Philosophy, Politics and Economics
Degree Awarded: Bachelor of Arts (BA)
Calendar Type: Quarter
Total Credit Hours: 190.0
Co-op Options: Three Co-op (Five years); One Co-op (Four years); No Co-op (Four years)
Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code: 45.1004
Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code: 25-1065
About the Program
Drexel University’s BA degree Philosophy, Politics & Economics, or PPE as it is often called, exemplifies Drexel’s commitment to comprehensive education at the intersection of thought and practice. A joint endeavor of the School of Economics, the Department of Politics, and the Department of English & Philosophy, the BA in PPE provides a multidisciplinary foundation for professionals and researchers who want to address the complex, interconnected challenges of contemporary life. It prepares students for a wide variety of excellent careers that require thoughtful analysis and engaged leadership including, but not limited to, public service, government, international and domestic business, law, community organizing, publishing, journalism, education, academic research, and more.
PPE began in the early 20th century at Oxford University in the United Kingdom in an effort to ensure that scholars were ready to apply their learning in practical, governmental, and business contexts to become leaders and change agents. Historically, political science and economics descend from what had been called “political economy.” PPE acknowledges what is often lost in the separation and specialization of these fields—the political wisdom that understands economic imperatives and the economic intelligence that recognizes the limits of political initiative. The philosophical dimension of PPE represents the vital reflective and critical aspects that are essential to bringing political and economic insights into conversation for understanding and leadership. PPE is devoted to the idea that great learning should inspire and empower students to have an impact on the world.
Students in the Drexel BA in PPE begin with the interdisciplinary class PPE 101 Introduction to Philosophy, Politics and Economics, which presents the field through a discussion of how the aims and methods of the three constitutive disciplines work together and discussion of the political, economic, and philosophical dimensions of specific topics and themes. The Philosophy classes in the major are mainly focused on issues in ethics, logic, philosophy of law, and social and political philosophy. The Politics classes cover a variety of subjects and constitute a solid foundation in political science covering topics that include comparative politics, history of political thought, qualitative or quantitative research methods, theories of justice, American foreign policy, social protest movements in comparative perspective, and more. The Economics classes are designed to give the student a foundation for profound analysis and insight. These include microeconomics, macroeconomics, economic ideas, public finance, and electives chosen from courses which include Game Theory and Applications, Economics of Small Business, Labor Economics, Comparative Economic Systems, Resource and Environmental Economics, and more.
PPE majors also take several classes in Sociology, choosing from courses like Race, Ethnicity and Social Inequality, Wealth and Power, Gender and Society, Development and Underdevelopment in the Global South, Environmental Justice, and more. In the interactive seminar capstone course PPE 450, students work with an instructor as they formulate, evaluate, and criticize public policy proposals, research, and/or theoretical perspectives on political and economic issues using the research tools, arguments, and methods drawn from the three fields. PPE majors at Drexel have access to the widest range of co-op positions related to public service, government, international and domestic business, law, community organizing, education, publishing, journalism, academic research, and many more areas.
Additional Information
For more information about the Drexel Philosophy, Politics and Economics program, please visit the Department of English & Philosophy website or stop by to see one of our co-directors anytime. The Department of English & Philosophy is located in MacAlister Hall, Room 5044. The co-directors of the Drexel Philosophy, Politics and Economics program can be contacted at:
Dr. Peter Amato, Department of English and Philosophy, College of Arts & Sciences, pa34@drexel.edu
Dr. Amelia Hoover Green, Department of Politics, College of Arts & Sciences, aah92@drexel.edu
Dr. Roger McCain, School of Economics, LeBow College of Business, mccainra@drexel.edu
Admission Requirements
The interdisciplinary Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) program exemplifies Drexel's commitment to comprehensive education at the intersection of thought and practice. A joint endeavor of the School of Economics, the Department of Politics, and the Department of English and Philosophy, the BA in PPE provides a multidisciplinary foundation for professionals who will address the complex, interconnected challenges of contemporary life. It prepares students for careers that require careful analysis, clear foresight, and thoughtful leadership: government, politics, law, public policy, public service, and business. Our program starts from the idea that the economy is fundamentally political, politics are fundamentally economic, and both are shaped by centuries of philosophical inquiry. We build on a foundation of rigorous philosophical thought, political and economic theory, and applied research skills.
Degree Requirements
| College of Arts and Sciences Requirements: | ||
| CIVC 101 | Introduction to Civic Engagement | 1.0 |
| COOP 101 | Career Management and Professional Development * | 1.0 |
| ENGL 101 | Composition and Rhetoric I: Inquiry and Exploratory Research | 3.0 |
| or ENGL 111 | English Composition I | |
| ENGL 102 | Composition and Rhetoric II: Advanced Research and Evidence-Based Writing | 3.0 |
| or ENGL 112 | English Composition II | |
| ENGL 103 | Composition and Rhetoric III: Themes and Genres | 3.0 |
| or ENGL 113 | English Composition III | |
| PHIL 105 | Critical Reasoning | 3.0 |
| UNIV H101 | The Drexel Experience | 1.0 |
| UNIV H201 | Looking Forward: Academics and Careers | 1.0 |
| Two Studies in Diversity classes | 6.0 | |
| Two International Studies classes | 6.0 | |
| Two Natural Science classes | 6.0 | |
| A Mathematics sequence of at least two classes in either Analysis or Calculus ** | 8.0 | |
| Two Social and Behavioral Science classes | 6.0 | |
| Two Arts & Humanities classes *** | 6.0 | |
| Two classes in one Foreign Language completing level 103 † | 8.0 | |
| Free Electives | 25.0 | |
| Major Requirements: | ||
| PPE 101 | Introduction to Philosophy, Politics and Economics | 3.0 |
| PHIL 101 | Introduction to Western Philosophy | 3.0 |
| PSCI 110 | American Government | 4.0 |
| or PSCI 140 | Comparative Politics I | |
| or PSCI 150 | International Politics | |
| PHIL 111 | Symbolic Logic I | 3.0 |
| PSCI 120 | History of Political Thought | 4.0 |
| One of these Political Science Methods classes: | 4.0 | |
| Qualitative and Mixed-Methods Research in Political Science | ||
| Quantitative Research Methods in Political Science | ||
| ECON 201 | Principles of Microeconomics | 4.0 |
| ECON 202 | Principles of Macroeconomics | 4.0 |
| ECON 326 [WI] | Economic Ideas | 4.0 |
| PHIL 121 | Symbolic Logic II | 3.0 |
| PHIL 241 | Social & Political Philosophy | 3.0 |
| PHIL 251 | Ethics | 3.0 |
| Two of these Political Science Area classes: | 8.0 | |
| American Political Development | ||
| Theories of Justice | ||
| American Foreign Policy | ||
| Global Governance | ||
| Power in Protest: Social Movements in Comparative Perspective | ||
| Two of these Sociology Elective classes: | 8.0 | |
| Race, Ethnicity and Social Inequality | ||
| Wealth and Power | ||
| Gender and Society | ||
| Development and Underdevelopment in the Global South | ||
| Environmental Justice | ||
| Three of these Economics / International Business Elective classes: †† | 12.0 | |
| Survey of Economic Policy | ||
Up to three ECON classes numbered 250 and higher | ||
| International Trade | ||
| International Money and Finance | ||
| ECON 334 | Public Finance | 4.0 |
| SOC 355 [WI] | Classical Social Theory | 4.0 |
| SOC 356 [WI] | Contemporary Social Theory | 4.0 |
| PHIL 385 | Philosophy of Law | 3.0 |
| Any two Political Science 300 and/or 400-level classes | 8.0 | |
| Any two Philosophy 400-level classes | 6.0 | |
| PPE 450 | Senior Seminar in Philosophy, Politics and Economics | 4.0 |
| Total Credits | 190.0 | |
| * | Students not taking co-op, will take one extra credit of Free elective. |
| ** | For Analysis, take either MATH 101 and MATH 102, or MATH 172 and MATH 173 and any necessary prerequisites, For Calculus, take either MATH 116 and MATH 117 or MATH 121 and any necessary prerequisites. |
| *** | |
| † | The 103 level class requires 102 and 101 (all 4 credits each) unless one tests out of 101 or 102. A student who tests out of 102 must take 103 and 201. |
| †† |
Writing-Intensive Course Requirements
In order to graduate, all students must pass three writing-intensive courses after their freshman year. Two writing-intensive courses must be in a student's major. The third can be in any discipline. Students are advised to take one writing-intensive class each year, beginning with the sophomore year, and to avoid “clustering” these courses near the end of their matriculation. Transfer students need to meet with an academic advisor to review the number of writing-intensive courses required to graduate.
A "WI" next to a course in this catalog may indicate that this course can fulfill a writing-intensive requirement. For the most up-to-date list of writing-intensive courses being offered, students should check the Writing Intensive Course List at the University Writing Program. Students scheduling their courses can also conduct a search for courses with the attribute "WI" to bring up a list of all writing-intensive courses available that term.
Sample Plan of Study
4 year, no co-op
| First Year | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
| ENGL 101 or 111 | 3.0 | CIVC 101 | 1.0 | ENGL 103 or 113 | 3.0 | VACATION | |
| PPE 101 | 3.0 | ENGL 102 or 112 | 3.0 | PHIL 105 | 3.0 | ||
| UNIV H101 | 1.0 | PSCI 120 | 4.0 | Diversity Studies course | 3.0 | ||
| Foreign Language course | 4.0 | Foreign Language course | 4.0 | Natural Science course | 3.0 | ||
| Math Analysis or Calculus | 4.0 | Math Analysis or Calculus | 4.0 | Arts & Humanities elective | 3.0 | ||
| 15 | 16 | 15 | 0 | ||||
| Second Year | |||||||
| Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
| ECON 201 | 4.0 | ECON 202 | 4.0 | ECON 326 | 4.0 | VACATION | |
| PHIL 101 | 3.0 | PHIL 121 | 3.0 | PHIL 241 | 3.0 | ||
| PHIL 111 | 3.0 | PSCI 110 | 4.0 | PSCI 231 or 232 | 4.0 | ||
| Natural Science course | 3.0 | Social & Behavioral Science course | 3.0 | Diversity Studies course | 3.0 | ||
| Arts & Humanities elective | 3.0 | Free elective | 3.0 | Free elective | 4.0 | ||
| 16 | 17 | 18 | 0 | ||||
| Third Year | |||||||
| Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
| SOC 210 | 4.0 | PHIL 251 | 3.0 | ECON 334 | 4.0 | VACATION | |
| UNIV H201 | 1.0 | SOC 230 | 4.0 | PSCI 210 | 4.0 | ||
| Social & Behavioral Science course | 3.0 | International Studies course | 3.0 | International Studies course | 3.0 | ||
| Free electives | 9.0 | Free electives | 6.0 | Free electives | 4.0 | ||
| 17 | 16 | 15 | 0 | ||||
| Fourth Year | |||||||
| Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | ||
| ECON 361 | 4.0 | ECON 301 | 4.0 | PPE 450 | 4.0 | ||
| PSCI 252 | 4.0 | PHIL 385 | 3.0 | ECON 250-level or higher elective | 4.0 | ||
| SOC 355 | 4.0 | SOC 356 | 4.0 | PHIL 400-level elective | 3.0 | ||
| PHIL 400-level elective | 3.0 | PSCI 300-level or higher elective | 4.0 | PSCI 300-level or higher elective | 4.0 | ||
| 15 | 15 | 15 | |||||
| Total Credits 190 | |||||||
4 year, 1 co-op
| First Year | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
| ENGL 101 or 111 | 3.0 | CIVC 101 | 1.0 | ENGL 103 or 113 | 3.0 | VACATION | |
| PPE 101 | 3.0 | ENGL 102 or 112 | 3.0 | PHIL 105 | 3.0 | ||
| UNIV H101 | 1.0 | PSCI 120 | 4.0 | Diversity Studies course | 3.0 | ||
| Foreign Language course | 4.0 | Foreign Language course | 4.0 | Natural Science course | 3.0 | ||
| Math Analysis or Calculus | 4.0 | Math Analysis or Calculus | 4.0 | Arts & Humanities elective | 3.0 | ||
| 15 | 16 | 15 | 0 | ||||
| Second Year | |||||||
| Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
| ECON 201 | 4.0 | ECON 202 | 4.0 | COOP 101* | 1.0 | SOC 210 | 4.0 |
| PHIL 101 | 3.0 | PHIL 121 | 3.0 | ECON 326 | 4.0 | UNIV H201 | 1.0 |
| PHIL 111 | 3.0 | PSCI 110 | 4.0 | PHIL 241 | 3.0 | Social & Behavioral Science course | 3.0 |
| Natural Science course | 3.0 | Social & Behavioral Science course | 3.0 | PSCI 231 or 232 | 4.0 | Free electives | 9.0 |
| Arts & Humanities elective | 3.0 | Free elective | 3.0 | Diversity Studies course | 3.0 | ||
| Free elective | 3.0 | ||||||
| 16 | 17 | 18 | 17 | ||||
| Third Year | |||||||
| Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
| PHIL 251 | 3.0 | ECON 334 | 4.0 | COOP EXPERIENCE | COOP EXPERIENCE | ||
| SOC 230 | 4.0 | PSCI 210 | 4.0 | ||||
| International Studies course | 3.0 | International Studies course | 3.0 | ||||
| Free electives | 6.0 | Free electives | 4.0 | ||||
| 16 | 15 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Fourth Year | |||||||
| Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | ||
| ECON 361 | 4.0 | ECON 301 | 4.0 | PPE 450 | 4.0 | ||
| PSCI 252 | 4.0 | PHIL 385 | 3.0 | ECON 250-level or higher elective | 4.0 | ||
| SOC 355 | 4.0 | SOC 356 | 4.0 | PHIL 400-level elective | 3.0 | ||
| PHIL 400-level elective | 3.0 | PSCI 300-level or higher elective | 4.0 | PSCI 300-level or higher elective | 4.0 | ||
| 15 | 15 | 15 | |||||
| Total Credits 190 | |||||||
| * | Select students may be eligible to take COOP 001 in place of COOP 101. |
5 year, 3 co-op
| First Year | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
| ENGL 101 | 3.0 | CIVC 101 | 1.0 | COOP 101* | 1.0 | VACATION | |
| PPE 101 | 3.0 | ENGL 102 or 112 | 3.0 | ENGL 103 or 113 | 3.0 | ||
| UNIV H101 | 1.0 | PSCI 120 | 4.0 | PHIL 105 | 3.0 | ||
| Foreign Language class | 4.0 | Foreign Language class | 4.0 | Diversity Studies course | 3.0 | ||
| Math Analysis or Calculus | 4.0 | Math Analysis or Calculus | 4.0 | Natural Science course | 3.0 | ||
| Arts & Humanities elective | 3.0 | ||||||
| 15 | 16 | 16 | 0 | ||||
| Second Year | |||||||
| Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
| ECON 201 | 4.0 | ECON 202 | 4.0 | COOP EXPERIENCE | COOP EXPERIENCE | ||
| PHIL 101 | 3.0 | PHIL 121 | 3.0 | ||||
| PHIL 111 | 3.0 | PSCI 110 | 4.0 | ||||
| Natural Science course | 3.0 | Social & Behavioral Science course | 3.0 | ||||
| Arts & Humanities elective | 3.0 | Free elective | 3.0 | ||||
| 16 | 17 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Third Year | |||||||
| Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
| ECON 326 | 4.0 | SOC 210 | 4.0 | COOP EXPERIENCE | COOP EXPERIENCE | ||
| PHIL 241 | 3.0 | UNIV H201 | 1.0 | ||||
| PSCI 231 or 232 | 4.0 | Social & Behavioral Science course | 3.0 | ||||
| Diversity Studies course | 3.0 | Free electives | 9.0 | ||||
| Free elective | 3.0 | ||||||
| 17 | 17 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Fourth Year | |||||||
| Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
| PHIL 251 | 3.0 | ECON 334 | 4.0 | COOP EXPERIENCE | COOP EXPERIENCE | ||
| SOC 230 | 4.0 | PSCI 210 | 4.0 | ||||
| International Studies course | 3.0 | International Studies course | 3.0 | ||||
| Free electives | 6.0 | Free electives | 4.0 | ||||
| 16 | 15 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Fifth Year | |||||||
| Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | ||
| ECON 361 | 4.0 | ECON 301 | 4.0 | PPE 450 | 4.0 | ||
| PSCI 252 | 4.0 | PHIL 385 | 3.0 | ECON 250-level or higher elective | 4.0 | ||
| SOC 355 | 4.0 | SOC 356 | 4.0 | PHIL 400-level elective | 3.0 | ||
| PHIL 400-level elective | 3.0 | PSCI 300-level or higher elective | 4.0 | PSCI 300-level or higher elective | 4.0 | ||
| 15 | 15 | 15 | |||||
| Total Credits 190 | |||||||
| * | Select students may be eligible to take COOP 001 in place of COOP 101. |
Affiliated Faculty
Peter Amato, PhD (Fordham University) Teaching Professor of Philosophy. Ethics, Marxism, Continental Philosophy
Debjani Bhattacharyya, PhD (Emory University) Assistant Professor of History. South Asia, Environmental History, Global History
Sebastien Bradley, PhD (University of Michigan) Associate Professor of Economics. Public Economics, Real Estate. Applied Econometrics
Zoltán Búzás, PhD (The Ohio State University) Assistant Professor of Politics. International Norms, Human Rights, Race and Ethnicity in International Politics
Erin Graham, PhD (The Ohio State University) Associate Professor of Politics. International Organization, Institutional Design and Development, Climate Change
Nathan Hanna, PhD (Syracuse University) Associate Professor of Philosophy. Ethics, Philosophy of Law, Philosophy of Punishment
Amelia Hoover Green, PhD (Yale University) Associate Professor of Politics. Armed Conflict, Political Violence, Empirical Research Methods
Roger A. McCain, PhD (Louisiana State University) Professor of Economics. History of Economic Ideas, Welfare Economics, Game Theory
Carol Mele, PhD (University of Pennsylvania) Associate Teaching Professor of Philosophy. Ethical Theory, Social and Political Philosophy, Rawls
Joel E. Oestreich, PhD (Brown University) Professor of Politics and Global Studies. Human Rights, Economic Development, International Relations Theory
Maria Olivero, PhD (Duke University) Associate Professor of Economics. Open Economy Macroeconomics, Monetary Economics, Quantitative Methods
Flavia Padovani, PhD (University of Geneva) Associate Professor of Philosophy. History and Philosophy of Science, Epistemology, Logic.
Rachel Reynolds, PhD (University of Illinois at Chicago) Associate Professor of Communication. Language and Linguistics. Immigration, African Studies
Andrew Smith, PhD (SUNY, Stony Brook) Associate Professor of Philosophy. Environmental Philosophy, Social and Political Philosophy, American Philosophy
José A. Tapia, MBBCH, MPH, PhD (New School for Social Research) Associate Professor of Politics. Climate Change, Social Development, Economic Effects on Health
