Politics, Philosophy and Economics (with Integrated Foundation Year)

This challenging and ground-breaking degree will help you understand how the economy is governed, how public policy gets made, and the ideas which shape our world.

Why study BA Politics, Philosophy and Economics (with Integrated Foundation Year) at Goldsmiths

• We offer a distinctive, fresh and critical take on the well-established combination of Politics, Philosophy and Economics (PPE), drawing on our strengths in social science and theory. You'll gain an introduction in the ideas and concepts that have shaped the world you live in, and learn to challenge established political and economic policies, institutions and methods

• This four year degree offers an alternative entry route for students without the qualifications required for degree-level study

• Before progressing onto one of the Department of Politics and International Relations' undergraduate programmes, you will have the chance to develop your academic skills and knowledge of the subject. You’ll are able to select the undergraduate degree you wish to study at the point of application but be able to change as you progress through the foundation pathway if your interests change

• You will receive an introduction to the study of politics and gain a better understanding of democracy, political parties, ideologies and movements

• Develop an understanding of the political background of contemporary issues such as Brexit, global governance, everyday conflicts around identity and culture, climate change and more

• View politics from a range of different perspectives, such as those of feminism, post-colonial thinking, or economics

• Learn to write about politics in useful ways, such as essays, political speeches and manifestos

• Develop your academic skills including how to present ideas effectively in writing; read, analyse and critically respond to a range of texts; participate effectively in academic discussion; identify how research is conducted in higher education; and compare different research methodologies

• We offer a dynamic undergraduate culture, with active student media and politics groups. By the time you graduate, you will have gained a wealth of practical experience, and discovered what excites you for your career ahead

• You’ll be taught by highly engaged lecturers working across politics, philosophy and economics, all of whom are active researchers and accomplished writers in their fields

• The programme includes a basic introduction to economics, so you don’t need any prior experience of economics or an A-level in Mathematics before you start

• Over the four years, you’ll be introduced to alternative approaches to the economy, drawn from anthropology and sociology. You will be encouraged to think more broadly and imaginatively about the way in which markets, states and public policies operate in the 21st century

• You’ll focus on contemporary, real-world problems, such as financial and environmental regulation, which will prepare you for a career in public policy, NGOs, media, consulting or social innovation

• In addition to the taught curriculum, you will have the opportunity to hear from experts and policy-makers at special guest lectures

Year 0 Foundation Year
Developing your academic skills
Alongside direct preparation for an undergraduate degree in Politics with International Relations, you will take two modules with our Centre for Academic Language and Literacies (CALL). These modules will help you develop the broader academic and research skills required for undergraduate study.

You will also learn how key social and political movements of the period have influenced the world we live in today through a cross-disciplinary module: Culture and Society in Post-war Britain. This module will cover topics such as 'Windrush and Migration', 'Irish Colonisation', 'Second-wave Feminism', 'Protest and Punk' and 'South-Asian Britain'.

You will take the following compulsory modules:
Reading and Writing Your World
Building Your Research World
Culture and Society in Postwar Britain
Politics in an Age of Crisis

Year 1
All students take the following compulsory modules:
Foundations of Economics 1: Theories
Foundations of Economics 2: Business Applications
Introduction to Philosophy: The Problems of Ethics
Introduction to Political Philosophy
UK and European Comparative Governance and Politics
Identity, Agency & Environment 1
Identity, Agency & Environment 2

Year 2
You will study the following compulsory modules:
Knowledge and Subjectivity
Political Economy 1: Key concepts
Political Economy 2: Policy problems
Goldsmiths Elective

You'll also be able to choose modules worth 60 credits from a list provided annually by the Department of Politics and International Relations. This may include modules from other departments across Goldsmiths.

Year 3
In your final year, you'll take the following compulsory modules which include an extended piece of research through a dissertation:
Dissertation
Global Cultural Politics

Work Placement module
This optional module available in your third year gives students experience of working in a range of organisations in the NGO sector such as charities, think-tanks and pressure groups, bodies connected with international organisations, appropriate businesses, and political parties.

There will be a pool of guaranteed places which will be allocated on the basis appropriateness of the placement to the student's interests. However, we also encourage you to take the opportunity to find your own placements and will support you in that process. We would hope that all students will be able to take up the opportunity should an appropriate placement be found.

In fairness to hosts, we will have to be confident that students' levels of attendance and achievement while at Goldsmiths suggest they can benefit from the placement.

You'll also undertake 60 credits worth of optional modules from a list published annually by the Department of International Relations.

Please note that due to staff research commitments not all of these modules may be available every year.

You’ll be assessed by a variety of methods that broaden your academic skillset, depending on your module choices. These include coursework assignments such as essays, case studies, critical commentaries, presentations and personal reflections.