BA, 3 years, UCAS: L0V0
Typical A level offer: AAA
Subject overview
Why philosophy?
To study philosophy is to examine the most deeply held assumptions about the most fundamental things in order to understand what should be believed about them and why. It is to raise questions such as: what is truth? What is knowledge? What is the mind? What is justice? What is art? Do human beings have free will? What reason do we have to behave morally? Is religious faith compatible with reason? Philosophers demand rigorous arguments for any view on these matters and try to produce such arguments for themselves. They require a critical engagement with the philosophical traditions in and from which such questions and arguments have arisen. They also consider how the way in which we think about these things affects our everyday lives.
To study philosophy is to participate in these sorts of discussions. For those who have the taste for it, there is perhaps no subject as excitingly thought provoking. It calls for precision, imagination, and the ability to abstract and to reflect. It involves handling complex ideas, texts and arguments.
Why philosophy at Sussex?
Philosophy at Sussex was ranked in the top 10 in the UK in The Times Good University Guide 2013 and in the top 30 in the UK in The Complete University Guide 2014.
Philosophy at Sussex was rated 18th in the UK for research in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE). 100 per cent of our research was rated as recognised internationally or higher, and 60 per cent rated as internationally excellent or higher.
Philosophy at Sussex is thriving and, unlike most other philosophy departments in the country, offers an opportunity for study in the two dominant traditions: analytic philosophy and continental philosophy.
Our tutors have research and teaching specialisms across a wide range of topics and historical figures.
We’re a friendly and lively intellectual community, with a mixture of ages, genders and ethnicities.
We have strong teaching and research links with universities in Europe, South Africa and India.
Why economics?
Addressing many of the world’s problems and issues requires an understanding of economics. Why are some countries so rich and others so poor? Should Microsoft be broken up? Should the private sector be involved in providing health and education? Could environmental taxes help reduce global warming? What is the future of the euro?
Economics provides a framework for thinking about such issues in depth, allowing you to get to the heart of complex, topical problems. The methods of economics can be applied to a wide range of questions and will prove useful to you in your future career. In addition, the study of economics teaches you a variety of practical skills, including the ability to use and evaluate evidence (often statistical) in order to arrive at sound conclusions.
Why economics at Sussex?
In the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) 100 per cent of our economics research was rated as recognised internationally or higher, and 60 per cent rated as internationally excellent or higher.
We emphasise the practical application of economics to the analysis of contemporary social and economic problems.
We have strong links to the major national and international economic institutions such as the European Commission, the World Bank and the Department for International Development.
The Department has strong research clusters in labour markets and in development economics, and is one of Europe’s leading centres for research on issues of international trade.
We offer you the chance to conduct an economics research project supervised by a faculty member.
Why politics?
- Because politics is about ‘who gets what, when and how’, it is, as a famous statesman once put it, ‘too serious a matter to be left to the politicians’.
- Politics is not simply about institutions, ideas and individuals. It’s also about identity – about who we are and what we want to be.
- Studying politics encourages you to ask the big questions and it also helps you to appreciate the deals and the processes that stop ideological and resource conflicts spilling over into violence.
- A politics degree can take you all around the world, both while you’re doing it and once you’ve graduated.
Why politics at Sussex?
Sussex is ranked among the top 20 universities in the UK for politics in The Times Good University Guide 2013 and in the top 25 in the UK in The Complete University Guide 2014. We also rank among the top 100 universities in the world for politics and international studies in the QS World University Rankings 2013.
Politics at Sussex was ranked 5th (90 per cent) for organisation and management in the 2012 National Student Survey (NSS).
Rated joint 2nd in the UK for ‘European Studies’ and ‘Politics and International Studies’ research in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE). 90 per cent of our research was rated as recognised internationally or higher, and 60 per cent rated as internationally excellent or higher.
An impressive track record of internationally recognised research with a clear and ongoing commitment to great teaching.
Teaching delivered by experts – we are proud to count four winners of national prizes for teaching excellence in our Department – with a healthy staff-student ratio.
Excellent external assessments and great student feedback, based both on regular surveys and focus groups.
Individual modules that don’t just cover the basics but encourage you to range wider and probe deeper.
If you’re interested in international relations as well as politics, Sussex lets you pursue both interests via our joint degree.
The chance to study abroad, including on our exchange programme with City University of Hong Kong, China.
A diverse, dynamic but balanced mix of students from the UK, Europe and overseas: lots of people just like you but also the kind of people you might not have met before.
Programme content
Ever since it was first introduced at Oxford in the 1920s, Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) has been famous for the distinctive intellectual training and understanding of the contemporary world it provides. PPE brings together the individual approaches of three different subjects, which equip you with skills and knowledge that are key to understanding and engaging with the world:
- Philosophy gives you intellectual clarity and argumentative rigour, forged through engagement with large questions about the nature of truth, knowledge, and justice, and through close attention to the great texts of the philosophical tradition.
- From Politics, you come to understand not only how institutions and governments work but also the nature of political identity; you learn about the ideas which define societies and about how deals are done.
- Economics provides a framework for thinking deeply about many of the world’s great problems – the causes of differences of wealth, globalisation, the operation of markets, financial policy—and it provides you with the practical skills needed to solve those problems.
PPE and Sussex complement each other perfectly: a course concerned with the world’s most pressing issues taken at one of the world’s top 100 universities. The three departments contributing to PPE – the Department of Philosophy, the Department of Politics and Contemporary European Studies and the Department of Economics – are dynamic and friendly, dedicated to teaching, and have strong reputations for original research.
In the Sussex PPE, you take all three subjects for the first two years and specialise in two subjects in the final year. You will reach a high level of skills and knowledge in all three subjects, which will prepare you for a wide range of careers as soon as you graduate. If you decide to continue with academic work, you will be well-placed to pursue postgraduate study in either of the two subjects you choose in your final year.
Core content
Year 1
Philosophy
You take at least two philosophy modules, including Paradox and Argument. Options include topics such as early modern philosophy • existentialism • logic and meaning • reading philosophy • science and reason • society, state and humanity • truth and morality: the meaning of life.
Politics
You take at least two politics modules. Options include topics such as British political history • explanatory concepts in political science • foundations of politics • research skills and methods in political science.
Economics
You take introduction to economics • macroeconomics I • microeconomics I.
Year 2
Philosophy
You take at least two philosophy modules. Options include topics such as aesthetics • epistemology • feminist philosophy • Kant • perception and reality • phenomenology philosophy of mind • philosophy of religion • philosophy of science • Plato.
Politics
You take at least two politics modules. Options include topics such as contemporary public policy • European politics • modern political thought • politics of governance.
Economics
You take macroeconomics II, microeconomics II and may also take another economics module. Options include topics such as advanced macroeconomics • advanced microeconomics • applied economics • statistics for economics and finance.
Year 3
Philosophy
Options include topics such as ethics • figures in analytic philosophy • figures in classical philosophy • figures in post-Kantian philosophy • figures in social and political philosophy • language, truth and literature • metaphysics • modern European philosophy • philosophy of language.
Politics
Options include topics such as conservatives and conservatism • contemporary political theory • EU politics and policy • European political economy • France: the Mitterand years • parties and voters in the UK • political change • political corruption • political parties and party systems • politics and industry • populism and politics • regulatory politics.
Economics
Options include topics such as applied econometrics • behavioural economics • climate change economics • econometrics • economics of development • economics of European integration • environmental economics • international finance and macroeconomics • international trade • labour economics • monetary theory and policy • understanding global markets.
How will I learn?
The core ideas and analytical techniques are presented in lectures and supplemented by classes or workshops where you can test your understanding and explore the issues in more depth. These provide the opportunity for student interaction, an essential part of the learning process at Sussex. The more quantitative skills, such as using statistical software, are taught in computer workshops. On the dissertation module in the final year, you receive one-to-one supervision as you investigate your chosen research topic in depth.
Formal assessment is by a range of methods including unseen exams and coursework. In addition there are regular assignments, which allow you to monitor your progress. In the first year, you have regular meetings with your academic advisor to discuss your academic progress and to receive feedback on your assignments.
At Sussex, the scheduled contact time you receive is made up of lectures, seminars, tutorials, classes, laboratory and practical work, and group work; the exact mix depends on the subject you are studying. This scheduled contact time is reflected in the Key Information Set (KIS) for this course. In addition to this, you will have further contact time with teaching staff on an individual basis to help you develop your learning and skills, and to provide academic guidance and advice to support your independent study.
For more information on what it's like to study at Sussex, refer to Study support.
What will I achieve?
- a detailed knowledge and understanding of the principles of economics
- the skills to abstract the essential features of a problem and use the framework of economics to analyse it
- the ability to evaluate and conduct your own empirical research
- the confidence to communicate economic ideas and concepts to a wider audience
- a range of transferable skills, applicable to a wide variety of occupations.
Core content
Year 1
You are introduced to the principles of economics and their application to a range of practical and topical issues. The aim is not to look at economic theory in isolation but to learn how it is used to analyse real issues. You also take a mathematics module, giving you some of the tools you need to understand contemporary economics.
Year 2
You develop your understanding of economics principles through the study of more advanced topics such as trade and risk. You also take a statistics module and learn how to analyse and interpret data. In addition, there are more applied modules, allowing you to see how the subject deals with empirical issues. There are opportunities for small research projects, including a group project.
Year 3
You have the opportunity to choose from a range of options such as labour or development economics. These modules go into the relevant issues in greater depth, giving you a high level of expertise. There is the opportunity to do a sustained piece of research on a chosen topic. You can also take more advanced quantitative modules – useful if you wish to do postgraduate work.
Entry requirements
Sussex welcomes applications from students of all ages who show evidence of the academic maturity and broad educational background that suggests readiness to study at degree level. For most students, this will mean formal public examinations; details of some of the most common qualifications we accept are shown below. If you are an overseas student, refer to Applicants from outside the UK.
All teaching at Sussex is in the English language. If your first language is not English, you will also need to demonstrate that you meet our English language requirements.
A level
Typical offer: AAA
Specific entry requirements: Successful applicants will also need GCSE (or equivalent) Mathematics, with at least grade B.
International Baccalaureate
Typical offer: 36 points overall
For more information refer to International Baccalaureate.
Other qualifications
Access to HE Diploma
Typical offer: Pass the Access to HE Diploma with at least 45 credits at Level 3, of which 30 credits must be at Distinction and 15 credits at Merit or higher.
Specific entry requirements: The Access to HE Diploma should ideally be in the humanities or social sciences. Successful applicants will also need GCSE (or equivalent) Mathematics, with at least grade B.
For more information refer to Access to HE Diploma.
Advanced Diploma
Typical offer: Pass with grade A in the Diploma and A in the Additional and Specialist Learning.
Specific entry requirements: The Additional and Specialist Learning must be an A-level (ideally in a humanities or social science subject). Successful applicants will also need GCSE (or equivalent) Mathematics, with at least grade B.
For more information refer to Advanced Diploma.
BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma
Typical offer: DDD
Specific entry requirements: Successful applicants will also need GCSE (or equivalent) Mathematics, with at least grade B.
For more information refer to BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma.
European Baccalaureate
Typical offer: Overall result of 85%
For more information refer to European Baccalaureate.
Finnish Ylioppilastutkinto
Typical offer: Overall average result in the final matriculation examinations of 7.0
French Baccalauréat
Typical offer: Overall final result of at least 14/20
German Abitur
Typical offer: Overall result of 1.2 or better
Irish Leaving Certificate (Higher level)
Typical offer: AAAAAA
Italian Diploma di Maturità or Diploma Pass di Esame di Stato
Typical offer: Final Diploma mark of at least 95/100
Scottish Highers and Advanced Highers
Typical offer: AAAAA
Specific entry requirements: Successful applicants will also need Mathematics at Standard Grade, grade 1 or 2
For more information refer to Scottish Highers and Advanced Highers.
Spanish Titulo de Bachillerato (LOGSE)
Typical offer: Overall average result of at least 9.0
Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced Diploma
Typical offer: Pass the Core plus at least AA in two A-levels
Specific entry requirements: Successful applicants will also need GCSE (or equivalent) Mathematics, with at least grade B.
For more information refer to Welsh Baccalaureate.
English language requirements
IELTS 6.5 overall, with not less than 6.0 in each section. Internet-based TOEFL with 88 overall, with at least 20 in Listening, 19 in Reading, 21 in Speaking and 23 in Writing.
For more information, refer to alternative English language requirements.
For more information about the admissions process at Sussex:
Undergraduate Admissions,
Sussex House,
University of Sussex, Falmer,
Brighton BN1 9RH, UK
T +44 (0)1273 678416
F +44 (0)1273 678545
E ug.enquiries@sussex.ac.uk
Fees and funding
Fees
Home/EU students: £9,0001
Overseas students: £13,0002
1 The fee shown is for the academic year 2013.
2 The fee shown is for the academic year 2013.
To find out about your fee status, living expenses and other costs, visit further financial information.
Funding
The funding sources listed below are for the subject area you are viewing and may not apply to all degrees listed within it. Please check the description of the individual funding source to make sure it is relevant to your chosen degree.
To find out more about funding and part-time work, visit further financial information.
Care Leavers Award (2013)
Region: UK
Level: UG
Application deadline: 31 July 2014
For students have been in council care before starting at Sussex.
First-Generation Scholars Scheme (2013)
Region: UK
Level: UG
Application deadline: 13 June 2014
The scheme is targeted to help students from relatively low income families – ie those whose family income is up to £42,611.
First-Generation Scholars Scheme EU Student Award (2013)
Region: Europe (Non UK)
Level: UG
Application deadline: 13 June 2014
£3,000 fee waiver for UG Non-UK EU students whose family income is below £25,000
Careers and profiles
Career opportunities
PPE has a reputation as a degree for people who get things done.
PPE graduates from various institutions are now successful politicians, or journalists who write about and interview them. PPE graduates from various institutions also lead non-governmental organisations and multinational companies, advise governments and manage organisations of every kind and size.
The skills and knowledge PPE at Sussex helps you develop are an ideal preparation for a very wide range of careers, including:
- management and marketing
- law
- finance and business
- project management
- politics
- charities
- civil service
- local government
- journalism and the media
- planning.
For more information, refer to Department of Philosophy: After your degree.
Careers and employability
For employers, it’s not so much what you know, but what you can do with your knowledge that counts. The experience and skills you’ll acquire during and beyond your studies will make you an attractive prospect. Initiatives such as SussexPlus, delivered by the Careers and Employability Centre, help you turn your skills to your career advantage. It’s good to know that 94 per cent of our graduates are in work or further study (Which? University).
For more information on the full range of initiatives that make up our career and employability plan for students, visit Careers and alumni.
Michael's faculty perspective
‘The exciting thing about PPE is that it brings together people with great practical energy and commitment and people with the most abstract theoretical concerns to provide an intellectual atmosphere which is both dynamic and reflective.
'My own doctoral research was supported by a scholarship from a major international company whose Chairman – a PPE graduate from another institution – was convinced a PPE degree would provide the best possible preparation for a successful career.'
Michael Morris
Professor of Philosophy,
University of Sussex
Contact our School
School of History, Art History and Philosophy
The School of History, Art History and Philosophy brings together staff and students from some of the University's most vibrant and successful departments, each of which is a locus of world-leading research and outstanding teaching. Our outlook places a premium on intellectual flexibility and the power of the imagination.
How do I find out more?
For more information, contact the admissions tutor:
Philosophy, Arts A7,
University of Sussex, Falmer,
Brighton BN1 9QN, UK
E ug.admissions@philosophy.sussex.ac.uk
T +44 (0)1273 678001
F +44 (0)1273 678434
Department of Philosophy
School of Business, Management and Economics
The School of Business, Management and Economics is a unique, research-focused business school, which takes a strong policy-directed view on business practices while also developing the underlying core disciplines.
How do I find out more?
For more information, contact the admissions tutor:
Department of Economics,
Jubilee Building,
University of Sussex, Falmer,
Brighton BN1 9SL, UK
E ug.admissions@economics.sussex.ac.uk
T +44 (0)1273 678889
F +44 (0)1273 873715
Department of Economics
School of Law, Politics and Sociology
Engaging with key issues of contemporary concern, the School of Law, Politics and Sociology brings together academic units that are committed to excellence in teaching, and recognised nationally for research.
How do I find out more?
For more information, contact the admissions tutor:
Politics,
University of Sussex, Falmer,
Brighton BN1 9SP, UK
E ug.admissions@polces.sussex.ac.uk
T +44 (0)1273 678578
F +44 (0)1273 873162
Department of Politics and Contemporary European Studies
Visit us
Campus tours
We offer weekly guided campus tours.
Mature students at Sussex: information sessions
If you are 21 or over, and thinking about starting an undergraduate degree at Sussex, you may want to attend one of our mature student information sessions. Running between October and December, they include guidance on how to approach your application, finance and welfare advice, plus a guided campus tour with one of our current mature students.
Self-guided visits
If you are unable to make any of the visit opportunities listed, drop in Monday to Friday year round and collect a self-guided tour pack from Sussex House reception.
Go to Visit us and Open Days to book onto one of our tours.
Hannah's perspective
'Studying at Sussex gave me so many opportunities to really throw myself into university life, and being taught by enthusiastic academic staff who are involved in ground-breaking research meant that the education I received was second to none.
'Coming to an Open Day gave me a great insight into both academic and social life at Sussex. Working here means that I now get to tell others about my experiences and share all the great things about the University. And if you can’t make it to our Open Days, we’ve other opportunities to visit, or you can visit our Facebook page and our Visit us and Open Days pages.'
Hannah Steele
Graduate Intern, Student Recruitment Services
Aaron-Leslie's perspective
'Leaving home to study at Sussex was an exciting new experience, and settling in came naturally with all the different activities on campus throughout the year. There are loads of facilities available on your doorstep, both the Library and the gym are only ever a short walk away.
'My experience at Sussex has been amazing. It's a really friendly campus, the academics are helpful, and Brighton is just around the corner. I now work as a student ambassador, and help out at Open Days, sharing all the things I've grown to love about Sussex!'
Aaron-Leslie Williams
BSc in Mathematics