Why Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE)?
In this increasingly complex modern world, many of the issues that affect society are multidimensional in nature. The Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE) Programme at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) aims to develop students’ critical, applied and strategic thinking skills. These skills are crucial in the workplace of the future, where more emphasis will be placed on the ability to analyse situations from multiple perspectives and to develop creative and effective solutions.
Message from our
PPE Committee
PPE Joint Committee:
- Associate Professor Loy Hui Chieh (Department of Philosophy)
- Associate Professor Luke O’Sullivan (Department of Political Science)
- Professor Lorenz Goette (Department of Economics); Previously Associate Professor Chia Ngee Choon (Department of Economics)
Curriculum
PPE-XDP students will offer at least 160MCs over four years. The MCs are distributed as follows:
- 36MCs for core University and College of Humanities and Sciences (CHS) requirements.
- 72MCs for modules in Philosophy, Political Science, and Economics.
- 28MCs for modules for interdisciplinary modules and independent projects.
- 24MCs for modules in Unrestricted Electives.
(Note that there is no option to read a BA degree within three years.)
Job Ready
Given that this is a new programme, we won’t have any historical data to present. That said, the programme prepares graduates for positions in public institutions and private corporations relating to policy and strategy. In addition, when designing the programme, the input of a number of senior human resource directors in public and private institutions was sought. We are thus confident that our graduates will be competitive for employment. PPE-XDP students also have access to the career preparation opportunities available to all CHS students. More specifically, they will also have access to the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences’ internship and mentorship programmes, and the new FASS 2.0 Industry Tracks.
Why CHS?
The College of Humanities and Sciences (CHS) is the enhanced undergraduate experience for students of the Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences (FASS) and the Faculty of Science (FOS) at the National University of Singapore.
Scale of Impact
Taps and builds on the research expertise of two of the largest and most established faculties in Singapore.
Deliberate Curriculum Curation
A distinct interdisciplinary approach that emphasises the ability to draw connections, discover links and connect insights across disciplines.
Unparalleled Flexibility
Offers greater choice and unparalleled flexibility to pursue breadth and depth from more than 1,000 modules per academic year.
Testimonials
Nickson Quak
Philosophy, Politics and Economics
Having had the great privilege to read Philosophy, Politics, and Economics and University Scholars Programme for three years now, one of the most common criticisms of interdisciplinary education that I have heard is that it “sacrifices depth for breadth”. But this critique, I think, is rather misplaced; interdisciplinary education is not about training the student to absorb as much domain knowledge as he/she can within the confines of the curriculum, but rather it is about training the student to be mentally agile, to connect the dots from multiple perspectives, and to see the forest for the trees. In short, the "depth" of the curriculum content ought to be less relevant than the analytical skills that are honed through an interdisciplinary curriculum. With the launch of the new College of Humanities and Sciences, I am hopeful that we will shift away from an obsolete emphasis on content mastery towards a more relevant emphasis on analytical skills mastery!
Tan Seng Chai
Chief Corporate and People Officer, CapitaLand Group
"It's a new normal we live in, and there are critical attributes the next-generation workforce must possess in order to thrive, including the willingness to learn, ability to innovate, and high adaptability. CapitaLand recognises this and proactively collaborates on opportunities that encourage the development of these traits. That is why we're supportive of the curriculum at NUS College of Humanities and Sciences. Its focus on interdisciplinary education coupled with experiential and problem-based learning will allow future-ready CHS graduates to handle a variety of workplace scenarios across different disciplines better, and put them in good stead to ride the waves of the future of work."
The Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, National University of Singapore (NUS) is committed to environmental sustainability.
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