Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE) Minor

Social and political institutions have a profound impact on our lives. Understanding how they work, appreciating their interactions, seeing their impact, and being able to assess their value are all crucial to understanding the world in which we live. With this in mind, the philosophy, politics, and economics (PPE) minor trains students to look beyond the borders of academic disciplines by offering them an integrated study of these fields.

Requirements 

In addition to the program requirements listed below, students must:

  • take at least nine hours of their minor "core" requirements at UNC–Chapel Hill
  • earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.000 in the minor core requirements. Some programs may require higher standards for minor or specific courses.

For more information, please consult the degree requirements section of the catalog.

The PPE minor requires five courses:

Requirements
PHIL/POLI/ECON 384IDEAs in Action General Education logo Gateway to Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (gateway course) H3
PHIL/POLI/ECON 698IDEAs in Action General Education logo Philosophy, Politics, and Economics: Capstone Course (capstone seminar)3
One philosophy course chosen from:3
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Knowledge and Society H
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Virtue, Value, and Happiness: An Introduction to Moral Theory H
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Practical Ethics: Moral Reasoning and How We Live H
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Morality and Business
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Bioethics H
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Liberty, Rights, and Responsibilities: Introduction to Social Ethics and Political Thought H
Ethics, Politics, and Technology
IDEAs in Action General Education logo The Ethics of Peace, War, and Defense
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Justice, Rights, and the Common Good: Philosophical Perspectives on Social and Economic Issues H
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Race, Racism, and Social Justice: African-American Political Philosophy H
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Ideology, Capitalism, and Critique
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Morality, Law, and Justice: Issues in Legal Philosophy H
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Ethics and Economics
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Living Things, Wilderness, and Ecosystems: An Introduction to Environmental Ethics
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Authority, Freedom, and Rights: Advanced Political Philosophy
IDEAs in Action General Education logo First-Year Seminar: Justice and Inequality H
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Justice in Public Policy H
One political science course chosen from:3
Honors Seminar on Public Policy and Global Affairs
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Introduction to Comparative Politics H, F
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Classical Political Thought H
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Modern Political Thought H
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Strategy and Politics
Political Economy I: The Domestic System
IDEAs in Action General Education logo International Political Economy
Social and Political Philosophy H
Problems of Modern Democratic Theory H
The Politics, Philosophy, and Economics of Education
One economics course chosen from:3
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Introduction to Economics H, F
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Logic and Decision Theory H
History of Economic Doctrines
IDEAs in Action General Education logo International Economics
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Advanced Microeconomic Theory H
Advanced Game Theory in Economics H
Total Hours15
H

Honors version available. An honors course fulfills the same requirements as the nonhonors version of that course. Enrollment and GPA restrictions may apply.

F

FY-Launch class sections may be available. A FY-Launch section fulfills the same requirements as a standard section of that course, but also fulfills the FY-SEMINAR/FY-LAUNCH First-Year Foundations requirement. Students can search for FY-Launch sections in ConnectCarolina using the FY-LAUNCH attribute.

Please note that, although it is not listed above in the political science course section, HNRS 354 (Elements of Politics) may count toward the politics core discipline of the PPE minor. A Tar Heel Tracker adjustment is required.

Detailed information is available on the program’s website.

The Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE) program offers extensive extracurricular programming, including an active speakers series, intensive weekend seminars, and semester-long reading groups that meet once a week for eight weeks over dinner. See the PPE program website for details.

Department of Philosophy

Visit Program Website

Caldwell Hall, 240 East Cameron Ave., CB# 3125

(919) 962-7291

PPE Program Director

Geoffrey Sayre-McCord

sayre-mccord@unc.edu

PPE Managing Director

Kori Hensell

ppeprogram@unc.edu

PPE Program Coordinator

Rebekah Middleton

ppeprogram@unc.edu

Chair

Matthew Kotzen

kotzen@email.unc.edu

Director of Undergraduate Studies

Markus Kohl

mkohl17@email.unc.edu