Are you fascinated by social issues? Are you convinced that these challenges can only be solved by combining knowledge and insights from various fields of science? Do you want to be part of a dynamic international community? Then the study programme Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) is a good match for you!

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no. 1
according to students the best in the Netherlands!
Studiekeuzegids Bachelors 2024
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unique
history in the PPE programme
studying the past to understand the present
choice
choose to broaden or specialise
create your own interdisciplinairy study path

For independent minds

Our students talk about their experiences with the programme

To solve the biggest issues facing our world, we need experts who are able to look at social issues from different perspectives. As a PPE-student, that is exactly what you will provide. We offer a comprehensive and intensive programme for students eager to find solutions to the world's most pressing problems.

PPE + history, in Utrecht

This study considers political and economic issues from four different perspectives: philosophy, politics, economics and history. The addition of a historical dimension to PPE is something you will only find in Utrecht, where we are convinced that understanding the past will help us make better choices for the future. As well as gaining thorough knowledge of each of these four fields, you will also be trained to combine them to address the world’s most challenging problems. We believe that this is the best approach to designing complete and effective solutions. 

Development issues are often complex, multifaceted issues that cannot be understood or tackled using a monodisciplinary approach. This understanding drove me to pursue an interdisciplinary programme like PPE which enabled me to critically analyse complex global and social problems through various lenses.

Sayema is a student
Sayema Mayesha is a third year student

Sample case

One issue you could choose to delve into is privacy. How should governments deal with protecting citizens’ privacy while at the same time combating terrorism? Should they monitor everyone’s internet use to increase the chances of catching terrorists? To answer these and related questions, you need knowledge of diverse scientific disciplines. Philosophy can help you decide whether it is ethical to trade in personal privacy for safety. Politics helps you understand the role of governments, which have the power to take decisions that impact both privacy and safety and concern the population as a whole. Economics clarifies the costs and benefits of adopting a specific privacy policy. And history teaches us how societies have dealt with these complex dilemmas in the past, providing lessons for the future. 

Why Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Utrecht University?

Because...

  • the PPE Bachelor at Utrecht University is the only PPE programme in the world with a curriculum that includes history! We believe studying the past is vital to understanding the present.

  • PPE at Utrecht has a strong focus on Interdisciplinarity. You will not only study four disciplines alongside each other. Rather, you will be trained, step by step, in how to integrate insights from different disciplines, for instance in courses taught jointly by lecturers from different disciplines.

  • we have a strong sense of community. As a student, you’ll have frequent contact with your supervisor and work together with fellow students on challenging projects and cases. All PPE classrooms and study facilities are concentrated in one building at the International Campus Utrecht.

  • you can then join study association Metis. They organise activities such as drinks, city trips, lectures and discounts on your study books.

  • whereas other PPE programmes in the Netherlands enrol 180 to 200 students a year, our programme admits a maximum of 75 students. This makes us the smallest-scaled PPE degree programme in the Netherlands.

This is what our students say

Our students know better than anyone why the study programme in Philosophy, Politics and Economics is a good choice. Below you can read why they chose this programme and what makes it so attractive. See Philosophy, Politics and Economics in figures on Studiekeuze123 to compare this programme with other national programmes.

Key facts

Degree: 
BSc (Bachelor of Science)
Language of instruction: 
English
Mode of study: 
Fulltime
Study duration: 
3 years
Start: 
September
Tuition fees: 
Institutional fee 2024-2025: €13,816 (EU/EEA), €15,004 (non-EU/EEA)

Dutch and other EU/EEA students 2024-2025: € 5,060

More information about fees
Admission: 
Selective