BA in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE)
Overview
*THIS PROGRAMME IS SUBJECT TO APPROVAL
One of the main goals of the BA Programme in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE) at UKH is to equip students with the knowledge and skills to succeed in areas related to political leadership and economic administration, offering them an exciting opportunity to understand, conceptualise and analyse major political and economic issues that affect the lives of millions in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and beyond. This programme is based on a forward-thinking curriculum, rooted in philosophy and social sciences. By providing an understanding of a wide range of philosophical debates revolving around moral issues, metaphysics, epistemology, and logic, as well as of the history of philosophy (ancient, modern and contemporary), it will help students to evaluate normative arguments, thereby developing their analytical and critical skills in politics and economics.
Graduates will be able to understand the intricate interplay between politics and culture, by engaging with a wide area of pressing topics, such as ethics, gender, natural resource management, environmental security, political freedom, democracy, economic development, and prosperity. They will also acquire a cross-cultural approach to lessons learnt and best practices for political leadership and economic planning in the 21st century. At the same time, the programme offers students the opportunity to undertake an internship during the fourth year, gaining valuable work experience. Graduates will have found positions in several professional areas including government administration, non-governmental organizations, business corporations, political lobbying, diplomatic representation, and research; they can also become newspaper journalists, or join the tourist, nonprofit or business sectors.
Admission Requirements
- High School Diploma: High school certificate, attained within the last five years and with a high school average score of 60% or above.
- Official transcripts: : Provide a copy of high school official transcript (for applicants who graduated from international institutions, an equalised transcript is required).
- Certification Letter from High School: : Provide an official letter from your High School confirming your high school average.
- English Language Proficiency: Minimum English Language entry level is 40 in PTE, 5.0 in IELTS 52, in ibt-TOEFL or 85 in Duolingo. and progression required English score is 45 in PTE, 5.5 in IELTS, 64 in ibt-TOEFL or 95 in Duolingo.
- Application Form: Online application is required.
- A copy of Passport/ID
Curriculum
Following general academic standards set by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education in the UK, the BA Programme in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics is a 4-year integrated, full-time programme that covers the main interdisciplinary domains of political philosophy, political economy and management, international relations and political history, while providing specialised training in research methods and thesis building, which covers epistemology, quantitative and qualitative techniques and advanced methods masterclasses, providing a particularly strong environment for theoretically informed, interdisciplinary and socially engaged research. Modules in Political Economy will allow course participants to examine the political, sociologicaland cultural underpinnings of the global economy. They will gain an in-depth understanding of how the global economy has been shaped, how it is changing, what is driving global inequality and the challenge of building a sustainable and prosperous future. Modules in Philosophy will help course participants to build marketable communication and reasoning skills. Employers and policymakers frequently search for Philosophy and Politics graduates for their exceptional aptitude in quick thinking and decision-making, adeptness in identifying critical issues, ability to devise effective solutions and strong communication and leadership skills.
Modules
Modules cut across academic disciplines, from economics to cultural studies, and from philosophy to international relations. They explore different perspectives about the relationship between global capitalism, global finance, the power of economic ideas, ecological breakdown and the possibilities for a different future; they engage with philosophical arguments about political inclusion, democracy and the rule of law, examining the underpinnings of contemporary liberal democracies. It will also shed new light on complex debates related to the politics of the Middle East and the Global South. Students will attend courses in Political Philosophy, Political Sociology, Comparative Political Theory, Management of Natural Resources, Environmental Debates, Gender Politics, Western and Islamic Philosophy, Political Economy, Microeconomics and Macroeconomics, World History, the History and Politics of the Middle East, Statistics and Mathematics, Research Methods and so on.
Skills Development
The BA Programme in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics will give students a distinctive set of key skills, which will enable them to stand out in their future studies and desired career. Upon successful completion of the programme, students will be able to: (1) Demonstrate critical understanding of the nature and significance of philosophy and politics at the national and international level; (2) Show familiarity with the major theoretical and methodological issues associated with the study of politics and economics; (3) Develop and assess the ideas of reading, re-reading and interpretation; (4) Make sense of complex texts and nuanced literature pertaining to politics and philosophy; (5) Apply appropriate research methods and conceptual tools to the study of the economics; (6) Develop a solid knowledge of the various dimensions of leadership and diplomacy; (7) Understand how political power is exercised in different socio-historical contexts and cultural environments; (8) Carry out administrative tasks in public and international institutions; (9) Employ a sophisticated and flexible set of written and verbal communication skills to illustrate critical arguments based on thoroughly vetted information.