The Pro's and Con's of a PPE?

College Majors
1

<p>I recently read about a degree in Philosophy, Political Science and Economics, often called a PPE. While it more common in the UK, there is a small group of maybe 20 colleges/universities in the U.S. which offer it as a major. I am curious if anyone has any information about how it affects my chances in any number of job fields, and other also just a basic pro's and con's list. I'd really appreciate it, thank you!</p>

2

<p>A PPE major is a liberal arts major. In that sense, it doesn’t necessarily prepare you for specific careers. Like other liberal arts majors, it might foster skills in critical thinking, writing skills, etc. which are valuable in a wide range of careers. Beyond this, it especially might provide an excellent background for those with an interest in pursuing careers in politics, in government agencies, or in non-govermental organizations involved in public policy. </p>

<p>A few of the major pros and cons are noted below:
Pros

  1. Breadth of studies and flexibility of requirements for those whose interests range across these fields
  2. Facilitates integration of closely-related fields that are important for public policy; a generalist, big-picture approach
  3. Good preparation for professional school in certain fields—e.g., business, law, public policy, journalism
  4. Provides a strong foundation for policy positions requiring critical thinking, analytic decision-making, and ethical action; provides exposure to both normative and empirical tools. </p>

<p>Cons

  1. What you may gain in breadth, you may lose in depth.
  2. The economics training is good for policy positions and certain professional school programs, but is inadequate for graduate study in economics; the same consideration might apply to the philosophy component. (This consideration may be a lesser concern with respect to graduate study in political science.)</p>

<p>Though a number of different schools offer a PPE major, these schools vary in what they require for this major, especially in terms of how much integration occurs across the component disciplines and the depth required in each of them.</p>