Philosophy, Politics and Economics Durham University

Overview

Course Summary

You’ll gain an understanding of how and why they’ve been so inextricably linked historically, and the ways in which they’ve developed and diverged over the course of the last two centuries, both in content and in method.

Throughout the Philosophy, Politics and Economics BA course offered by Durham University you’ll investigate the subjects in theory and practice, gaining the knowledge and skills to pursue different lines of inquiry and interrogate your own ideas. All this provides a rigorous academic framework which is highly-regarded as excellent preparation for a successful career, no matter what path you take.

Students on this degree learn through a combination of lectures, seminars, tutorials (Politics and Economics), workshops (Economics only), informal but scheduled one-to-one support, and self-directed learning, such as research, reading, and writing. 

All of these are supported by a virtual learning environment, Durham University Online (duo).  Seminars, tutorials, and workshops are much smaller groups than lectures, with tutorials often involving between eight and 20 students working with a member of staff; seminars and workshops can be larger but are still small enough to allow interaction with the tutors. 

This emphasis on small-group teaching reflects a conscious choice to enhance the quality of the learning experience rather than the number of formal sessions. In fact, the degree is designed to feature fewer formal sessions and more independent research as you move from your first to your final year.

Small-group teaching and meetings with a personal academic advisor (provided for all students when they enter the course) are part of the learning experience throughout, but by the final year, classroom time gives way, to some extent, to independent research, including a capstone dissertation that makes up a third of final year credits. 

In this way, the degree systematically transforms you from a consumer of knowledge in the classroom to a generator of knowledge, ready for professional or postgraduate life. These formal teaching arrangements are supported by “drop-in” surgeries with teaching staff and induction sessions that begin in the week before the start of the degree and continue at key times during each year of the course.