PHILOSOPHY, POLITICS, AND ECONOMICS

THE WARWICK PPE PROGRAMME

STUDENT HANDBOOK 2010/2011

Department of Philosophy

Department of Politics & International Studies

Department of Economics

2

THE WARWICK PPE PROGRAMME

The Warwick PPE programme offers students the opportunity to study philosophy, politics, and economics at foundation level, and either any two or all three at more advanced (honours) level. The three contributing Departments are: Philosophy, Politics and International Studies (PAIS), and Economics.

The PPE Programme at Warwick University unites a number of different degree courses, or pathways, which lead to the award of a PPE degree. This handbook explains the basic structure of the Warwick PPE Programme, as well as the options you have within it.

The aim of this handbook is to gather in one place all the information specific to the PPE degree. For information that is specific to the three contributing departments, students are advised to consult the departmental handbooks. Although the handbook is not the final authority, the information in it should be accurate.

Table of Contents

I. Contacts p1

II. Getting started and general information about studying and living at Warwick p2

III. Description of the programme structure, including the different Pathways p11

IV. Description of the First year Core Modules p15

V. Illustrative list of first year Option Modules p18

VI. Description of Second and Third year Core Modules p20

VII. Illustrative list of Second and Third year Option Modules p24

I. CONTACTS

Director of Studies:

Dennis Leech (Economics)

Departmental PPE Convenors:

Philosophy: Brian McElwee

PAIS: Andrew Reeve

Economics: Robin Naylor

PPE Secretaries:

Maureen Tod & Lucy Parker

PPE Office:

The “home” of the PPE programme is the PPE office, run by Maureen Tod and Lucy Parker. Either Maureen or Lucy should be your first point of contact for any questions you might have about your degree course. Contact can be made either by telephoning on 02476 522582 and 02476 575285 or by emailing .

Location: The PPE office is situated in room S1.63 on the first floor of the Social Sciences Building.

Telephone: 02476 522582 and 02476 575285

II. GETTING STARTED AND GENERAL INFORMATION

Term dates

The three academic terms are the Autumn term, the Spring term, and the Summer term, each comprising ten weeks.

Autumn Term / Monday 4 October 2010 - Saturday 11 December 2010
Spring Term / Monday 10 January 2011 - Saturday 19 March 2011
Summer Term / Wednesday 27 April 2011 - Saturday 2 July 2011

Induction Sessions for 1st Year Students

There are a number of introductory meetings at the beginning of term that all 1st year students should attend. These include meetings organised by the three departments involved in the degree and a special PPE meeting. The PPE meeting will provide detailed information about your degree: module timetables, personal tutors, arrangements for the rest of the year, etc. The departmental meetings are important, for they will provide information on elements of your degree specific to the department concerned. The meetings you need to attend are:

Monday 4th October 2010 at 10.00 am Room S0.21 (essential for all students to attend)

·  PPE group Photos immediately following the meeting, on the curved steps outside the main door of the building

·  There will be a follow up induction meeting on Wednesday afternoon at 4pm in L4 (Science concourse)

You must also attend the three Departmental Induction Meetings as follows:

Monday 4th October 2010 at 1.00 pm Economics (Room MS02)

Monday 4th October 2010 at 3.00 pm Philosophy (Room H0.52)

Monday 4th October 2010 at 5.00 pm PAIS (Room MS01)

Induction Sessions for returning 2nd & 3rd Year Students

Monday 4th October 2010 at 2.00 pm Room S0.21

·  PPE group Photos. Meet on the curved steps outside the main door of the Social Sciences building at the following times:

Second Year students at 11.15am;

Final Year students at 11.30am.

Welcome Drinks…

YOU ARE INVITED TO A RECEPTION FOR ALL PPE STUDENTS AFTER THE PAIS INDUCTION MEETING IN THE TERRACE BAR ORGANISED BY THE PPE SOCIETY.

*********

Welcome Reception by the Economics Department for new undergraduates, including PPE, on Wednesday 6th October 201012.30-2pm in the Chancellor's Suite, Rootes Building.

IT Induction

Induction sessions are offered to students to help them get the most from the IT facilities on offer at Warwick. An induction session for PPE students is on Tuesday 5th October 2010 at 11.00 am in R0.03/4 (Ramphal Buidling)

Introduction to the Library

The Library is a vital resource for any student. You must learn to find your way around, so that it can serve your needs properly in your three years here. There is an induction course for all first year PPE students on Tuesday 5th October 2010 at 2.00 pm in S0.21.

The subject librarian for PPE will introduce students to paper and electronic resources in the Library and further afield.

You are also encouraged to attend an essay writing skills class with Dean Machin on Wednesday 6th October 2010 at 11.00 am in MS.04.

Websites

At http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/ppe you will find up to date information about the PPE programme and many relevant links – e.g. to module webpages, to the three contributing departments, support services, etc. A pdf-version of this handbook is also available.

The portal for all students at Warwick is https://my.warwick.ac.uk/osis/home.htm. There is also an online resource that should be used by any student taking a module in the Economics department. You can find it at http://myeconomics.warwick.ac.uk/

Communication

It is essential that you familiarise yourself as soon as possible with the three main ways in which the University will communicate with you: pigeonholes, notice boards and email. The most frequently used of these is email. You will also have to check your pigeonholes and the notice boards in all three departments, and the notice board outside of the PPE office.

When you arrive at the University you will already have been given an IT account including a Warwick email address. This is the email address that the University will use to communicate with you whenever possible, so it is important that you become familiar with its use and check your email regularly. There are publicly available Personal Computers connected to the Internet in all academic buildings. If you have another email address that you prefer to use, you can set up your University email to be forwarded automatically to this account. But you should be careful about using your own email account because there have been problems with the university system not accepting messages. We recommend that you use your university email address that ends @warwick.ac.uk. If you have any queries about this, please contact IT Services Helpdesk on 024 7657 3737 or ext: 73737.

Personal Tutors

Every student is assigned a personal tutor. Your personal tutor is responsible for giving academic advice, and may act on your behalf in internal University matters. He or she may be consulted by both administrative and academic staff on matters that concern you, and will usually represent you formally, in the very unlikely event of that being necessary, on University committees. It is therefore important that you get to know your personal tutor as soon as possible, and keep him or her informed of any problems (financial, health, accommodation, and family problems, for example) that may interfere with your studies. Your personal tutor can also advise you on your selection of options.

You should meet your personal tutor in the first week of each term, Go to his/her office and introduce yourself. If he/she is not in, send an email asking for an appointment. There is a list on the notice board outside the PPE office. Before teaching starts, you should discuss with your personal tutor which optional modules are open to you, if any, and which you would like to follow. Later you should keep in regular contact, and meet at least once more each term. As you may need to rely on your personal tutor later for references, it is not a good idea to be invisible!

If you wish to change personal tutor, or have difficulty in making contact with him or her, you should get in touch with either Maureen Tod, Lucy Parker or the PPE Director of Studies, Professor Dennis Leech.

Register with a Doctor

It is very important that you register with a general practitioner locally. You never know when you might be taken ill and need treatment.

In addition, if your illness results in you missing an exam or an essay deadline you will also need written proof of the fact to present to the board of examiners. That means you must seek medical treatment and obtain a doctor’s note immediately. You may have a doctor at home but if you live a long way away it might not be practical to consult him/her in time, and the exam board is unlikely to accept evidence that is not timely. You can register with the medical centre on campus but if you prefer to register with a GP off campus, you can find the nearest surgery here: http://www.nhs.uk/servicedirectories/pages/servicesearch.aspx. Registering only takes a moment. Remember, the NHS provides the highest standard of medical care in the UK and is free to all students. No one needs private health insurance in the UK.

Monitoring Points

In academic year 2010/11, in common with all other departments in the university, we will be monitoring student attendance. A record will be kept of your attendance at each of the following events. (see below)

Student Monitoring Points

Year 1

Autumn term:

  1. Attendance at induction meeting on first day of term.
  2. Meeting with Personal Tutor in the first week of term and submission of report card, to the PPEoffice, signed by Personal Tutor.
  3. Registration on eVision by end of week 3.
  4. Satisfactory attendance at seminar classes in weeks 1-10 (one of PH133, EC107, EC121, EC123)
  5. Attendance at mathematical techniques test (EC121 or EC123 as applicable).

Spring term:

  1. Meet Personal Tutor during the second term.
  2. Attendance at test in week 11 for EC121 or EC123 as applicable.
  3. Satisfactory attendance at seminar classes in weeks 11-20.
  4. Attendance at test in week 17 for EC122 or EC124 as applicable.
  5. Attendance at Pathway and Exams meeting in week 9.

Summer term:

  1. Attendance at summer examinations.

Student Monitoring Points

Year 2

Autumn term:

  1. Attendance at Induction Meeting
  2. Personal Tutor meeting and submission of report card signed by Personal Tutor.
  3. Registration on eVision by end of week 3.
  4. Satisfactory attendance* at seminar classes in weeks 1-10 (one of optional core modules EC204, PH201, PH211 or PO201 as appropriate).
  5. Submission of all formative or summative assessed work (or attendance at all tests), as appropriate (one of optional core modules EC204, PH201, PH211 or PO201 as appropriate).

Spring term:

  1. Meeting with Personal Tutor in the first week of term.
  2. Satisfactory attendance at seminar classes in weeks 11-20 (one of optional core modules EC204, PH201, PH211 or PO201).
  3. Submission of all formative or summative assessed work (or attendance at all tests), as appropriate (one of optional core modules EC204, PH201, PH211 or PO201 as appropriate).
  4. Attendance at the Exams meeting in week 19.

Summer Term

  1. Meeting with Personal Tutor in first week of term.
  2. Submission of all non-assessed or assessed work (or attendance at all tests), as appropriate (one of optional core modules EC204, PH201, PH211 or PO201 as appropriate).
  3. Attendance at summer exams.

Year 3

Autumn term:

  1. Attendance at Induction meeting.
  2. Meeting with personal tutor in the first week of term and return of report card signed by personal tutor.
  3. Registration on eVision by end of week 3.
  4. Satisfactory attendance* at seminar classes in weeks 1-10 (PH331).
  5. Submission of all non-assessed essays for PH331 Principles of Political Economy.

Spring term:

  1. Meeting with personal tutor in first week of term.
  2. Satisfactory attendance at seminar classes in weeks 11-20 (PH331).
  3. Submission of all non-assessed work (PH331).
  4. Attendance at exams meeting in week 9.

Summer Term

  1. Meeting with personal tutor in first week of term.
  2. Submission of all formative or summative assessed work (or attendance at all tests), as appropriate.
  3. Attendance at end of year exams.

Mentors

All 1st year PPE students will be assigned a volunteer student mentor by the PPE Society. The Society will contact you with the details of your mentor prior to the start of the academic year and a list will be on the PPE noticeboard. There will be a reception by the PPE Society at the start to the academic year at which you will be able to meet your mentor.

Student Counselling Service

If you feel you need more specialised help than your personal tutor can provide, you can contact the Senior Tutor's Office on the ground floor of the Humanities Building (Room 021; tel: 024 7652 3761, or extension 23761). There is a staff of trained counsellors who offer a confidential service, giving advice and support on a wide variety of matters. There is also a financial adviser. The Students' Union also offers advice and a counselling service. http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/services/student-support-services

The Careers Advisory Service

PPE graduates can be found in every job sector. (Approximately 60% of jobs advertised annually are for graduates of any discipline.) The Careers Advisory Service, which is located on the ground floor of University House, can help you plan your next steps after university. You can use the service at any time you like during and after your studies including outside term time. Whether you have clear ideas about what you want to do or none at all, we can help. You can see a careers adviser for quick careers advice (15 minute sessions) and for longer appointments by arrangement. You can also book to see an applications adviser who will give you tips on CVs and application forms. The service runs an extensive programme of activities every year including employer presentations, job hunting workshops and careers fairs.

The careers service website (www.warwick.ac.uk/careers) is a key resource that gives you access to information and advice on everything from work experience to researching employers and further study. You will also find information on what previous Warwick students have done as well as quick access to external sites through weblinks. Another key resource is the careers hub located in the learning grid in University House. Individual employer files, sector specific information, reference books on postgraduate courses and job hunting, as well as sections on working abroad and voluntary work, are just a few of the things you will find there.