BA Philosophy, Politics and Economics
About this course
Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, Politics and Economics, a combined-honours degree centred on the academic subject areas of Economics and Politics and International Relations and Philosophy. Core topics include Statistics, Research Methods, Policy Analysis, Ethics & Professional Practice, Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning, and Global & Comparative Perspective. Compulsory modules provide a grounding in all three constituent disciplines, while optional modules cover topics such as climate change, international security, and Chinese politics. The first year covers foundational concepts through compulsory modules including Economics Skills and Employability 1, Engaging Political Ideas, Ethics, Macroeconomics, Microeconomics, Principles of Mathematics for Economics, Principles of Statistics for Economics, and Truth, Knowledge, and Objectivity, alongside optional modules like Foundations of Modern Politics and Philosophy of Race. The second year continues with core study in Economics Skills and Employability 2, Macroeconomic Policy, Microeconomics of Public Policy, and Rationality, Preference, Wellbeing, and Fairness: Concepts in the Philosophy of Politics and Economics, complemented by optional choices such as Applied Econometrics and Political Philosophy. The final year involves professional preparation through Economics Skills and Employability 3, alongside various optional advanced studies and independent dissertation routes.
Written by AI from the university's course page and module list. It can get details wrong, so check the official course page before you rely on it.
Entry requirements
A level: AAB plus grade 6 in GCSE Mathematics IB: Pass, with 34 points overall with 17 at Higher Level
Real offers for this course
Applicants have posted 5 UCAS decisions for BA Philosophy, Politics and Economics (L0V1) at the University of Southampton for 2027 entry so far: 5 offers. The published offer is AAB at A level. The first offer was posted on 22 October.
What students say
Based on about 12 final-year students who answered (a small group: a rough guide only)
- Teaching on my course: 86%
- Learning opportunities: 67%
- Assessment and feedback: 77%
- Academic support: 79%
- Organisation and management: 86%
- Learning resources: 76%
- Student voice: 71%
Do students stay on the course?
Based on about 20 students who started (a small group: a rough guide only)
- Continued on course: 100%
What graduates do next
Based on about 7 graduates who answered (a small group: a rough guide only)
- Working: 60%
- Working and studying: 15%
- Unemployed: 15%
Most common jobs
- Finance Professionals: 50%
- Business and public service associate professionals: 15%
- Administrative occupations: 5%
- Elementary occupations: 5%
- Teaching Professionals: 5%
- Find their work meaningful: 85%
- Feel on track for their future plans: 55%
- Use what they learnt on the course: 40%
Where graduates work (5 years on)
Based on about 70 graduates, across similar courses at this university
- North East: 1%
- North West: 1%
- Yorkshire and the Humber: 3%
- East Midlands: 2%
- East of England: 4%
- London: 38%
- South East: 38%
- South West: 10%
- Wales: 3%
Who gets in
Based on about 20 students who started (a small group: a rough guide only)
- A levels: 100%
Accreditation & quality ratings
TEF 2023 (whole university): Silver overall, Silver for student experience, Silver for student outcomes.
Modules
- Economics Skills and Employability 1
- Engaging Political Ideas
- Ethics
- Macroeconomics
- Microeconomics
- Principles of Mathematics for Economics
- Principles of Statistics for Economics
- Truth, Knowledge, and Objectivity
- A (Dis) United Kingdom? An introduction to British Politics
- Foundations of Modern Politics
- Global Dilemmas: Reading Contemporary Politics
- Introduction to International Relations
- Philosophy of Race
- ECON Dissertation: Prelim Info
- Economics Skills and Employability 2
- Macroeconomic Policy
- Microeconomics of Public Policy
- Rationality, Preference, Wellbeing, and Fairness: Concepts in the Philosophy of Politics and Economics
- AI Utopias and the Climate Crisis
- Animal Ethics, Animal Minds
- Applied Econometrics
- Applied Economics
- Children and Human Rights
- Chinese Politics
- Cognitive Psychology in Education
- Comparative Party Politics
- Contemporary Theories of Justice
- Data, Culture, and Justice
- Democratic Theory
- Development Economics
- Digital Futures of the Past: Power, Ethics, and Representation
- Education Policy and Reforms: Global Experiences and Local Contexts
- Epistemology: Knowledge and Evidence
- Ethics of Global Poverty
- Ethics of War
- European Power and the Geopolitics of Europe and Asia
- Games
- Gender, Power and Politics
- Global Justice: Poverty, Inequality and the Environment
- Global Sustainability Challenges
- Globalisation and World Politics
- Green Political Thought: Humans and other stories
- Humanities and Professional Practice
- Industrial Economics
- Introduction to Econometrics
- Introduction to Experiments in Social Science
- Kant’s Copernican Revolution in Philosophy
- Migration, Borders, Refuge: Political Ethics in an Age of Mobility
- Mind and World in the History of Philosophy
- Moral Philosophy
- Partisans, Public Opinion and Elections: Understanding the Political Mind
- Philosophy of Race
- Philosophy of Religion
- Political Philosophy
- Political Thinking
- Public Opinion in Action: What we know and how we know it
- Qualitative Research in Politics & International Relations
- Reason and Argument
- Reinventing Democracy: Innovation, Participation and Power
- Self and Agency in the History of Philosophy
- Self, society, nature, and normativity
- The Government Lab
- The Mind, The Brain, and Consciousness
- The Struggle for Democracy
- Theorising International Politics
- Economics Skills and Employability 3
- Applied Economics
- Business, Morality, and Markets
- Children and Human Rights
- Chinese Politics
- Choice and Decision
- Classical Chinese Philosophy
- Classical Indian Philosophy: Self, Knowledge, and Liberation
- Comparative Party Politics
- Contemporary Theories of Justice
- Crime and Punishment
- Democratic Theory
- Dissertation in Politics & International Relations
- Dissertation: Literature Review
- Dissertation: Policy Project
- Education Policy and Reforms: Global Experiences and Local Contexts
- Empirical Finance
- Ethics of War
- European Power and the Geopolitics of Europe and Asia
- Exploring the Hidden Assumptions in Education
- Global Justice: Poverty, Inequality and the Environment
- Globalisation and World Politics
- Green Political Thought: Humans and other stories
- Happiness and Wellbeing
- International Macroeconomics
- International Trade
- Introduction to Experiments in Social Science
- Islamic Philosophy
- Labour Economics
- Migration, Borders, Refuge: Political Ethics in an Age of Mobility
- Partisans, Public Opinion and Elections: Understanding the Political Mind
- Philosophical Pessimism
- Philosophy Dissertation
- Philosophy and Ethics in Psychology and AI
- Philosophy of Sex, Sexuality, and Gender
- Political Philosophy
- Public Economics
- Public Opinion in Action: What we know and how we know it
- Reinventing Democracy: Innovation, Participation and Power
- The Ethics of Belief: Evidence, Truth, and Ideology
- The Ethics of Climate Change
- The Government Lab
- Theories of Law and Justice
- Topics in Macroeconomics
- Topics in Political Economy
Questions about this course
How much do graduates of BA Philosophy, Politics and Economics at University of Southampton earn?
The median salary is £29,000 after 15 months, £26,000 after 3 years, £32,000 after 5 years. After five years the middle half of graduates earn between £27,000 and £42,500. The £32,000 median after five years is £16,500 less than the UK median for Economics.
What do graduates of BA Philosophy, Politics and Economics at University of Southampton do next?
75% were in work or further study 15 months after finishing (Graduate Outcomes 2023-24).
Are students happy with the teaching on BA Philosophy, Politics and Economics at University of Southampton?
86% of final-year students were positive about the teaching in the National Student Survey 2025-26.
What grades do I need for BA Philosophy, Politics and Economics at University of Southampton?
The typical offer is AAB at A level, or 34 points in the IB. The average entrant had 150 UCAS points. Applicants who posted offers on UniScout for 2027 entry were most often predicted A*AA.
When does the University of Southampton send offers for BA Philosophy, Politics and Economics?
For 2027 entry, applicants have posted 5 decisions for this course on UniScout. The first offer was posted on 22 October, and the most decisions so far arrived in October.
How many students continue on BA Philosophy, Politics and Economics at University of Southampton?
100% of students continued into their second year, and 0% left higher education.