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PPLE College PPLE College

Study programme

PPLE's interdisciplinary curriculum connects the fields of politics, psychology, law, and economics, providing a comprehensive understanding of contemporary societal issues and their underlying dynamics. The curriculum is structured in such a way that you start by building a solid knowledge base in all disciplines, and as you progress through the programme, you will choose one discipline to specialise in.
The PPLE study programme in a nutshell

Find out in four minutes what our programme is about and why you should consider it.

Curriculum

  • The first year

    The first year consists of academic core courses. Interdisciplinary courses such as ‘Law, justice and morality', 'Politics, power and governance’ and ‘Mind, Behaviour and Society’ help students foster a broad mindset and provide a good foundation in the disciplines. This in turn gives them the required knowledge for the courses in the second and third year.

    In the methodological courses (‘Doing research’), students will learn about the main qualitative and quantitative research methods and techniques. At the end of each semester, in the integrated seminars, students conduct a project based on social challenges and themes, such as solidarity and global justice.

    By the end of the first year, students must choose one major.

    Take a look at the example courses
  • The second and third year: majors

    In the second year, students start on their specialisation (major) in either politics, psychology, law, or economics and business. The majors have been specially and carefully designed by teams of leading scholars from all across the University of Amsterdam.

    Alongside their major-focused courses, students continue to engage in a diverse range of interdisciplinary core courses, further developing their integrative thinking skills. Approximately half of their coursework delves deep into their chosen major, while the remaining half is dedicated to the interdisciplinary component.

    Students may choose to enrich their academic experience by spending a period of their studies abroad, most commonly as an additional semester of study.

    Before receiving their Bachelor’s of Science degree, they will cap off their studies by writing an extensive Bachelor’s thesis.

  • Personal development integrated into the curriculum

    In addition to focusing on the acquisition of academic knowledge and skills, the PPLE study programme also aims to foster students' personal learning and development. We tailored a programme that revolves around topics that ultimately determine the quality of life, yet are not normally addressed at university. In a series of interactive workshops, topics such as self-worth, decision making, but also more interpersonal topics such as friendship, grief, and sexuality are covered.

COURSES SEM 1 SEM 2 SEMESTER 1 SEMESTER 2 EC
  • Doing Research, An Introduction
    6

    'Doing Research' provides a general introduction into the process of doing research. Different topics will be discussed, including different quantitative and qualitative research methods, important criteria in social research and research ethics. This course offers recommendations for setting up a research study, varying from different survey question formats to how to create field notes to important considerations when setting up a laboratory experiment.

  • Politics, Power and Governance I
    6

    In 'Politics, Power and Governance', we'll examine politics, characterised by collective decision-making amid conflicts. We'll explore political power's formal structure and decision processes, connecting to psychology, law, and economics for a comprehensive understanding.

  • What you don’t learn in school
    —

    The "What You Don’t Learn in School" programme fosters emotional intelligence and self-discovery through curiosity and experimentation. Workshops cover diverse topics like communication, appreciation, and coping with pressure, blending philosophy, psychology, and art for holistic personal development. Participants engage in reflection and sharing within comfortable boundaries.

  • Law, Justice and Morality
    6

    'Law, Justice and Morality' delves into the connections among law, justice, and morality. It examines dominant legal philosophies, ethical theories, theories of justice, and real-world case studies, exploring how law reflects and deviates from moral ideals and its role in creating a just society.

  • Rhetoric
    6

    This course explores rhetoric as a teachable skill essential in various disciplines. Students will learn to analyse and utilise rhetorical tools, from older to modern examples, through theory, discussion, and practical assignments, including speech analysis and performance, fostering comprehensive understanding and application.

  • Integrative seminar I: Human Rights
    6

    This integrative seminar examines the evolution and critiques of human rights as a global framework for justice. Through legal and political lenses, it explores tensions between universal ideals and cultural relativism, and assesses human rights' efficacy in addressing economic injustice. Students engage in interdisciplinary analysis and develop informed perspectives.

  • Economics for a Changing World I
    6

    'Economics for a Changing World' delves into economics to grasp the workings of our economic system and address societal challenges. Through lectures, group presentations, and tutorials, topics include technological progress, economic decision-making, institutions, property rights, market functions, market failures, government interventions, and environmental conservation dilemmas.

  • Philosophy of the Social Sciences
    6

    This course introduces social science and law students to philosophy of science. Exploring the relationship between philosophy and scientific practice, it questions if social scientists adhere to philosophical assumptions and delves into historical and modern themes, advocating for moderate pluralism in scientific methods.

  • Introduction to Statistical Analysis
    6

    'Introduction to Statistical Analysis' equips students with statistical analysis fundamentals. It covers descriptive statistics like variable representation and progresses to advanced topics such as comparing group means and examining bivariate relationships, transitioning from descriptive to inferential statistics for generalizations.

  • Mind, Behaviour and Society I
    6

    'Mind, Behaviour and Society' provides an introduction to social psychology. Social psychology is the scientific study of the effects of social and cognitive processes on the way individuals perceive, influence and relate to others. Subjects covered include: social perception, stereotyping and prejudice, self-perception and self-regulation, social categorisation, group processes, attitudes and attitude change, normative influence, close relationships and aggression. There is extensive attention for application of research results to practical and societal problems.

  • Integrative seminar II: Solidarity
    6

    The goal of this integrative seminar is to provide an insight into how individual and societal preferences can be aligned by encouraging the individual to acknowledge and incorporate the desirable societal and/or long-term goal. Using knowledge provided in the lectures and readings, students will propose, describe, and analyse an issue of solidarity in one of the following three areas: the environment, the global market, or society.

COURSES SEM 1 SEM 2 SEMESTER 1 SEMESTER 2 EC
  • Law and Behaviour
    6
  • What you don’t learn in school
    —
  • Economics for a Changing World II
    6
  • Integrative Seminar III: Security
    6
  • Politics, Power and Governance II
    6
  • Integrative Seminar IV: Societal Challenges
    6
  • Mathematics
    6
  • Organisations and Markets
    6
  • Finance
    6
  • Intermediate Macroeconomics
    6
  • Statistics and Probability
    6
  • History of Legal Theory
    6
  • Comparative Constitutional Law
    6
  • Principles of European Contract Law
    6
  • Skills and Research Methods for Law
    6
  • Public International Law
    6
  • International Politics and International Relations
    6
  • Introduction to Public Policy
    6
  • Democracies and Democratisation
    6
  • Skills and Research Methods for Political Science
    6
  • Conflict and Cooperation in Global Politics
    6
  • Fundamentals of Psychology
    6
  • Group Processes
    6
  • Emotions
    6
  • Skills and Research Methods for Psychology
    6
  • Motivation and Cognition
    6
COURSES SEM 1 SEM 2 SEMESTER 1 SEMESTER 2 EC
  • Mind, Behaviour and Society II
    6
  • Research Lab
    6
  • Free-choice electives: PPLE General
    12
  • Thesis
    12
  • Econometric Analysis
    6
  • Economics of Money and Banking
    6
  • Intermediate Microeconomics
    6
  • Marketing Management
    6
  • Comparative Administrative Law
    6
  • Comparative European Tort Law
    6
  • European Union Law
    6
  • Comparative Criminal Law
    6
  • Authority, Accountability and Legitimacy
    6
  • Political Economy
    6
  • Transnational Governance
    6
  • Political Behaviour
    6
  • Self, Identity and Personality
    6
  • The Psychology of Religion
    6
  • Political Psychology
    6
  • A Critical Look on Psychology's Past and Future
    6
View all PPLE courses in the Course catalogue

Politics

The world of politics has been transforming dramatically over the past 50 years or so. The focus of political science is no longer only the state. Non-state actors (such as NGOs and social movements) have come to play a larger role, new axes of economic and military power have emerged, and the dynamics of inter- and intra-state conflicts have changed. The global order increasingly has to deal with challenges of a truly global nature. Political scientists also increasingly study the linkages between politics on different scales, from the local to the global.

Psychology

The human factor is a critical variable in almost all the complex problems we face today. Psychology, as the study of human behaviour, will help to understand (and change) the role we as humans play in topics such as social inequality, climate change and consumer behaviour.

Law

As a guiding framework for modern societies, law affects people in all domains of life. Interdisciplinary courses in law will help you interpret complex social issues, such as international relations, immigration and European integration, through the lens of the legal system and principles of justice.

Economics and Business

Economic reasoning is crucial to the analysis of the major challenges that the world faces. Policies on, for instance, international trade, economic and social development as well as management of the environment all benefit from a thorough understanding of economic behaviour and the relations between the major stakeholders.

Entrance test

Students who want to major in economics need to successfully pass the economics major entrance test in the spring semester of their first year.