Social and National Relevance

• A degree in PPE equips graduates with the ability to think more strategically, grapple with complexity, and apply holistic solutions to problems. Since independence, Singapore has adopted a pragmatic approach to governance. However, a more comprehensive approach is needed to address the growing diversity of concerns from the electorate.
  
  
• Training in philosophy, economics and public policy introduces ethical reflection to the fundamental values around which society should be organised, heightens the moral imagination of policymakers, and enriches public discourse. PPE graduates will become the next generation of policymakers and be better equipped to think critically about policy challenges and evaluate the trade-offs often involved.
  
  
• Policy questions are complex and will become more so in the next few decades. Singapore prides itself on being a diverse society, and people in a diverse society naturally cherish different values; these values are occasionally in conflict. For example, should consistent economic growth in Singapore be prioritised over other objectives, such as social progress? This question is fundamentally philosophical. PPE graduates will be equipped with the tools to navigate such questions of value, which will enable them, as aspiring policymakers, to think more critically and make better choices that affect the future of Singapore.

The integrated PPE programme will draw courses from:

(a)  Philosophy (PH): the School of Humanities (SoH) runs the philosophy programme that enables students to develop a sophisticated sense of logic, a capacity for rigorous reasoning, a comprehensive perspective in understanding the world, and a broad base of knowledge that intersects with other disciplines such as mathematics, physics, biology, economics, social sciences, and psychology. Philosophy is a four-year degree programme that requires students to complete two categories of requirements, totalling at least 128 Academic Units (AUs); 

(b)  Public Policy and Global Affairs (PPGA): the School of Social Sciences (SSS) offers the PPGA programme that provides students with interdisciplinary training and equips them with practical knowledge and skill sets necessary to dissect and solve real-world problems facing political leaders, policymakers, and the global community. PPGA’s courses give students a solid foundation in politics, international relations, public administration, and public policy. PPGA is a four-year programme, totalling 125 AUs, that prepares students for a career and leadership role in both public and private sectors in Singapore, in the Asian region and across the globe, and

(c)  Economics (EC): SSS is the home School for the Economics programme that offers robust training in economic theory and statistical methods and a wide choice of courses to cater to students' interests and mathematical aptitude. Economics electives cover all the significant fields of economic knowledge as well as recent developments in areas such as Internet Economics and Behavioural Economics. Economics is a four-year degree programme that requires students to complete 125 AUs.