WHY PPE?

Our world is shaped by institutions and organizations that have a profound impact on our lives. Understanding how they work, appreciating their interactions, seeing their impact, and being able to assess their value is crucial.

The PPE Program’s mission is to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of social, economic, political and moral problems.  In doing this, PPE follows in the tradition of great thinkers such as Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, David Hume, Adam Smith, Karl Marx, Thomas Malthus, John Stuart Mill, and David Ricardo.  With this in mind, PPE students cross the borders of key academic disciplines, integrating the methods, tools, and insights into philosophy, politics, and economics.

UNC is one of the premier undergrad programs in each of the three areas and home to one of the largest PPE programs in the country.  Throughout the year, the PPE Program hosts numerous events including speakers, colloquiums, seminars, working groups, and reading groups to help provide students the necessary background to succeed in the real world.

You can listen to our Director Geoff Sayre-McCord discuss the program on the radio program 97.9 The Hill.

Careers

Thanks to its stress on the development of transferable skills and its mixture of qualitative and quantitative analysis, the PPE Program prepares students well for a great variety of careers in different fields. Possible career paths include:

• Private sector: management, consulting, business administration, law, journalism, finance, etc.
• Public sector and NGOs: government, public administration, political parties, public policy, health care, non-profit organizations, foundations, unions, etc.
• Academia: excellent preparation for law school, medical school, business school, and Masters and Ph.D. programs in the disciplines of philosophy, politics, and economics, as well as all other social sciences that demand rigorous analytical skills.

The PPE Program helps connect our students to relevant internship, fellowship, and career opportunities.  Additionally, University Career Services offers a broad range of support for Carolina students looking into various careers as well as graduate programs.

Why Minor in PPE?

The PPE minor allows student the ability to gain a background in three distinct areas of study while allowing students to focus in a particular area of study, their major. For this reason, have a reputation as one of the most flexible and rewarding programs at UNC. Our graduates have gone onto medical school, law school, diverse industries, and Ph.D. Programs in numerous areas. Still not convinced?  Jonathan Anomaly blogs about the numerous benefits of PPE here.

Ready to Declare?

To declare the PPE Minor, please make a virtual appointment with your academic advisor, details here. The process will not take more than 10-15 minutes! For general questions and advice, feel free to email ppeprogram@unc.edu or stop by our administrative office in Caldwell 109A and 112B.

Welcome to PPE!