Foundation Year in Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE)

Introduction to the course

For 2027 entry onwards, all applicants to the Foundation Year in PPE will be required to take the TARA admissions test as part of their application. This page will be updated with more information soon. 

Are you a student from the UK interested in studying Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) but your personal or educational circumstances have meant you are unlikely to achieve the grades typically required for Oxford courses? If so, then choosing to apply for PPE with a Foundation Year might be the course for you.

Typical A-level entry requirements are BBB. We do accept other types of qualifications and further information about academic entry requirements is available below and on the main University of Oxford website.

What will my week look like on the Foundation Year in PPE?

During your foundation year you will be expected to devote at least forty hours per week to your studies. For the PPE units, you may have around 2 hours of lectures, 2-4 hours of seminars and classes, and 2-3 hours of tutorials in a typical week during full term.

You will also participate in regular meetings with tutors to discuss work, carry out independent research and you are likely to submit 2-3 assignments each week. 

Your time will be spent both on academic work for your PPE programme and work related to the Preparation for Undergraduate Studies course. In each term you will study two of the constituent subjects of PPE (Philosophy, Politics, Economics) as well as a mathematics for PPE module. Each module should deepen your subject interest and build your skills in independent study.

Tutorials are usually for around two students and a tutor. Classes are slightly bigger, and class sizes may vary depending on the modules you are taking. There are likely to be around four students in a class, however when the whole PPE cohort is together, this may include up to 8 students. Lectures are a larger format again, and are likely to be delivered to the foundation year cohort as a whole.

Most tutorials, classes, and lectures are delivered by staff who are tutors in their subject. Some teaching may also be delivered by postgraduate students.

Subject pathways

Foundation Year in PPE
  • UCAS Code: L0VF 
  • Subject Requirements: N/A (Maths A-level is recommended)

Although a background in Mathematics is not an essential requirement for admission, it is recommended. PPE applicants should have sufficient interest in, and aptitude for, mathematics to be comfortable articulating ideas in an equation as well as in a diagram or a written statement. Mathematics is a particular advantage for the Economics component of the course, as well as for logic in Philosophy, and for statistics in Politics.

 PPE with Foundation Year page on UCAS

Entry requirements

 Qualification 
 Requirements 
 A-levels  BBB
 Advanced Highers   BB/BBC
 International Baccalaureate (IB)   35 (including core points) with 555 at Higher Level 
 BTECs

 BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma: MMM
 BTEC Level 3 National Diploma: MM plus B at A level
 BTEC Level 3 National Subsidiary Diploma: M plus BB at A level 
 Access to HE Diploma  Completion of Access to HE Diploma with all the level 3 credits taken at Merit, and B grades in any A levels taken 
 Any other equivalent qualification   View information on other UK qualifications, and international qualifications.

 

Applying for the Astrophoria Foundation Year is a competitive process. Meeting the eligibility and academic entry requirements does not guarantee that your application will be successful.

Final decisions will use the full range of evidence available, including past and predicted exam results, information from the FYAAQ, the UCAS teacher reference, the personal statement, admissions tests, and interviews (if shortlisted and invited to interview). This means that not all candidates who satisfy the admissions criteria will receive offers.

More about PPE at Oxford

Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) arose from the belief that the advanced study of all three subjects would transform students’ intellectual lives, to great social benefit. This conviction remains as firm today as it was then. As the world has evolved, so has PPE. The course brings together some of the most important approaches to understanding the world around us, developing skills useful for a wide range of careers and activities.

PPE helps students to develop a wide range of skills to a high level. Oxford PPE students have gone on to work in a variety of careers, including business, charity work, education, financial services, law, and public service. Read more about this on the PPE undergraduate course page.

There are also a number of student societies linked to PPE subjects that you can join including: Commercial Awareness Society; Conservative Association; Diplomatic Society; Forum for Questioning Extremism; Labour Club; Sustainable Business and Entrepreneurship Society.

 PPE undergraduate course page

The History of PPE at Oxford

The PPE degree was founded at Oxford just over 100 years ago, in 1920. It was designed to supersede Greats (Literae Humaniores) as the first choice for students preparing for public office and service. Like Greats, PPE would include the discipline of philosophy, but the classicists' study of ancient civilisation was to be replaced in the PPE curriculum by the study of the principles of modern society. Within a few decades, PPE became one of the largest Honour Schools in the arts and humanities. Today there are PPE courses on offer at over a hundred universities worldwide.

Women in PPE Portraits Exhibition

Oxford began admitting women to its degrees in 1920, the same year that PPE was introduced. Over the past century, women involved in the PPE degree at Oxford have been responsible for some of the most important contributions to its component disciplines. Celebrating that century of women in PPE, this exhibition presents portraits of some of those who carry the PPE torch today at Oxford. A group of world-leading academics from all three disciplines, their research and teaching illuminate contemporary PPE and provide inspiration to its students. Each academic has offered some reflections on the significance of PPE, which you can find printed alongside their portraits. Taken together, these paint an exciting picture of the ongoing relevance and intellectual depth of the "modern Greats". You can view the portraits online on the PPE website.