What is special about this course?

This multidisciplinary honours degree offers the unique opportunity to study the three most influential realities impacting people’s lives and is a comprehensive programme aimed at developing the leaders of the future.

Economics: You will examine how economic agents (individuals, households, and businesses) and markets behave and interact, and are influenced by aspects such as inflation, economic growth and unemployment, and monetary and fiscal policy.

Politics: You will examine the different ways in which politics shapes our lives and is organised differently around the world. The programme looks at various forms of governance from clans, upwards to modern local governments, institutions, sovereign states and finally to international level.

Philosophy:  Philosophy seeks to understand, and critically to question, ideas concerning the nature of reality, value and experience that play a pervasive role in understanding the world and ourselves. Problematic concepts, such as existence, reason and truth, occur in every sphere of human enquiry. Others belong to particular areas of thought and practice, such as art and politics. In this programme, you will explore these ideas and concepts and how they influence society.

Special features

• You will have the opportunity to explore and understand key themes within the three disciplines and will be encouraged to debate, discuss and critically think about issues in life and society
• You will gain skills that will enable you to pursue careers in various fields including economics, local and national government, and civil and diplomatic services.

Accommodation

We offer modern student accommodation at a number of our locations.

Entry requirements

Entry to year one:

• 3 Scottish Highers at grade BBC or above, or
• 2 A levels at grade BC or above
• At least two should be from the list of relevant academic subjects
• Applicants with other relevant qualifications or experience will be considered on an individual basis

Advanced entry to year two:

• HNC Social  Science (12 SCQF credits) with 3 additional SCQF credits at level 7 which is equivalent to 120 degree credit points, and at least grade C in the Graded Unit will be considered for direct entry to year two.

Access routes

Students eligible to undertake Scottish Wider Access Programmes (SWAP) will be able to apply for entry to BA (Hons) Philosophy, Politics and Economics upon successful completion of one of the below courses with a grade profile of BBC:

• Access to: Arts and Humanities (Newbattle Abbey College)
• Access to: Arts, Social Sciences and Primary Teaching (Edinburgh College)
• Access to: Arts, Social Sciences and Primary Teaching (North East Scotland College)
• Access to: Celtic Studies incorporating Primary Education with Gaelic (Newbattle Abbey College)
• Access to: Community, Education and Humanities (Dundee & Angus College)
• Access to: Degree Studies (Forth Valley College)
• Access to: Humanities (Arts, Social Sciences and Primary Education) (Fife College)
• Access to: Humanities (Fife College)
• Access to: Humanities (Perth College UHI)
• Access to: Languages with Business (Edinburgh College)
• Access to: Languages, Arts and Social Sciences (Edinburgh College)
• Access to: University Study (Dundee & Angus College)
• NQ Access to: Social Sciences (West Lothian College)
• NQ Access to: Teaching (West Lothian College)

Year 1 - CertHE

Core modules are:

Philosophy:

• Introduction to philosophy 
• Moral philosophy

Politics: 

• Introduction to politics
• Politics of the British Isles

Economics:

• Introduction to micro economic theory and concepts
• Introduction to macro economic theory and concepts

Year 2 - DipHE

Core modules are:

Philosophy:

• Logic
• Epistemology

Politics:

• History of political ideas
• Comparative politics

Economics: 

• Applications of economic theory and analysis
• Government economic policy, decision-making and impact

Year 3 - BA

Modules may include:

Philosophy:

• Decision theory
• Philosophy of religion
• Philosophy of science

Politics:

• Modern political ideas
• European politics
• Wars of the 'Promised Land'

Economics:

• Globalisation and sustainable development
• Literature review
• Economics of mountain regions

Year 4 - BA (Hons)

Modules may include:

Philosophy: 

• Philosophy of mind
• Scottish tradition in philosophy

Politics:

• Geopolitics:territory, security and strategy
• Political theory
• Terrorism and unconventional warfare

Economics: 

• Social enterprise and the small business management
• The consumerist society
• Geo-political development issues.

You must also complete a dissertation (40 credits).

Fees

For students normally domiciled in Scotland or the European Union/EEA (outside of the UK) and with a term time address in Scotland, the following fees apply:

The Scottish/EU fee rate is set by the Scottish Government and will be confirmed by March 2020.

Rest of UK students

For students normally domiciled in the rest of the UK (England, Wales and N. Ireland, including Channel Islands and the Isle of Man) and with a term time address in Scotland studying this course full time, the following fees apply:

4th year free only for students studying full-time, on continuous study, who have paid for the previous three years at the University of the Highlands and Islands.

Part-time (per 20 credit module) - £1,500.

Fees are payable in advance each academic year unless otherwise agreed.

There are a number of funding options available to UK and EU students to help you pay for your studies and your cost of living while studying.

International students

For students who do not normally reside in the UK or European Union and with a term-time address in Scotland, the following fees apply:

Part-time study is not open to international student requiring a Tier 4 visa to study in the UK.

Further information on international course fees.

A no fee increase guarantee is available for self-funding full-time and structured part-time RUK and International undergraduate students for continuous and contiguous study for the same award, up to the permitted standard time limit for the relevant award.

Funding

External scholarships and financial support may be available. Contact the relevant university partner college for more information.