This unique 3-year Philosophy, Politics and Economics Bachelor’s degree programme will prepare you for future leadership positions in business, politics, academia, and beyond. Complex social problems require generalists, that is, researchers, policy makers and professionals who are able to examine an issue from several angles, who can combine different perspectives in a constructive way, and who are aware of the broader social and historical context of problems. PPE provides you with the necessary tools and knowledge to be a leader in the 21st century.
PPE at VU Amsterdam is the first programme of its kind in continental Europe, combining a focused curriculum with exchange opportunities with international partner institutions and exciting and unique extracurricular initiatives involving representatives from the world of business, policy or politics. It is a multidisciplinary study programme that combines the strengths of its three fields and places a special emphasis on incorporating the different perspectives of its constituent disciplines. The programme provides rigorous theoretical training and broad, hands-on experience that will enable you to take an active role in shaping the world’s future.
PPE is the programme we offer, the John Stuart Mill College provides the intellectual and social community of which you will become part while you study PPE. This community consists of students, junior and senior lecturers/researchers, guest lecturers (visiting professors from abroad and people from practice) and people participating in or contributing to extracurricular activities. In order to facilitate community life, the John Stuart Mill College has its own housing on the VU campus. For more information see http://vu-ppe.nl
Whether or not you will actually be offered a place in our programme will depend on your:
The latter two will be determined based on your CV and your answer to our assessment questions, and possibly an additional interview (over Skype in case of international applicants). For more info on the GPA that we seek, see below.
The selection committee evaluates your application file as a whole, considering all these factors. If in doubt whether you meet the admission requirements, you can always contact our Dutch or international student advisor (see Contact below).
The PPE programme falls within VU Amsterdam’s excellence programmes and has been awarded the “Distinctive feature of small-scale and intensive education” by the Dutch-Flemish Accreditation Council (NVAO). Consequently, admission to our PPE programme will be selective. We are looking for students with a grade point average of at least:
We take into account your GPA over the two final years of your secondary education. To IB applicants: when you apply, please include official Predicted Grades from your school and ensure that the levels of all subjects, including language subjects, are clearly stated (HL, SL, A or B).
Examples of diplomas that demonstrate sufficient proficiency in Mathematics are:
After we have received your application and you uploaded the required documents in our student portal, the admission officer will have a look at your transcripts to determine whether your mathematics level is sufficient. If your proficiency in mathematics is considered to be insufficient, an additional mathematics entry exam will be required for admission. This must be submitted before 31 August.
The following certificates (combined with a secondary school diploma) are deemed equivalent to Dutch VWO Mathematics A level and will allow admission into the PPE program:
International Exams
• International Baccalaureate Mathematics Standard or Higher Level
This program comprises more than mathematics alone, but some schools allow you to take only the mathematics course and can provide you with a certificate. The complete list of IB schools can be found here: contact a school near you to find out whether it offers separate course certificates.
• Cambridge International A-levels
Another option for obtaining a separate maths course certificate is to take an A-level maths exam at a registered Cambridge school. Please check here to find the nearest Cambridge school in your country.
Exams in the Netherlands
• Boswell-Bèta (English). Boswell-Bèta in Utrecht (the Netherlands) provides a maths course in English with exams in December, May and July.
• CCVX (Dutch and English). CCVX offers maths exams equivalent to the Dutch VWO Mathematics A level for Dutch-speaking and English-speaking applicants.
• VASVU You can also apply for the one-year VASVU preparation programme at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. This program prepares you for your academic studies (such as PPE) at our university.
PPE applicants are required to take a proficiency test of the English language and submit their scores before the 1st of June 2018. Applicants who have completed their education in Canada, the USA, the UK, Ireland, New Zealand or Australia are exempted from this requirement, as are those who have obtained an International Baccalaureate or European Baccalaureate diploma (English-taught programmes only). If you cannot provide us with a positive score yet, please register for a recognized English language test. We will accept IELTS tests, Cambridge tests and TOEFL tests.
The minimum English language proficiency requirements for admission to our PPE programme is:
These language tests loose validity after two years. The TOEFL and IELTS tests must have been completed not later than two years before 1 September of the year in which you start the PPE programme. For TOEFL and IELTS, the Test Institute of the TOEFL and IELTS tests can forward the results directly to our office. The institutional TOEFL code of VU is 7947.
Students living in the Netherlands can also register for a TOEFL-ITP exam offered by the VU Taalloket. The test costs €80 and is only valid for admission to VU Amsterdam.
Please note that students who need a visa to enter the Netherlands must submit their English test results before June 1. Students who do not need a visa must submit their test results before August 30 but preferably sooner. Your acceptance to the PPE programme will remain conditional until we have received your test results.
Be aware of the fact that it can take a long time before you receive the results of the English tests, so plan your test in time! It is not uncommon for people to fail the test, but you would like to have the possibility to re-take it at a later moment.
VU Amsterdam reserves the right to request an original copy of the test result.For online verification of your Cambridge test result please send us a copy of your result, your ID-number and your ‘secret number’ (check the Candidate Results Online Service).
Useful links
Applications to Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam are done completely online. You start the application procedure through the Studielink.nl national application system. You will then receive an e-mail inviting you to complete your application in the VU student portal, where you will also be asked to submit all documentation needed for the admission procedure. You do not have to complete your application in one session; you can save it and come back to it as often as you want before completing and submitting it.
All students seeking admission with an international degree are required to pay a non-refundable €100 application fee. Only after you have paid this fee will we be able to start the evaluation of your application file. After completing the PPE application in VUnet, the online payment tool will become available and you will be able to arrange the payment of the application fee with Visa, Mastercard, American Express, or PayPal. After you have arranged your payment online, you will receive a confirmation e-mail, and the payment status will change to ‘PAID’.
Required application documents:
Ready to apply?
Great! Click here to start your application.
Problems or questions?
• If Studielink tells you that: “The educational institution has yet to determine whether your previous education level is sufficient“, this will only be ticked after you accept your place and you send us a certified copy of your diploma.
• If you receive a notification that your personal details cannot be verified automatically, hand in an extract from the Municipal Administration (GBA) at the VU Amsterdam Central Student Desk. If you don’t live in The Netherlands (yet) you have to provide a copy of your passport.
Candidates with a foreign diploma can contact the International Student Advisor of VU PPE.
Rosa Vijftigschild
International Student Advisor
admissionsppe@vu.nl
T: +31 20 5985641
Candidates with a Dutch diploma can contact info.ppe@vu.nl when experiencing any difficulties.
The Bachelor day is an information day for high school students and their parents. On this day you will be introduced to the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and its various programmes through information stands and presentations. The Bachelors day takes place twice a year.
The early bird application deadline is 14 February 2018. In nearly all cases we are able to process your application within two weeks and inform you whether you have been accepted to the programme. The final application deadline for non-EU/EEA students is 1 April 2018, and for Dutch/EU students 1 May 2018.
The PPE scholarships offer talented, prospective international students the unique opportunity to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. PPE offers 3 scholarships for international students for 2018/2019: 2 for EU-students and 1 for a non-EU-student.
All PPE scholarship applications received by April 1 2018 will be reviewed by the PPE committee. Awarding of the scholarships will be based on your contribution to diversity in the classroom, motivation, financial need, and merit as evidenced by your CV and transcripts.
The PPE scholarships are for strongly motivated students with excellent study results.
Eligible candidates must be able to prove their excellence, and they must be admitted to the PPE programme at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Students with the Dutch nationality and/or Dutch educational background are not eligible for admission. Students already enrolled in the PPE programme in 2017/2018 are not eligible to apply for the PPE scholarship for 2018/2019.
The PPE scholarship is a tuition fee waiver for one year. The PPE scholarship does not provide any additional allowance towards study or living costs. The scholarship will be extended to the second and third year of the programme, but only if the full 60 ects are obtained before the start of the new academic year.
Complaints procedure
Candidates who do not agree with the decision of the scholarship committee, may file a written complaint to ppe@vu.nl, subject PPE Scholarship programme. Complaints regarding the application procedure (not the results!) should be addressed to the student ombudsman Mrs. drs. L. Poesiat, W&N building, De Boelelaan 1081, Room S 246 and must include:
• Your name and full address.
• Details of the selection procedure that you do not agree with.
• The grounds for your complaint: why are you unable to accept the application procedure?
• Date and signature.
1. Register for the PPE programme
Students should register for PPE in Studielink and after that in the VUnet portal. Please note that you must have applied for the PPE programme before you can apply for the PPE scholarship.
2. Submit scholarship application
Submit your PPE application by sending it to ppe@vu.nl, subject application PPE Scholarship Programme
Deadline: 1 April 2018
For PPE scholarship applications 3 documents are required:
A. Proof of excellence/ GPA
Students who apply for a PPE scholarship need to have a GPA of at least 80% of the highest possible mark (calculated over full previous degree). For example, if the highest possible mark is a 10, you need to have an average of at least an 8.
Excellence in previous education is proven if the grade point average achieved is at least the equivalent of the Dutch grade of an 8.0 on the Dutch grading scale 1 – 10.
B. Motivation Letter
We would like to know your motivation for the PPE scholarship. Why do you think you deserve and need to receive a PPE scholarship?
C. Financial plan
Provide us with a budget forecast for the full PPE programme, covering 3 years of study. Show that your sources of income are not sufficient to cover your costs, and that being awarded a PPE scholarship will allow you to cover all costs involved.
3. Decision
The PPE Committee decides which students will be offered a PPE scholarship. The Committee makes a selection based on the criteria mentioned above.
4. Results
All students will receive an e-mail/notification informing them of the PPE scholarship Committee's decision concerning their application.
Expected date: 1 May 2018 (4 weeks after deadline).
5. Acceptance of offer
Selected candidates accept/ decline the PPE offer by email. Deadline: 15 May 2018 (2 weeks after the results are published).
Questions? Please contact info.ppe@vu.nl
The Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) programme is a three-year degree. The academic year at VU Amsterdam is divided into two semesters. The first year of the PPE programme begins with an introduction to PPE, which covers the themes, methods, and primary theories. In the remaining two periods of the first semester, you will take introductory courses in each of the programme’s foundation disciplines (philosophy, political science and economics), as well as a course on PPE methodology. The second semester includes additional foundation courses and a second methodological course in statistics. In the last part of the first year, will take your first interdisciplinary PPE in Practice course, which brings together the theory and methods you have acquired so far.
For more information see the study guide
At the beginning of the second year you will choose two of the three PPE disciplines to specialize in (if you wish to complete an additional 24 ECs, you can take all three tracks). You will take two courses in each of your chosen tracks, as well as four electives in those areas and two integrative PPE in Practice courses.
In the third year of the PPE programme, the emphasis will shift to preparing you for your future academic studies and careers beyond academia. During the fifth semester of your studies, you may choose either to pursue your studies at one of our partner institutions, or to complete an internship. During the final semester you will complete two large-scale projects: the PPE thesis and the final PPE in Practice course. You will work in groups to produce professional quality policy briefs. These briefs will be honed using input from your peers in the programme’s ‘Policy Lab’. Also during this semester, you will incorporate the experience that you have gained through your studies abroad and your internship with the skills acquired throughout the programme in order to produce professional quality research and policy projects.
The Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) programme is a three-year degree. The academic year at VU Amsterdam is divided into two semesters. The first year of the PPE programme begins with an introduction to PPE, which covers the themes, methods, and primary theories. In the remaining two periods of the first semester, you will take introductory courses in each of the programme’s foundation disciplines (philosophy, political science and economics), as well as a course on PPE methodology. The second semester includes additional foundation courses and a second methodological course in statistics. In the last part of the first year, will take your first interdisciplinary PPE in Practice course, which brings together the theory and methods you have acquired so far.
For more information see the study guide
At the beginning of the second year you will choose two of the three PPE disciplines to specialize in (if you wish to complete an additional 24 ECs, you can take all three tracks). You will take two courses in each of your chosen tracks, as well as four electives in those areas and two integrative PPE in Practice courses.
In the third year of the PPE programme, the emphasis will shift to preparing you for your future academic studies and careers beyond academia. During the fifth semester of your studies, you may choose either to pursue your studies at one of our partner institutions, or to complete an internship. During the final semester you will complete two large-scale projects: the PPE thesis and the final PPE in Practice course. You will work in groups to produce professional quality policy briefs. These briefs will be honed using input from your peers in the programme’s ‘Policy Lab’. Also during this semester, you will incorporate the experience that you have gained through your studies abroad and your internship with the skills acquired throughout the programme in order to produce professional quality research and policy projects.
LANGUAGE OF INSTRUCTION
English
DURATION
3 years (fulltime)
TUITION FEE
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Non-EU/EEA students: 1 April, Dutch/EU students: 1 May
START DATE
1 September 2018
STUDY TYPE
Full-time
FIELD OF INTEREST
Economics, Business and Law
Philosophy
Behavioural and Social Sciences
