This theme is ideal for students interested in understanding, modeling, and predicting how people make choices, in politics or in the market.

Choosing Courses

When choosing course to develop your theme, please keep the following in mind:

• The five thematic courses you choose should coherently work together. Your five theme classes must create a cohesive story and will need to be approved by the PPE Associate Director.
• No more than two classes from outside the School of Arts and Sciences can count towards your PPE major.
• You may take more than one capstone seminar, counting the additional capstones towards your theme courses.
• Theme courses are your advanced courses in the major. Consult with the PPE Associate Director if you think a lower level class is appropriate for the development of your theme.
• You are encouraged to look for classes outside of the sample course list in order to tailor your theme to your specific interests. Some departments we recommend looking for courses in are: ANTH, BIBB, COMM, ECON, HIST, HSSC, MKTG, PSCI, PSYC, and SOCI.
  

Thematic Concentration Course Proposal Form

In order to have a course approved to use towards your theme, you will need to submit a request using the thematic concentration course proposal form. All requests will be reviewed by the PPE Associate Director. You are encouraged to search for courses outside the sample course list in order to refine your theme. 

Suggested Choice and Behavior "starter" courses:

• PHIL 2620 Introduction to Epistemology and Metaphysics
• PHIL 4840 Philosophy of Psychology
• PSCI 2207 Political Psychology
• ECON 0420 Political Economy
• ECON 4120 Social Choice Theory
• PSYC 2355 Introduction to Political Psychology
• PSYC 2737 Judgment and Decisions
• OIDD 2900 Decision Processes

We've included below some "real world" sample concentrations, shared with permission from recently graduated PPE students!

 

Predicting & Modelling Choice and Behavior
ECON 2100	Intermediate Microeconomics
PSCI 1801	Statistical Methods
ECON 0420	Political Economy
PSCI 1800	Introduction to Data Science
PHIL 2851	Philosophy of Economics
Understanding Decision-Making
OIDD 2900	Decision Processes
OIDD 291	Negotiations
PSYC 2555	Neuroeconomics
COMM 3180	Stories from Data
COMM 623	Health Psychology Seminar
Economic Understandings of Politics
COMM 3180	Stories from Data
LGST 212	Economic Analysis of Law
PSCI 260	Ethics and International Relations
ECON 0420	Political Economy
ECON 0460	Economics and Theories of Fairness

 

Any course you use towards your thematic concentration will need to be approved--even if it comes from the sample course list. Requests for course approval can be submitted through this form. All requests will be reviewed by the PPE Associate Director.