Choice and Behavior

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.