Branch programme/details

If you are interested in politics, philosophy and economics and wish to get a thorough grounding in these three disciplines, this Oxford-style PPE program is the right choice. You will learn to analyse complex social, political and economic problems. You can pursue a career in politics, banking and finance, business management, journalism, education, public services, diplomacy and government.

Modeled on the Oxford PPE, this program lets you explore foundations of domestic and international politics and economics,all underpinned by philosophical rigour. Courses are designed to foster critical thinking about social developments in the world and sensitivity to ethical challenges in political decision-making in the environment marked by cultural diversity and economic inequality.

You will learn to analyse complex social, political and economic problems in an interdisciplinary manner and solve them from complementary perspectives. Since all compulsory courses have to be taken during the first three semesters of the program, from the fourth semester onwards you can choose one of three available study tracks: Politics & Philosophy, Economics & Politics or Philosophy & Economics.

In addition to the application form, every applicant needs to provide the following documents:

a) A copy of a diploma to show at least completed secondary or high school studies or confirmation that ongoing secondary or high school studies will be completed in the current academic year

b) Transcript of records and academic results from previous studies

c) Structured CV

d) Motivation letter

e) Document showing the level of English proficiency

(f ) Strongly recommended: Standardized scholastic aptitude test  results certificate. Accepted tests: SAT, ACT, SCIO OSP (either Czech or Slovak version). Note: All candidates are strongly encouraged to submit these standardised test results. Nonetheless, their submission is recommended especially to the candidates who cannot submit final or at least preliminary results of standardised independently evaluated secondary school qualifications such as IB Diploma, EB Diploma, GCSE A-Levels (UK), or Cambridge International A-Levels. 

(g) Optional: One or two letters of recommendation

Ad a) Confirmation of studies may be substituted with a transcript of records, provided that these are from the same academic year as the application. 

Ad b) The transcripts from at least the last two years of study should be submitted (optionally, it is possible to submit earlier years as well).

Ad d) The purpose of this letter is to explain the applicant’s choice of the Charles University PPE program and to persuade the application committee that he/she is a suitable and qualified candidate for the programme. The recommended length of the motivation letter is approximately 500 words.

Ad e)  Applicants should provide a certificate from one of the following standardized tests:

• IELTS Academic - the minimum required overall band score of 6.5, with a band score of 6.0 or above in all four components;

• TOEFL Internet-Based Test (iBT) & TOEFL iBT Home Edition - the minimum required overall score of 83, with a minimum score of 20 in the four sections;

• Cambridge B2 First (former FCE) - minimum Cambridge English Scale Score of 175;

• Cambridge C1 Advanced (former CAE) or C2 Proficiency (former CPE) receiving a certificate;

• PTE Academic test - the minimum required score above 56;

• LanguageCert ESOL - Communicator with High Pass, Expert or Mastery;

• Duolingo English Test (DET) - the minimum required overall score of 120, with a subscore of 105 or above in all four components.

A standardized English test is not required from applicants who:

• have studied in English at the secondary school level for at least two years;

• have studied in English at the university level for at least one year in a full degree program.

When a score from an English-language test is not presented, the applicants should provide a confirmation of their use of English during their prior studies to support their claim. The confirmation should contain the information that the study program was conducted in English as a language of study. A diploma supplement or transcript containing this information can also be accepted.

All documents that are not originally in Czech, Slovak, or English must be officially translated into English, Czech or Slovak language by a certified translator. A sworn translation is not required for the application itself. Only complete applications will be considered. Personal data will be used exclusively to organize the admission process and course enrollments.

Entrance Examination

The Assessment process consists of two rounds and includes selective interviews for students with borderline results in the first round.

First round:

The admissions committee will assess applicants on the basis of the submitted documents. Firstly, the documents proving English proficiency are examined to ensure the required level of study is met. Only those applications that fulfill the requirements for English proficiency are assessed further by the admissions committee and given a ranking from 0–100 points. The following criteria will be evaluated: (i) academic background – quality of the institution, passed courses, achieved grades, high school leaving diploma/certificate, a standardized university entrance examination: (0–65); (ii) other – personal motivation, extracurricular activities, etc. (0–35).

The point limit for accepting applicants is set by the Dean with respect to the number of applicants and the capacity of the programme.

Second round:

(iii) Interview - Applicants whose applications are awarded a score of plus / minus 5 points of the limit stipulated by the Dean in the first evaluation round will have to participate in an online interview with the members of the evaluation committee. The interview will assess applicants’ motivation, their academic backgrounds and extracurricular activities, skills, and knowledge important for successful study in the PPE program. Assessment criteria: coherence with submitted documents, relevance to the  PPE program, reasoning, argumentation, and critical thinking. The committee will evaluate the interview by awarding or subtracting up to 6 points to/from the initial evaluation score.

The final ranking of applicants will be determined by a sum of awarded points (ranging between 0–100). The point limit for accepting applicants is set by the Dean in the first round of the evaluation.

Admission to Bachelor's studies is conditioned by completed secondary education confirmed by a school-leaving certificate.

Thanks to its interdisciplinary character, PPE will equip you with diverse tools of analysis of social phenomena and exceptional problem solving abilities. These skills are invaluable for future politicians, diplomats, public servants, local government officials, researchers, policy analysts, journalists, NGO activists, but also financiers, industrialists or economic consultants, and a range of other careers. You will be able to draw connections among political, economic, and cultural factors that shape the complex social realities of our increasingly globalised and diverse world. You can also continue in your studies at various master's level programs.