A PPE major or minor would be the natural choice for students who wish to pursue careers or graduate study in politics, government, foreign policy, law, academia, research, or business. Each of the three PPE disciplines provides the skills to succeed in graduate school and to climb organizational ladders. In keeping with Belmont Abbey College’s Catholic values and Liberal Arts tradition, the program aims to develop both integrated understanding and virtue.
Curriculum Requirements
The Core Curriculum (49-50 hours)
Please reference the Core Curriculum Requirements. Honors College students must also take PH200, PO250, and PO315.
| PH200 | Intro to Philosophy: Ancient & Medieval | 3 |
| PO250 | Justice and the Good Society | 3 |
Major Program Requirements (42 hours)
Philosophy Requirements (9 hours)
Catholic Social Thought courses: TH340 Catholic Social Teaching, EC352 Business Economy & Catholic Social Thought, or other such courses with the approval of the Chair of Philosophy.
Politics Requirements (9 hours)
The following Honors courses count toward the PO elective requirement: HO 311, HO 312, HO 314, HO 316, HO 403, HO 407, and HO 410.
| PO309 | Constitutional Law | 3 |
| PO310 | Civil Rights and Civil Liberties | 3 |
| At least 3 additional course hours from among | 3 |
| Government and Political Philosophy (PO) courses at the 300- or 400-level | |
Economics Requirements (9 hours)
| EC201 | Introductory Macroeconomics | 3 |
| EC202 | Introduction Economics II | 3 |
| At least 3 additional course hours from among | 3 |
| Economics (EC) courses at the 300- or 400-level | |
Capstone Requirements (6 hours)
With the Program Director’s approval, the Senior Thesis may be replaced by a rigorous internship in Criminal Justice (CJ), Economics (EC), Politics (PO), or Philosophy (PH) together with a public presentation of PPE-related learning during the internship. The PPE Senior Thesis fulfills the Honors College Senior Thesis requirement. (Students are never required to write two senior theses, and Honors College students majoring in PPE are required to write a senior thesis in one of PH, PO, or EC.)
| PE300 | PPE Seminar Contemporary Problems | 3 |
| And either | |
| EC490W | Senior Thesis | 3 |
| Or | |
| PH470 | Senior Thesis | 3 |
| Or | |
| PO490W | Senior Thesis | 3 |
Senior Thesis: In one of PH, PO, or EC.
Required Minor (9 hours)
Complete a required minor by declaring a minor and completing 9 additional credit hours in one of the following disciplines: Philosophy (PH), Politics (PO), Economics (EC), or International Relations.
Honors courses taken to satisfy Honors College requirements cannot count towards these required 9 credit hours.
Electives (25–28 hours)
We encourage taking an additional minor or electives in History (HI), Public Speaking, Moot Court, and model UN.Minors: It is recommended that students pursue a minor. Students may minor in one of the three branches (Philosophy, Politics, or Economics) by taking at least 9 additional credit hours in that area.