To provide the necessary tools for future leaders, IE University has launched a new and innovative Bachelor’s Degree in Politics, Philosphy, Law and Economics. It empowers students to become agents of change and have a meaningful impact in a globalized world. Today, we have interviewed Julian Montaño, Coordinator of Academic Innovation at IE University, to learn more about this new degree.
Why is it important to have professionals with a deep knowledge in politics, philosphy, law and economics?
What is important is not only the precise knowledge in Politics, Philosophy, Law and Economics, but the capabilities that students acquire. Those capabilities are the enhanced capacity of analysis, the capacity of getting to the root of social behavior and social structures and the capacity of determining the causes and effects of a situation as well as cross-referencing information with accuracy in order to predict and understand social movements.
Law, Economics, Philosophy and Politics are the four forces that govern social actions. First of all, all of our actions are determined by the sketches of law, hence the importance of having a strong knowledge. When it comes to economy, it plays a huge role in helping society decide on the optimal allocation of limited resources and, for that reason, our aim is to be aware of the economical conditions and how they currently influence the different industries. Politics, in third place, is the activity that deals with both law and economics. Furthermore, through the lens of philosophy, students will explore these three disciplines from different perspectives and points of view.
It could be said that PPLE gives you a diverse background and a wide spectrum of knowledge of the main features of society. In the end, changing things is the main objective of someone with university studies, and having a say in these areas is one of the most straightforward way of changing them.
Who is the ideal candidate to study this degree?
The ideal person to study this degree is someone with intellectual curiosity, someone who is looking forward to combining both analytical skills and a synthetic view. The ideal person for this degree is someone who is not happy with how things are in today’s society and wants to make them better. Someone with a sense of intellectual adventure, willingness to discover unimagined things about the way we behave socially and, in that sense, discover new territories.
How is the degree structured in order to fulfill each student’s career path?
The main feature of this degree is how the four fields converge and how the students acquire the quantitative and qualitative analytical skills necessary to develop a career in these areas. Students not only learn theory, but they get to shape their own paths by being part of a hands-on program that allows them to pursue their personal motivations and objectives.
At IE University we make sure they become aware of all the different career options they have and we have a practical approach that allows them to experience situations firsthand in order to learn how to deal with situations in a near future.
What type of career can a student expect to develop after graduation?
Once students graduate, they can develop a career in any of the four areas; economic analysis and business both in the public and private sector, legal issues and political matters. I must add that the business market is becoming increasingly interested in students with a PPLE profile, mainly because they are fitted to analyze data and obtain valuable information for companies.
Could you share a piece of advice with future students?
Read books. Read novels. Read essays. Read newspapers. Read magazines. There’s no other way. Reading and going into other people’s ways of seeing things is the best way of shaping your mind.