An Introduction to Lesser-Known Oxbridge Degrees

As recent Oxbridge graduates, we know that some degrees at the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge can sound like a foreign language when you first come across them. From personal experience, the degrees which are at first most confusing are the interdisciplinary ones, especially those with names that sound like obscure scientific terms: PPL, PPE, HSPS…. In this article we will run through what these degrees mean and what studying them could look like, helping you make informed decisions about your university applications.

Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE) at Oxford

In Brief: Leaves students with widely-applicable skills in economic, social, political and philosophical thought.

PPE is renowned for producing UK prime ministers and global leaders, and on top of its career opportunities (ranging from finance and high-flying corporate jobs to NGOs and think tanks), it is a very academically stimulating degree. In your first year, you study all three main disciplines and then you have the option to carry on with all, or drop one.

While in the first year you don’t choose your modules of study, in your second and third you have a broad range of modules to select from within your disciplines. Studying PPE means completing a huge variety of work: from solving Economics problem sheets, to writing essays on philosophical problems. Sometimes the subjects are very separated, but there are ways to combine them; such as by taking a Political Philosophy module.  

Human, Social and Political Sciences (HSPS) at Cambridge

In Brief: Explores issues of politics, what it is to be human and the changing nature of human societies.

Human, Social and Political Sciences is a course designed to allow students to learn about a variety of ideas that overlap and inform one another in many ways. HSPS mostly focuses on issues of politics, what it is to be human, and the nature of our changing modern societies. In year one, students take four core papers, with the option of changing one of these core papers for a different subject: political philosophy, international relations, anthropology and sociology. In year two and three, students are able to choose all four of their papers based on their interests and in their third year can also opt to write a dissertation. As such, HSPS enables students to grasp a range of knowledge and to understand issues in a multidisciplinary and detailed way. HSPS at Cambridge and the Human Sciences at Oxford are quite similar courses but their main distinction (apart from different faculties and academic traditions) lies in the fact HSPS incorporates politics, while the Human Sciences are more biologically oriented.

Human Sciences at Oxford

In Brief: Takes a biological and social scientific perspective to examine human life and our place in global ecosystems.

The Human Sciences involves studying humans from biological as well as social scientific perspectives. In your first year you get the opportunity to build a foundation in a wide range of disciplines, including Genetics, Evolution and Physiology on the one hand; and Sociology, Demography and Anthropology on the other. Then in your second and third years you take most of these topics further and are assessed on them through coursework as well as final examinations. Moreover, in your third year you have the opportunity to follow your particular interests in your optional modules and a dissertation project, which can be experimental or literature based. You really start to make creative and exciting links between disciplines in the second and third year and this makes the end of the degree especially rewarding.

Psychology, Philosophy and Linguistics (PPL) at Oxford

In Brief: Fantastic for those who want to explore theories and methods in experimental psychology, philosophy and linguistics side-by-side.

Psychology is the scientific study of the human mind, its states and processes, as well as behaviour. Studying Psychology at Oxford is particularly experimentally-oriented rather than introspective. Philosophy on the other hand is highly introspective, giving you the opportunity to explore the nature of reality and fundamental questions surrounding values, truth, knowledge, identity and existence, among other topics. Finally, Linguistics is the scientific study of language and its structure with traditional foci on phonetics, morphology, and syntax among others. As a student of PPL, you have some degree of choice right from the start as you can choose in your first year to take introductory courses in a range of disciplines. Then in your second and third year you can choose to study all three main disciplines or specialise in two. You may also decide to take an optional fourth year to graduate with a Masters, involving a research-intensive, clinically-focused, or translation-focused project in Experimental Psychology.

Natural Sciences at Cambridge

In Brief: The framework under which you study any physical and biological science at Cambridge.

If you want to study any of the physical sciences (which study non-living physical phenomena) and biological sciences (which study living phenomena) at Cambridge, then you should apply under the framework of the Natural Sciences. This course offers a range of science subjects from 16 different departments and its structure reflects a desire to blur boundaries between disciplines and allow students to develop their skills as interdisciplinary scientists rather than as “biologists”, “physicists” or “chemists”. Students experience a broad first year with increasing opportunity for specialisation throughout the further years. You can choose modules purely from the physical sciences, or purely from the biological sciences, or from both according to your interests. Most students choose to study a single advanced subject in their third year and undertake a research project or dissertation in that option.

Conclusion

While these multidisciplinary and lesser-known degrees may seem more confusing at first, we greatly encourage you not to let that put you off exploring them and potentially applying! It is very important that you choose a course you will enjoy studying at university, and especially at Oxbridge where there is usually a higher workload. For those who have not found a single discipline that uniquely captures their interest, interdisciplinary degrees are a fantastic way to keep exploring multiple as well as discovering new subjects you might find a passion for! Feel free to get in contact with us today if you think you’d benefit from a taster session in any of these lesser-known degrees; we can connect you with an experienced Oxbridge-graduate in your area of interest.