Course Structure

Core Modules

In your first year you will take core modules from the three named subjects which will give you a solid foundation in all three disciplines of Economics, Psychology and Philosophy as well as training in qualitative and quantitative methods.

Optional Modules

You may choose to take some optional modules from across the departments, including the Warwick Business School, or in other departments in the University. Options taken in recent years include 'Existence, Experience, History: Key Topics in Continental Philosophy', 'Topics in Applied Economics', 'The Industrial Economy: Strategy', 'Education Today', 'Foundations of Accounting' and 'Class and Capitalism in the Neoliberal World'.

Economics Core Modules
Economics 1 You will develop an understanding of fundamental and intermediate concepts in micro- and macroeconomic analysis, equipping you with a range of appropriate analytical skills, including descriptive, graphical and mathematical methods. This will develop your ability to analyse economic trends, institutions and politics and the capacity to apply analytical techniques to real-world problems. Quantitative Techniques This module combines three modules together Mathematical and Statistical Techniques. You will cover topics ranging from algebra and calculus to distributions and hypothesis testing. By the end, you will have acquired the skills to understand economic data and have the ability to analyse data. Both Mathematical Techniques and Statistical Techniques are available at either an intermediate or advanced level, to allow you to study at the level which most suits you.

Economics Core Modules

Economics 1

You will develop an understanding of fundamental and intermediate concepts in micro- and macroeconomic analysis, equipping you with a range of appropriate analytical skills, including descriptive, graphical and mathematical methods. This will develop your ability to analyse economic trends, institutions and politics and the capacity to apply analytical techniques to real-world problems.

Quantitative Techniques

This module combines three modules together Mathematical and Statistical Techniques. You will cover topics ranging from algebra and calculus to distributions and hypothesis testing. By the end, you will have acquired the skills to understand economic data and have the ability to analyse data.

Both Mathematical Techniques and Statistical Techniques are available at either an intermediate or advanced level, to allow you to study at the level which most suits you.

Psychology Core Modules
Psychology in Context Psychology in Context is part of a general introduction to Psychology designed as a foundation for further learning in the second and third years of Psychology study. The module covers three different subjects representing a sample of research and theoretical topics in psychology: (1) History of Psychology; (2) Developmental Psychology; (3) and Psychology of Learning. Brain and Behaviour This module will introduce the biological and methodological basis of current approaches to sensing, responding, and learning. The module has two sections; the first section presents a basic introduction to the structure and function of the nervous system. The second section presents an understanding of how organisms detect and respond to stimulation and how learning and goal-directed action are rooted in the brain.

Psychology Core Modules

Psychology in Context

Psychology in Context is part of a general introduction to Psychology designed as a foundation for further learning in the second and third years of Psychology study. The module covers three different subjects representing a sample of research and theoretical topics in psychology: (1) History of Psychology; (2) Developmental Psychology; (3) and Psychology of Learning.

Brain and Behaviour

This module will introduce the biological and methodological basis of current approaches to sensing, responding, and learning. The module has two sections; the first section presents a basic introduction to the structure and function of the nervous system. The second section presents an understanding of how organisms detect and respond to stimulation and how learning and goal-directed action are rooted in the brain.

Philosophy Core Module
Introduction to Philosophy You will have a wide-ranging introduction to philosophy, including Ancient, Continental, moral and political philosophy, followed by epistemology, metaphysics, philosophy of mind and aesthetics, and logic. You will learn to engage critically with different viewpoints and critically analyse and evaluate arguments central to philosophy.

Philosophy Core Module

Introduction to Philosophy

You will have a wide-ranging introduction to philosophy, including Ancient, Continental, moral and political philosophy, followed by epistemology, metaphysics, philosophy of mind and aesthetics, and logic. You will learn to engage critically with different viewpoints and critically analyse and evaluate arguments central to philosophy.

Pathways

In your second year you’ll select a pathway, choosing either to continue on a Tripartite course and study all three disciplines, or to move to a Bipartite course and specialise in two of the subjects. You may also choose to major in Economics, which will allow you to graduate with a BSc.

Available EPP pathways are:

BA Tripartite
BA Philosophy and Psychology
BSc Economics with Philosophy
BSc Behavioural Economics

Core Modules

Depending on your pathway, you will take a combination of core modules from across the disciplines. Some subjects allow you to choose your disciplinary core module from a range of options so that you can tailor your degree to your interests. The Behavioural Economics and Economics with Philosophy pathways include more Economics modules, so that you may graduate with a BSc.

Optional Modules

Depending on your pathway, you will be able to choose up to half of your modules from a wide range of optional modules from the departments relevant to your chosen pathway.

Economics Optional Core Modules
Economics 2 You will develop deeper understanding of economic concepts and be introduced to new concepts in both micro- and macroeconomic analysis. These include material drawn from general equilibrium, welfare economics, game theory, rational expectations and time consistency. It will introduce you to the analysis of public policy issues such as market failure and counter-inflation policy, and give you a range of tools to analyse economic problems. Your analysis will be underpinned by a rigorous theoretical understanding acquired on the course.
Econometrics 1 You will be equipped with important skills of both academic and vocational value, being an essential part of the intellectual training of an economist and also useful for your future career. This includes an awareness of the empirical approach to economics; experience in analysis and use of empirical data; understanding the nature of uncertainty and methods of dealing with it; and using econometric software packages as tools of quantitative and statistical analysis. With the required necessary skills and knowledge to critically appraise work in applied economics, you will have a good grasp of the dangers, pitfalls and problems encountered in applied modelling.
Applied Econometrics You will learn important skills of both academic and vocational value, an essential part of the intellectual training of an economist and social scientist and also useful for your future career. These skills include awareness of the empirical approach to economics and social science; reviewing and extending fundamental statistical concepts; methods of data collection and analysis; regression analysis, its extensions and applications; use of spreadsheets and statistical packages such as SPSS or STATA.
Microeconomics 2 You will gain a solid understanding of intermediate and some advanced principles of microeconomics and be exposed to a range of applications of theory. You will spend time on the use of mathematical concepts in the field for analysis, and cover important principles of general equilibrium and social welfare, market failure, choice and uncertainty, and static and dynamic games of complete and incomplete information.

Economics Optional Core Modules

Economics 2

You will develop deeper understanding of economic concepts and be introduced to new concepts in both micro- and macroeconomic analysis. These include material drawn from general equilibrium, welfare economics, game theory, rational expectations and time consistency. It will introduce you to the analysis of public policy issues such as market failure and counter-inflation policy, and give you a range of tools to analyse economic problems. Your analysis will be underpinned by a rigorous theoretical understanding acquired on the course.

Econometrics 1

You will be equipped with important skills of both academic and vocational value, being an essential part of the intellectual training of an economist and also useful for your future career. This includes an awareness of the empirical approach to economics; experience in analysis and use of empirical data; understanding the nature of uncertainty and methods of dealing with it; and using econometric software packages as tools of quantitative and statistical analysis. With the required necessary skills and knowledge to critically appraise work in applied economics, you will have a good grasp of the dangers, pitfalls and problems encountered in applied modelling.

Applied Econometrics

You will learn important skills of both academic and vocational value, an essential part of the intellectual training of an economist and social scientist and also useful for your future career. These skills include awareness of the empirical approach to economics and social science; reviewing and extending fundamental statistical concepts; methods of data collection and analysis; regression analysis, its extensions and applications; use of spreadsheets and statistical packages such as SPSS or STATA.

Microeconomics 2

You will gain a solid understanding of intermediate and some advanced principles of microeconomics and be exposed to a range of applications of theory. You will spend time on the use of mathematical concepts in the field for analysis, and cover important principles of general equilibrium and social welfare, market failure, choice and uncertainty, and static and dynamic games of complete and incomplete information.

Psychology Optional Core Modules
Language and Cognition In this module, you will investigate cognitive processes that underlie language, decision making and problem solving, in the context of investigating the evolution, biological mechanisms, and cognitive processes of language and communication. You will master key findings and methods in psycholinguistics and cognitive science, and be able to critically evaluate theories of language and cognition.
Perception, Planning and Action If you are curious about the psychology of perceiving, planning and acting, and the role of perception in controlling and guiding movement, this module is for you. You will deepen your understanding of perception through the study of neuropsychological deficits, and understand how the study of neuropsychological impairments has helped to develop theories for intact perception, planning and action. You will evaluate the classic theories of selective attention, and understand how perception and action are linked. We will also examine how visual and somatosensory systems are involved in governing and planning movement, and learn how complex movements are generated by simple mechanisms in the body.

Psychology Optional Core Modules

Language and Cognition

In this module, you will investigate cognitive processes that underlie language, decision making and problem solving, in the context of investigating the evolution, biological mechanisms, and cognitive processes of language and communication. You will master key findings and methods in psycholinguistics and cognitive science, and be able to critically evaluate theories of language and cognition.

Perception, Planning and Action

If you are curious about the psychology of perceiving, planning and acting, and the role of perception in controlling and guiding movement, this module is for you. You will deepen your understanding of perception through the study of neuropsychological deficits, and understand how the study of neuropsychological impairments has helped to develop theories for intact perception, planning and action. You will evaluate the classic theories of selective attention, and understand how perception and action are linked. We will also examine how visual and somatosensory systems are involved in governing and planning movement, and learn how complex movements are generated by simple mechanisms in the body.

Philosophy Optional Core Module
Philosophical Issues in Behavioural Science Philosophical investigation is indispensable for fully understanding many discoveries in the behavioural sciences, and for identifying new areas of investigation. Key questions include: Are any cognitive processes modular? Is a distinction such as that between implicit and explicit knowledge needed in explaining cognitive development? Are there distinct roles for intention and motor representation in explaining the purposiveness of action? How if it all do motor representations shape experiences of actions, one’s own or others’? What is categorical perception and how is it related to phenomenology? Are there multiple systems for tracking others’ actions, beliefs and other mental states? Can emotions or other mental phenomena be known by means of perceiving them? When two or more agents act together, in virtue of what can their actions have a collective goal? What is it for agents to act together cooperatively, or to be committed to do so?

Philosophy Optional Core Module

Philosophical Issues in Behavioural Science

Philosophical investigation is indispensable for fully understanding many discoveries in the behavioural sciences, and for identifying new areas of investigation. Key questions include: Are any cognitive processes modular? Is a distinction such as that between implicit and explicit knowledge needed in explaining cognitive development? Are there distinct roles for intention and motor representation in explaining the purposiveness of action? How if it all do motor representations shape experiences of actions, one’s own or others’? What is categorical perception and how is it related to phenomenology? Are there multiple systems for tracking others’ actions, beliefs and other mental states? Can emotions or other mental phenomena be known by means of perceiving them? When two or more agents act together, in virtue of what can their actions have a collective goal? What is it for agents to act together cooperatively, or to be committed to do so?

Warwick Business School Core Module
Foundations of Human Sociality and Cooperation This module explores the origins and basis of human sociality and cooperation using an interdisciplinary approach that includes theories and empirical findings from psychology, economics, sociology, biology and anthropology. It addresses evolutionary mechanisms, psychological mechanisms (from a developmental and comparative perspective) and societal mechanisms underlying human social and cooperative interactions. It will address a variety of topics and questions such as: How does prosocial behaviour develop in life (ontogeny)? What are the evolutionary roots of human cooperation and morality? What is the role of social norms in societies? How can our knowledge about human sociality improve decisions in business and public policy?

Warwick Business School Core Module

Foundations of Human Sociality and Cooperation

This module explores the origins and basis of human sociality and cooperation using an interdisciplinary approach that includes theories and empirical findings from psychology, economics, sociology, biology and anthropology. It addresses evolutionary mechanisms, psychological mechanisms (from a developmental and comparative perspective) and societal mechanisms underlying human social and cooperative interactions. It will address a variety of topics and questions such as: How does prosocial behaviour develop in life (ontogeny)? What are the evolutionary roots of human cooperation and morality? What is the role of social norms in societies? How can our knowledge about human sociality improve decisions in business and public policy?

Core Modules

In the Final Year, all EPP students study a co-taught module which is specifically designed to set the three disciplines in interdisciplinary dialogue with each other. On the Behavioural Economics pathway you will take a further core module specifically on Behavioural Economics.

Optional Modules

You will again be able to choose from an interesting variety of optional modules. Many students also choose to take a dissertation or a research project either in EPP or the field of their choice.

EPP Core Module
Group Mindedness: Perspectives from Economics, Philosophy and Psychology This module will consist of a series of lectures exploring issues related to group thinking, the nature of reasoning that characterises group interactions, and the ways in which group thinking can lead to failures of reasoning. There will be a particular emphasis on the ways in which the study of the issues discussed in the course can be informed by interdisciplinary dialogue.

EPP Core Module

Group Mindedness: Perspectives from Economics, Philosophy and Psychology

This module will consist of a series of lectures exploring issues related to group thinking, the nature of reasoning that characterises group interactions, and the ways in which group thinking can lead to failures of reasoning. There will be a particular emphasis on the ways in which the study of the issues discussed in the course can be informed by interdisciplinary dialogue.

Economics Optional Core Module
Behavioural Economics The module aims to develop students' knowledge and understanding of economic decision making by emphasising how psychological and experimental findings (from the field and laboratory) have shaped contemporary economic models. In particular you will learn about recent theoretical developments modelling consumer behaviour, especially in relation to preferences and judgements in situations involving risk, uncertainty and time.

Economics Optional Core Module

Behavioural Economics

The module aims to develop students' knowledge and understanding of economic decision making by emphasising how psychological and experimental findings (from the field and laboratory) have shaped contemporary economic models. In particular you will learn about recent theoretical developments modelling consumer behaviour, especially in relation to preferences and judgements in situations involving risk, uncertainty and time.