The PPE Foundation Year is part of Oxford's Astrophoria Foundation Year programme. The Foundation Year website provides information about applying for FY courses (including eligibility, the application process and FAQs).
The admissions criteria for PPE with a Foundation Year are as follows:
PPE tutors are looking for evidence of the following qualities in applicants:
- Application and interest: capacity for sustained study, motivation and interest, an independent and reflective approach to learning;
- Reasoning ability: ability to analyse and solve problems using logical and critical approaches, ability to assess relevance, capacity to construct and critically assess arguments, flexibility and willingness to consider alternative views;
- Communication: willingness and ability to express ideas clearly and effectively in English on paper and orally; ability to listen; ability to give considered responses.
Throughout the admissions process, tutors will be seeking to detect the candidate's future potential as a PPE student after one year of foundation-level study. Existing achievement (as revealed in official examinations, predicted examination results, and UCAS teacher references), as well as performance in the written exercise and interview, interpreted in the context of the candidate’s socioeconomic and educational background, is relied upon mainly as evidence of future potential.
Candidates are not expected to have studied any philosophy, politics or economics at school, but should be interested and be prepared to put their minds to problems of philosophy, politics and economics presented to them.
Final decisions about offers of places will use the full range of evidence available, including past and predicted exam results, the UCAS reference, the personal statement, the Foundation Year Additional Admissions Questionnaire, the written exercise and the interviews. Entry is competitive, which means that not all candidates who satisfy the admissions criteria will receive offers.
