Subject Specific Info Pack - PPE @ OXFORD VS HSPS @ CAMBRIDGE

Oscar Chong
Nov 13
3 min read

Studying Philosophy, Politics & Economics (PPE) at Oxford and Human, Social & Political Sciences (HSPS) at Cambridge are popular choices for many Hong Kong students. However, there are quite significant differences between the two subjects!

Although both subjects cover Politics and International Relations, PPE includes Philosophy and Economics, while HSPS includes Sociology and Anthropology. Both subjects cover all the aforementioned major areas in the first year. One of the first-year HSPS subjects can be chosen as a "Borrowed Paper," including Archaeology and Psychology.

Main Subjects of PPE

First Year = Philosophy, Politics and Economics. After passing the first-year Prelims exam, students can choose to drop one subject. Each subject in PPE generally covers 6-8 topics per semester.
Philosophy: In the first year, students study logic, moral philosophy, and general philosophy. In the second and third years, they study Ethics, and then choose one paper from Early modern phil/Knowledge & Reality/Plato's Republic/Nicomachean Ethics.
Politics: Primarily covers Theory of Politics (e.g., Democracy, Marx) and Practice of Politics (e.g., Democratic Peace Theory, State Strength and state formation). Additionally, it requires learning coding methods for Politics-related lab work.
Economics: Primarily covers Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, and probability and statistics. In the second and third years, students must study at least one of Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, or Quantitative economics.

Main HSPS Subjects

HSPS has a total of four subjects. Each subject generally covers over 10 topics per semester, but students only need to focus on 3-4 topics of interest.

Politics: In the first year, students study theories with historical value, such as Weber, Hobbes, etc.. From the second year, students can choose topics like comparative politics and public policy.
International Relations: Covers major theories like Realism and Liberalism, as well as various contemporary and historical international relations issues, such as the end of the Cold War and China-US relations.
Sociology: Focuses on key theories by sociologists like Marx, Du Bois, and major sociological issues such as Race, Class, and Gender.

Anthropology: Through studying different Ethnographies, students understand topics like Kinship, Economy, and Power Relations.

COURSE STRUCTURE

PPE @ OXFORD VS HSPS @ CAMBRIDGE

Both PPE and HSPS allow students to choose subjects and specialize in their areas of interest in the second and third years.

PPE can be Bipartite (two subjects) or Tripartite (three subjects). HSPS can be chosen as a Single Track (one subject) or Double Track (two subjects). Single Track allows selection from Politics & International Relations, Social Anthropology, and Sociology. Double Track, in addition to combining these three subjects, can also include Criminology and Religious Studies.

Workload

The following describes the typical workload for PPE and HSPS, but the specific workload varies by college and chosen subjects.

HSPS @ Cambridge

Approximately one to two lectures daily, seven to eight per week.
Three supervisions (small group sessions) per subject per semester, totaling 12.
An essay of 1500 to 2000 words generally needs to be completed before each supervision, averaging 10-12 essays per semester.

PPE @ Oxford

Average of 8 lectures per week.
Average of three to four hours of tutorials per week.
In the first two semesters, each semester also requires completing:
Six to eight Philosophy assignments (Logic Problem Sheets or Essays).
Six Politics essays.
Six to seven Economics problem sheets.
Students used to DSE might initially find it challenging to adapt to suddenly having so much reading and essay writing. Experience in debate or Model United Nations (MUN) during secondary school, or participation in essay competitions, might help with adaptation!

ADMISSIONS CRITERIA

Minimum Admission Requirements for PPE:

For HKDSE students:
Grade 4 in Core Maths and grade 5 in Core English.
Grades 5 in three electives.
Students taking a Maths extension paper may count it as one of their electives.
For A-levels students: AAA.
Students who studied Mathematics and History in secondary school will have an advantage but they are not compulsory.
Admissions test (TSA):
Usually registered around September and taken in November.

Minimum Admission Requirements for HSPS:

For students taking the HKDSE: It depends, e.g., at least 5 for all subjects and 5* for a few relevant subjects.
For students taking the IB: 40-42 points with 776 at Higher Level.
For students taking A-levels: A*AA.
Some colleges may require students to submit essays written in secondary school and complete a college-specific admission test (if students do not wish to do this, remember to check carefully when choosing a college!).