PPE MasterLearn to understand and actively shape the interplay between economy, politics and society.
All earth-shattering things come in threes: shaping the economy, politics and society
Your goal: to change the world for the better as a leader in business, politics and society or as a scientist who researches interrelationships and new solutions. In the international PPE Master's programme, you will learn to make competent business and political decisions that also meet ethical standards. Thanks to close supervision, you benefit from a direct professional exchange with lecturers at the highest level, as well as from a good network and many flexible options for organising your studies. Experience the Real World PPE, in a community with students from all over the world and from a wide range of disciplines!
Further information about the degree programme PPE - Philosophy, Politics and Economics (M. A.)
This is your PPE Master
- State-recognised full-time study programme
- On-campus study programme at Witten/Herdecke University
- max. 20 students per semester
- Study credits: 120 ECTS
Framework examination regulations Master's degree programmes
Study contents: Much more than economics or political science
The English-language PPE Master is right for you if you are looking for an international degree programme that addresses current social, political and economic challenges in the world, such as intercontinental migration, climate change, economic inequalities, political radicalisation or ethnic wars, encourages critical thinking and combines different disciplines.
You will apply your acquired knowledge to real problems of the 21st century and develop interdisciplinary solutions. The PPE Master's degree opens the door to a wide range of career opportunities in business, politics and administration. If you are aiming for an academic career, you can focus your studies on research and complete a PhD after graduation.
In the interdisciplinary module “Leadership & Transformation”, which is taught jointly with the Management Master's programme, you will look at the topic from the perspective of both disciplines.
We teach you
- the basics of Ethics and Philosophy, Politics and Political Economy, Microeconomics and Institutional Economics,
- advanced methodological knowledge, e.g. in ualitative Methods and Quantitative Methods.
You will expand your interdisciplinary knowledge and set individual priorities in a wide range of elective specialisations on specialist topics such as International Politics, International Economics, Philosophy, PPE of Development, Leadership & Transformation!
Your degree programme also includes an exciting project, either application- or research-based, and you will complete your Master's thesis on a topic of your choice.
Admission requirements
- Accredited or recognised Bachelor's degree from an academic university with at least 180 ECTS.
- Special interest in an interdisciplinary study programme.
- English language skills at B2 level or TOEFL iBT 83.
Your financing made easy
Study first, pay later - that's what we do with the Reverse Generation Contract. Find out more about our student financing.
Your application to the UW/H
- Online application and personal selection procedure.
- Applications can be submitted all year round.
- The one-off application fee is €50 . Take advantage of our early bird promotion: if you apply early, you will not pay an application fee. You can find all the information about this in the application deadlines.
Application deadlines for the PPE Master's programme
- Rolling application procedure:
- You can apply for a study place all year round until all study places have been allocated. The latest date to apply for the coming winter semester is 15 August of the same year.
- Early Bird: If you apply by 15 June for the winter semester, you pay no application fee and secure your place early.
Use your early bird advantage!
Apply by 15 June 2025 for the winter semester - this way you don't pay an application fee and secure your study place early.
Your next online info event
Explore the Master's programme PPE - Philosophy, Politics and Economics from home and ask your questions directly.
These are the advantages of studying PPE at UW/H
Check the reviews of the UW/H
UW/H students are happy to recommend their university to others. Among other things, they rate the quality of the courses, the lecturers and the large proportion of practical work particularly highly. For example, in Germany's largest university ranking, the CHE Ranking, UW/H's Master's programmes regularly occupy top positions in all categories. And according to the study portal Studycheck, one of the largest university comparison portals in Germany, Witten/Herdecke University is the most popular university in North Rhine-Westphalia and in third place in Germany.
More about our awards and rankings
Work together with our practice partners
Are you interested in the scientific side of the PPE degree programme? The university with its renowned researchers promotes your goals and enables you to get involved in exciting research projects.
Are you more interested in practical implementation? In your degree programme, you will apply cutting-edge theory in practice. For example, in the project module, where you can choose to realise an application or research-related project. Our excellent network of national and international partner companies will also help you to easily find internships, working student positions or entry-level jobs.
More about our lively network
Learn at eye level with our professors
We do not offer overcrowded courses. This is because learning in small groups, lively discussions and direct dialogue with your professors are important to us. The number of places on the PPE Master's programme per semester is therefore limited. One professor supervises an average of 21 students in our PPE Master's programme. This is well below the NRW average of 83 students per professor.
Soyou've come to the right place if you prefer small study groups with intensive dialogue and a lively discussion culture to impersonal mass events.
Would you like more flexibility in your studies? In our PPE, you don't study according to a strict programme. The extensive elective area gives you a wide range of opportunities to develop your own profile and actively contribute topics. You can also study remote in your first year with us, as the compulsory courses and many electives are offered as hybrid courses.
These are your career opportunities
Unlike a pure economics degree, a degree in political science or philosophy, as a PPE student you will think, analyse and develop concepts in an interdisciplinary way right from the start. You will therefore acquire an excellent foundation for your future career at the interface of politics, economics and society, for example in politics, NGOs, the civil service or think tanks.
Your job prospects after completing the English-language Master's programme are extremely good and are regularly confirmed in independent surveys of Witten/Herdecke University graduates (98% of all graduates found a job within 12 months of graduating. For 74% of those surveyed, the job search took less than 3 months)*.
*Source: Graduate Survey 2022 (January 2025), Institute for Applied Statistics (ISTAT).
Check the reviews of the UW/H
UW/H students are happy to recommend their university to others. Among other things, they rate the quality of the courses, the lecturers and the large proportion of practical work particularly highly. For example, in Germany's largest university ranking, the CHE Ranking, UW/H's Master's programmes regularly occupy top positions in all categories. And according to the study portal Studycheck, one of the largest university comparison portals in Germany, Witten/Herdecke University is the most popular university in North Rhine-Westphalia and in third place in Germany.
More about our awards and rankings
Work together with our practice partners
Are you interested in the scientific side of the PPE degree programme? The university with its renowned researchers promotes your goals and enables you to get involved in exciting research projects.
Are you more interested in practical implementation? In your degree programme, you will apply cutting-edge theory in practice. For example, in the project module, where you can choose to realise an application or research-related project. Our excellent network of national and international partner companies will also help you to easily find internships, working student positions or entry-level jobs.
More about our lively network
Learn at eye level with our professors
We do not offer overcrowded courses. This is because learning in small groups, lively discussions and direct dialogue with your professors are important to us. The number of places on the PPE Master's programme per semester is therefore limited. One professor supervises an average of 21 students in our PPE Master's programme. This is well below the NRW average of 83 students per professor.
Soyou've come to the right place if you prefer small study groups with intensive dialogue and a lively discussion culture to impersonal mass events.
Would you like more flexibility in your studies? In our PPE, you don't study according to a strict programme. The extensive elective area gives you a wide range of opportunities to develop your own profile and actively contribute topics. You can also study remote in your first year with us, as the compulsory courses and many electives are offered as hybrid courses.
These are your career opportunities
Unlike a pure economics degree, a degree in political science or philosophy, as a PPE student you will think, analyse and develop concepts in an interdisciplinary way right from the start. You will therefore acquire an excellent foundation for your future career at the interface of politics, economics and society, for example in politics, NGOs, the civil service or think tanks.
Your job prospects after completing the English-language Master's programme are extremely good and are regularly confirmed in independent surveys of Witten/Herdecke University graduates (98% of all graduates found a job within 12 months of graduating. For 74% of those surveyed, the job search took less than 3 months)*.
*Source: Graduate Survey 2022 (January 2025), Institute for Applied Statistics (ISTAT).
PPE masters with top grades at StudyCHECK.de
Regular evaluations on StudyCheck show that students of PPE - Philosophy, Politics and Economics (M. A.) in Witten are happy to recommend their degree programme to others.
More than just a university.
"In Witten, lecturers and students also talk to each other outside of the seminars - for example, about how we can make the degree programme even better together."
"In Witten, I was able to organise my studies independently. This was a great preparation for my current management position."
"As I wanted to better understand the interrelationships between politics, economics and philosophy, the PPE Master's programme at Witten/Herdecke University immediately sparked my interest with its subject areas."
"It is this potpourri of ideas and people that makes Witten/Herdecke a great place and indeed the university of the future."
Your studies at the UW/H as an international student
For students or Bachelor's graduates from other European or non-European countries, an international Master's programme in Germany can be a great enrichment. Your intention is clear, but you don't yet know which university you want to go to? We have compiled the necessary information and services that Witten/Herdecke University offers you.
Any questions?
Student financing: How can I pay for my private study programme?
The tuition fee is an investment in you and your future that pays off quickly! This is because starting salaries for graduates of Witten/Herdecke University are around 40% higher than those of other university graduates in the field of economics*.
If you need more semesters than the standard period of study: don't worry, additional semesters are free of charge (up to twice the standard period of study). There is a suitable financing model for all students. If you are worried that your current financial situation will not allow you to study: With the Reverse Generation Contract, we offer a social financing model that enables all interested parties to study at Witten/Herdecke University. More about student financing
*Sources: Absolventa. Career guide. (2022). Retrieved from absolventa.de in March 2022. gehaltsreporter.de; Korn/Ferry. (2022). Retrieved from de.statista.com in March 2022. StudierendenGesellschaft Universität Witten/Herdecke (March 2022).
Choice of degree programme: Why study PPE in Witten and not classical economics, philosophy or politics?
The major challenges of our time - such as climate change, political radicalisation and international conflicts - cannot be explained by one academic discipline alone. If you want to understand them, you have to think together what belongs together. On this degree programme, you will work with students from all over the world to learn how to tackle the global problems of our time in an interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary way and thus contribute to their solution.
Study abroad: From Witten to the whole world - is that possible?
Do you think a semester abroad is simply part of a modern degree programme? We think so too! That's why we support you in your endeavours and offer you a large network of partner universities both in Europe (Erasmus programme) and worldwide (e.g. in Canada, South Africa, Mexico or Japan).
Admissions Office and Programme Coordinators
This is how you can contact the Admissions Office of the Faculty of Management, Economics and Society and the Programme Coordinators:
Bewerbungsbüro Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft
Admissions Office
Faculty of Management, Economics and Society
Univ.-Prof. Dr.
Jens Harbecke
Programme Coordinator M.A. PPE – Philosophy, Politics and Economics
Faculty of Management, Economics and Society
Alfred-Herrhausen-Straße 50
58455 WittenRoom number: 1.221
Univ.-Prof. Dr.
Joachim Zweynert
Programme Coordinator M.A. PPE – Philosophy, Politics and Economics
Faculty of Management, Economics and Society
Alfred-Herrhausen-Straße 50
58455 WittenRoom number: C-1.224
