Philosophy, Politics and the P - Xavier Universi

The Philosophy, Politics, and the Public (PPP) program at Xavier University is an interdisciplinary honors program designed for students passionate about politics, government, and community. Through challenging coursework, internships, and international study opportunities, students develop a deep understanding of the public sphere and engage actively in political life. The program emphasizes philosophical conceptions, historical context, and practical experience, preparing students for careers in government, law, public policy, and other fields.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

The Philosophy, Politics, and the Public (PPP) program is a rigorous, interdisciplinary honors program at Xavier University. It is designed for students who want to change the world and have a passion for politics, government, and community. The program offers challenging academics, meaningful internship experiences, and international study opportunities. Through multi-disciplinary coursework, students develop and pursue their own interests in understanding and engaging in the public sphere. They also become actively involved in political life, working on political campaigns, interning with legal or government offices or non-profit organizations, and researching and lobbying on behalf of important legislation. The program is highly selective, with 15 to 20 freshman students enrolling each fall. Students typically rank in the top 15 percent of their high school class and present composite scores of at least 1300 (SAT) or 29 (ACT), however these are not strict requirements for admission.

Outline:

The program is structured around a four-year curriculum, with a sample course sequence provided below.

First Year:

Fall:
PHIL 100 Ethics as Intro to Philosophy (3 credits)
ENGLISH 115 English Rhetoric (3 credits)
Second Language (3 credits)
Language I (3 credits)
Historical Perspectives (International or Non-Western Focus) (3 credits)
First-Year Seminar (3 credits)
Spring:
PHIL 200 Philosophical Perspectives (3 credits)
PPUB 200 Power and the Public (3 credits)
Language II (3 credits)
THEO 111 Theological Foundations (3 credits)
ECON 200 Microeconomic Principles (3 credits)

Sophomore:

Fall:
EITHER (HIST 408 AND PPUB 210) OR (PPUB 246 AND 3 additional hours from PHIL, ECON, POLI, HIST) (6 credits)
MATH 156 General Statistics (3 credits)
Lit and the Moral Imagination (3 credits)
Theological Perspectives (3 credits)
Spring:
POLI 329 Public Policy Practice (includes policy research and advocacy in DC) (3 credits)
HIST 300 Writing in Public OR 3 additional hours from POLI, PHIL, ECON (3 credits)
ECON 201 Macroeconomic Principles (3 credits)
Scientific Perspectives and Lab (3 credits)
Scientific Perspectives and Lab (3 credits)

Junior:

Fall:
PHIL 336 Liberalism or PHIL 338 Enlightenment & Revolution (3 credits)
HIST 362 Global Cultures and Publics (3 credits)
ECON 307 Empirical Analysis in Economics (3 credits)
2 Free Electives (6 credits)
Optional Winter Intersession: Israel Study Abroad (3 credits)
Spring:
PHIL 337 Responses to Liberalism or PHIL 339 Revolution & its Aftermath (3 credits)
Natural Science Elective (3 credits)
3 Free Electives (9 credits)
Optional Spring Intersession: PPP International Study Abroad (3 credits)

Senior:

Fall:
PPUB 400 Senior Supervision (3 credits)
Free Elective (3 credits)
Free Elective (3 credits)
Free Elective (3 credits)
Free Elective (3 credits)
Spring:
PPUB 401 Senior Seminar (3 credits)
Free Elective (3 credits)
Free Elective (3 credits)
Free Elective (3 credits)
Free Elective (3 credits)

Sample Courses:

POLI 246 Mass Media and Politics/PPUB 246 Civil Society and Government: Students intern with electoral campaigns, legal non-profits, and government agencies as part of their sophomore year coursework.
PPUB 400 Senior Supervision: Students engage in advanced research under the guidance of dedicated faculty.
POLI 329 Public Policy Practice: Students travel to centers of government locally, regionally, and nationally to see firsthand how power works and advance public policies they care about.
PHIL 397 Paris Seminar in Political Theory: Students learn about American politics by examining it through an international lens alongside students from all over Europe at the University of Paris.

Careers:

99% of Xavier students, including those in the Philosophy, Politics, and the Public major, are working, volunteering, or in graduate school within six months of graduating (Class of 2022).
Career Opportunities: Congressional and Senatorial Aide, Corporate Affairs Manager, Government Affairs Director, Global Climate Program Coordinator, Communications Manager, Attorney, Campaign Manager, Marketing Manager, Policy Analyst, Professor
Xavier's Career Development Office: assists students in their search for employment by offering individual career counseling sessions, conducting workshops, and maintaining an employer database.

Other:

The program is inspired by the Philosophy, Politics & Economics programs commonly found in the British university system, but differs from them by placing greater emphasis upon philosophical conceptions and historical context.
Students are encouraged to follow their own interests in the theoretical engagement of the public in its many embodiments and meanings.
The theoretical work in the program is complemented by engagement in the active world of politics through working on political campaigns, lobbying of behalf of legislation, internships in local and national government offices, and summer study in Paris that includes a seminar in Brussels, the seat of the European Union.
All PPP students receive a scholarship to study abroad.
Every sophomore travels to Washington DC to engage in policy advocacy and research.
The program brings together many of Xavier's traditional curricular strengths in an innovative and rigorous undergraduate honors program of study focusing on the unifying concept of "the public sphere" in democratic societies.

Philosophy, Politics and the Public Undergraduate Major (BA)

Program Overview