CAISCollege of Arabic
& Islamic Studies
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02One-year programme

September 2026 · Birmingham

Philosophy,
Politics & Economics

A liberal-arts intensive for madrasa graduates and students of Islam: a disciplined encounter with the ideas, texts and institutions that shape the modern world.

DurationOne academic year
StructureThree terms
Teaching rhythmMon · Wed · Fri
Sessions2 × 90 minutes

Political institutions, economic theories and philosophical assumptions influence almost every area of contemporary life. PPE gives students the arts required to meet them: grammatical precision, logical discipline, rhetorical judgement and the patient reading of primary texts and their commentaries.

01
Term one · The arts of thought

Learn how an argument is made.

Grammar, logic and rhetoric · Arabic and classical intellectual traditions · Formal and dialectical reasoning · The quadrivium as number, proportion and order · Foundations of philosophy · Ethics and epistemology · Primary texts, commentary and seminar.

02
Term two · Political and economic orders

Read the ideas that govern public life.

Classical Islamic political thought · Great works of European political philosophy · Liberalism, Marxism and post-colonial thought · Law, society and authority · Microeconomics and macroeconomics · Finance, development and Islamic economic thought.

03
Term three · History, civilisation and judgement

Move from reading to considered response.

Ibn Khaldun and civilisational theory · Philosophy of history · Governance, inequality and the common good · Technology, climate and society · Research and writing · Capstone project · Presentation, discussion and final assessment.

A demanding part-time programme

Three days.
Serious reading.

Lectures model disciplined reasoning; seminars test it. Teaching is supported by substantial independent reading, writing and preparation.

MondayPrimary texts + the arts of thoughtWednesdayPhilosophy, politics + economicsFridayCommentary, seminar + writing

Fees & payment

Plan your study.

View tuition fees, instalment arrangements and the founding-cohort pay-in-full offer.

View fees and payment options

Philosophy, Politics & Economics

Read the world.
Learn to judge it.

Take your place in the first CAIS PPE cohort in Birmingham.

Apply now
Hybrid delivery. Teaching takes place in person in Birmingham and is streamed online, so students may attend on campus, remotely or through a combination of both.