RIGOROUS REASONING PRE-REQUIREMENT
It is the intent of the PPE program to prepare our students to employ rigorous reasoning skills. Such an ability will help the student in today's world, which is increasingly reliant on quantitative data and formal analyses in most areas of consulting, research, banking, higher education, law or public policy. Many courses offered as part of the PPE major presume a familiarity with such tools, and several demand proficiency.
Any course that teaches formal reasoning and/or quantitative skills that are relevant for the major will fulfill this pre-requirement. Most of the courses that fulfill this pre-requirement are mentioned here; many of these courses will also fulfill a College requirement (all years). Note that not all classes that fulfill our pre-requirements fulfill College requirements, and the reverse is also true. To make sure that a course that counts towards the PPE major fulfills a college requirement, check with the College. To make sure that the fulfillment of a College requirement can count towards the major, check with PPE. For example, Music Theory and Musicianship MUSIC 070 fulfills the College’s Formal Reasoning and Analysis requirement, but not our Rigorous Reasoning Pre-requirement.
The Rigorous Reasoning is a pre-requirement, so a credit earned while meeting this criterion does not count for one or more of the 16 credits needed for the major, unless the course taken is a course that counts towards the major as well as the Rigorous Reasoning pre-requirement. For example, Math 104 would fulfill the pre-requirement, but does not count towards the major. On the other hand, both PHIL 5 and Econ 103 could be used as electives for the major, and also fulfill the Rigorous Reasoning pre-requirement.