Advanced Certificate in Philosophy, Politics and Economics
Add powerful interdisciplinary tools to your graduate training
The Advanced Certificate in Philosophy, Politics and Economics at the University at Buffalo gives graduate students rigorous training in the formal and experimental methods that shape modern PPE research. You will learn to connect normative philosophy with data, modeling and real-world institutional analysis. The certificate is designed for students who want to strengthen their research toolkit and expand their impact in academic or professional settings.
Learn about:
This certificate is offered through the Philosophy, Politics and Economics Program.
UB is globally recognized for research excellence in philosophy, politics and economics. Our faculty integrate political philosophy, social science and formal modeling to address complex social problems.
As a certificate student, you will:
- Develop expertise in normative philosophy and political theory
- Build skills in experimental design and social science methods
- Gain training in formal modeling such as game theory and decision theory
- Learn to apply models and philosophical analysis to real-world policy and institutional questions
- Join a vibrant interdisciplinary research community
This certificate is ideal for graduate students who want to combine conceptual clarity with quantitative and experimental tools.
- Field: Philosophy, Politics and Economics
- Format: In person
- Schedule: Full-time or part-time
- Time to completion: As little as one year
The certificate includes a required core course plus coursework in normative philosophy, experimental methods and formal methods. Students also complete one elective.
The program is structured to ensure breadth across philosophical analysis, empirical research and formal modeling without duplicating full degree requirements.
Curriculum structure
The certificate includes:
Core required course
Intro to PPE Methods
Normative philosophy requirement
Students complete one approved course in contemporary or historical political philosophy or social norms.
Experimental methods requirement
Students complete one approved course in experimental philosophy, experimental design, text as data or econometrics.
Formal methods requirement
Students complete one approved course in formal political theory, statistics, modeling, game theory, philosophy of science or related formal approaches.
Elective
Students complete one additional approved PPE course or an independent study supervised by a PPE faculty member.
For full and current course listings, consult the official course catalog.
By completing the Advanced Certificate in PPE, students will:
- Demonstrate domain expertise in a chosen area of normative philosophy
- Produce, analyze and critique social science experiments
- Gain mastery in a chosen area of formal methods
- Use models and normative philosophy to address concrete real-world problems
Graduates leave with an integrated skill set that connects theory, modeling and empirical research.
The Advanced Certificate in PPE strengthens preparation for both academic and professional paths.
Students use this training to:
- Enhance doctoral research in philosophy, political science or economics
- Pursue research roles in public policy and government
- Work in think tanks and nonprofit research organizations
- Apply formal and experimental methods in consulting or data-driven sectors
- Strengthen preparation for academic careers in interdisciplinary fields
The combination of philosophical analysis, modeling and empirical methods is highly valued in research-intensive environments and policy-focused organizations.
If you want to deepen your expertise in interdisciplinary research and expand your methodological toolkit, the Advanced Certificate in Philosophy, Politics and Economics offers focused and flexible graduate training.
Have questions about courses, admissions or how the certificate fits your goals? Please reach out!
