Should under 18s be allowed to vote? Take this further…

Should under 18s be allowed to vote? By now, you might have strong opinions. If you wanted to delve deeper to develop the skills to take these opinions further we have some suggested subjects you could study at a university like Oxford.

1. History and Politics
   1. The History and Politics course aims to bring together complementary but separate disciplines to form a coherent and stimulating programme. The degree not only enables students to set contemporary political problems in their historical perspective, but also equips them to approach the study of the past with the conceptual rigour derived from political science. Find out more.
2. Law (Jurisprudence)
   1. The Oxford Law degrees aim to develop in their students a high level of skill in comprehension, analysis and presentation. Students are expected to read a good deal, mostly from primary sources (such as cases and statutes), rather than to take other people’s word for things. They are expected to think hard about what they have read, so as to develop views not simply about what the law is, but also about why it is so, whether it should be so, and how it might be different. Students are asked to process what they read, together with their own thoughts, and to prepare essays and presentations for discussion in tutorials. Find out more. 
3. Philosophy, Politics and Economics
   1. Studying Philosophy, you will develop analytical rigour and the ability to criticise and reason logically, and be able to apply these skills to questions concerning how we acquire knowledge or make ethical judgements. The study of Politics provides a thorough understanding of the impact of political institutions on modern societies. It helps you to evaluate the choices that political systems must regularly make, to explain the processes that maintain or change those systems, and to examine the concepts and values used in political analysis. Economics is the study of how consumers, firms and government make decisions that together determine how resources are allocated. An appreciation of economics has become increasingly necessary to make sense of governmental policy-making, the conduct of businesses and the enormous economic transformations throughout the world. All three branches of PPE at Oxford have an international reputation, supported by more than 200 renowned scholars. PPE at Oxford is a very flexible course which allows you to study all three branches, or to specialise in two after the first year. Find out more.
4. Psychology, Philosophy and Linguistics
   1. There are close connections between these three subjects, so studying a combination of them makes a lot of sense. Psychology includes subjects as diverse as social interaction, learning, child development, schizophrenia and information processing. Philosophy is concerned with a wide range of questions including ethics, knowledge and the nature of mind. Linguistics is the study of language in all its aspects, including the structure of languages, meaning (semantics), how children learn language, pronunciation, and how people understand, mentally represent and generate language. Find out more.

These are just some ideas, and if you are considering Higher Education you should carefully weigh up your options to choose the course and university that are right for you! You could try further suggested reading and resources.