Bachelor in Philosophy, Politics, Law and Economics (PPLE)

About the course

A 240 ECTS interdisciplinary degree in philosophy, politics, law and economics. It has 60 ECTS of core subjects, 120 mandatory, 48 elective and a 12 ECTS final project. You can specialise in one or two of the four subjects. It is taught in person in English. You can study all four years in Madrid, or do two years in Segovia and then two in Madrid.

Entry requirements for Irish students

• IE University does not publish Leaving Certificate grade requirements. Because Ireland is an EU education system, you do not sit the Spanish PAU, but you must meet the rules for getting into university in Ireland. As a guide, UCD asks for six subjects, with at least H5 in two and O6/H7 in the other four, including English and Irish. IE judges your whole application, so confirm with IE admissions what Leaving Cert results they expect.
• Admissions steps: IE’s own admissions test, taken in English, covering verbal, logical and numerical skills. IE describes it as an alternative to tests such as SAT or LNAT, so check IE’s current accepted tests and minimum scores. You may also be invited to an interview. Send transcripts, a recommendation letter, a CV and an essay as your application asks.
• English: IE usually exempts students who studied in an English-speaking school system, so a Leaving Cert student is normally exempt. Confirm this with IE admissions. Otherwise IE accepts recognised tests such as IELTS, TOEFL, Duolingo or Cambridge.

How to apply

1. Apply onlineApply on IE’s portal and pay the €150 admission fee. Upload your school results, CV, recommendation letter and essay. Round 1 closes on 6 Nov 2026 and Round 2 on 15 Jan 2027.
2. Test and assessmentTake IE’s admissions test in English, or ask IE whether it accepts your SAT or LNAT score instead. You may be invited to an interview.
3. Accept your offerIE sends its decision by the date set for your round. To keep your place, pay the €3,000 reservation fee, which cannot be refunded.
4. UNEDasiss and documentsAfter your results come out, get a UNEDasiss accreditation for your Leaving Cert from UNED. Send it and your other legal documents to IE before 15 October of first year.

Costs

• IE’s official tuition page lists €26,500 a year (€441.67 per ECTS) for 2026/27. The 2027/28 fee has not been published yet, so check it with IE before you apply. For students starting in 2026/27, IE says fees rise by a fixed 2.9% each year. IE is a private university, so EU and non-EU students pay the same fee. Other costs: a €150 admission fee, a €3,000 non-refundable place reservation fee, and a single €1,200 IE Foundation contribution paid when you enrol in first year. IE says full tuition should be paid by 2 October of the year you enrol.

At a glance