Politics (Joint Honours) BA (Hons)

About the course

Studying Politics develops your understanding of the political decisions, processes and ideas that shape our lives. You will develop an in-depth knowledge of a wide range of current political issues, but will also have opportunities to gain work experience, meet practitioners and travel overseas. Innovative teaching methods and the extensive support offered by the teaching team enables you to get the most out of your university experience. You will meet people from a wide range of cultural backgrounds and political viewpoints, which leads to some very exciting debates. Politics and International Relations is also ranked joint 4th out of 60 institutions for overall satisfaction in the 2010 National Student Survey (NSS).

Key facts

UCAS course code:

Politics and:

• History LV21
• International Relations L245
• Journalism LPF5

Duration: Three years full-time, six years part-time

Institution code: D26

Entry and admission criteria

• Normally 260–280 UCAS Points from at least two A Levels including at least one grade B or equivalent
• Plus five GCSEs at grade A–C or above, including English (plus Maths for L245 and LL23). See the website for more details before applying
• International Baccalaureate:

If English is not your first language, we require an English language level of IELTS 6.5 or equivalent.

Teaching and assessment

The course is taught by a team whose work has been recognised by top scores in Quality Assessment exercises and by individuals achieving National Teaching Fellow status. We are also active researchers and share our current work with our students. We use a variety of formats in our classes. In the first two years you attend weekly hour-long lectures to gather crucial information and then need to be prepared to discuss issues in seminars. In the third year teaching is in a two-hour workshop format where you often get to decide on the topics that get debated. Throughout the course you will read around the areas being covered using course books and must keep yourself up-to-date with developments in current affairs through newspapers, magazines and the internet.

You are assessed on assignments, essays, exams, class presentations, seminar contributions, portfolios and your dissertation over the three years. You will also take part in simulation games, problem-solving exercises, online collaborative projects and policy papers.

Course modules

First year

• Introduction to Politics
• Global Comparative Politics

Second year

• Introduction to Politics
• EU Politics
• Contemporary Developments in British Politics
• Unity and Diversity in Contemporary America

• Politics Dissertation
• Nationalism
• Politics, Power and Morality
• The American Presidency
• Politics in the Workplace

Joint degree options

• History (Joint Honours) BA (Hons)
• International Relations (Joint Honours)
• Journalism (Joint Honours) BA (Hons)

Work experience and placements

Politics students are encouraged to gain work experience during their degrees through placements with local councils, media, pressure groups and MPs. They can also study abroad for a term in either the United States or Europe during the second year. Guest talks from practitioners like the US Ambassador or Alastair Campbell allow students to gain insights into the practice of politics.

Graduate careers

Graduates who put their energies into the course will have well-developed research and communication skills as well as a good knowledge of political issues and institutions. These students are attractive to a wide range of employers. Recent graduates have gone into roles in the Civil Service, aid organisations, journalism, marketing, teaching and working for MPs.

Fees and funding

UK/EU Fees: £9,000

International Fees: £10,750

Learn more about fees and funding information|

Facilities

You are taught in modern teaching facilities fully equipped with the latest audio visual technology. You also have access to first class learning spaces within the library, where you can work on group projects, practise presentations or use online resources.