BSc in International Politics

UK entry requirements

• GCE A-level BBB.
• BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma DDM.
• BTEC Level 3 Diploma DM and A-level at grade B.
• BTEC Level 3 Subsidiary Diploma D in any subject with A-levels grade BC.
• International Baccalaureate Diploma 30 points. GCSE English equivalent SL 5 or HL 4 and Mathematics SL 4 or HL 4.
• Obtain a minimum of 120 UCAS tariff points in the Access to HE Diploma with 45 credits.
• A minimum of five GCSEs are required, including GCSE Mathematics grade C or grade 4 and GCSE English Language grade C or grade 4 or GCSE English Literature grade B or grade 5.

EU and International entry requirements

• If you require a Tier 4 visa to study in the UK, you must prove knowledge of the English language so that we can issue you a Certificate of Acceptance for Study (CAS). To do this, you will need an IELTS for UKVI or Trinity SELT test pass gained from a test centre approved by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) and on the Secure English Language Testing (SELT) list. This must have been taken and passed within two years from the date the CAS is made.

English language requirements

• IELTS: 6.5 (min 5.5 in all areas)
• Pearson: 59 (59 in all subscores)
• BrunELT: 63% (min 55% in all areas)
• TOEFL: 92 (min R18, L17, S20, W17)

• The course content is made up of a variety of subject area strands that can be studied across all three years of the programme. At every level, there are modules relating to each strand. After taking the compulsory modules in the first year, you can choose to study across a range of strands, or specialise in particular strands. Below is a list of the strands :
• American Politics: The United States is hugely influential both as a global power and as a political beacon. This strand assesses the nature of the American polity exploring across the three years the role of America’s political institutions, key issues facing the American political system and the role and function of the media in fashioning American government policy.
• Comparative Politics: The relationship between different polities is a key area of modern political science research. This strand engages with this by assessing in a comparative frame: different countries, their political systems and the actors engaging with the political systems. Comparisons across countries and/or across time are used to explore the differences and similarities between the systems to answer questions on who gets what, when and how in terms of allocation of resources within and between polities.
• International Relations/World Politics: The architecture and operation of the global international order is a key pillar of the modern world. This strand assesses the nature of that system, how it came into being and where it is going. This will include assessing the nature of the global political order and its key institutions and players, major theories that allow one to understand this and key contemporary issues such as foreign policy, conflict and peace, both generally and in specific geographical regions, e.g. the Middle East, Africa or Asia.
• Methodology and Research Skills: This strand will help you develop the tools for sustained research in political science. This will include research design, qualitative methods, such as interview techniques, as well as quantitative analysis of, for example, polling data. There will be an opportunity to take this to an advanced level and develop key transferable research skills.
• Political Ideology and Theory: This strand explores political thought across the ages from ancient times to the present. You will begin with a broad survey of major ideas in political theory, before being able to look in greater depth at particular ideologies, e.g. liberalism, Marxism, fascism and particular concepts such as multiculturalism and equality.
• This course can be studied 3 years full-time or 4 years full-time with placement, starting in September.

Year 1
Compulsory

• PP1600 - Research Design and Qualitative methods in Politics
• PP1601 - Modern Political Thought
• PP1069 - Introduction to World Politics
• PP1070 - Introduction to American Politics
• PP1602 - Introduction to Comparative Politics
• PX1609 - Conflict and Diplomacy

Year 2
Compulsory

• PP2600 - Comparative Political Institutions
• PP2604 - Theories of International Relations
• PP2611 - Explaining Politics: Quantitative Political Science in Practice

Optional

• PP2006 - Democracy and Democratisation
• PP2030 - US Foreign Policy from World War 2 to the end of the Cold War
• PP2061 Issues in American Politics
• PP2613 - National Security Intelligence
• PP2614 - Ancient Greek Political Thought
• PP2615 - Unity and Cultural Diversity
• PX2004 - The Holocaust
• PX2606 - Themes in the History of Modern Africa
• PX2607 - The State and Revolution
• PX2608 - The History of Political Cinema

Year 3

Compulsory

• PP3070 - Dissertation
• PP3003 - European Union Politics: Problems and Prospects
• PP3012 - Globalisation and Governance

Optional

• PP3013 - Empire, Imperialism and Hegemony
• PP3068 - Media, Politics and Power in America
• PP3101 - Marx and Marxism
• PP3483 - Parties and Voters in the UK
• PP3604 - Public Policy Analysis
• PP3605 Parliamentary Studies
• PP3607 - History of Political Philosophy
• PP3608 - Terrorism 1960-2016
• PX3009 - Fascism
• PX3609 - Crisis and Critique

• UK
• £9,250 full-time
• £1,385 placement year
• Fees quoted are per year and may be subject to an annual increase. Home undergraduate student fees are regulated and are currently capped at £9,250 per year; any changes will be subject to changes in government policy.
• Fees for EU applicants – For entry in 2021/22 academic year, eligible EU applicants will have the same tuition fees as UK students to support EU students during this transition period. These fees will be applied for the duration of the course. EU fees for 2022 entry are not yet confirmed.