BSc (Hons) Politics with International Relations

Year 1

In your first year, you’ll be introduced to the importance of the twin themes of democracy and democratisation, and investigate how different countries rule themselves. Explore current affairs through case studies and begin to understand questions such as ‘What is politics?’, ‘What is power?’ and ‘What is a political system?’ You’ll study the vital terms, concepts and processes of international relations analysis and the historical development of the international political system since 1945.

Core modules

• GOV1000PP One Planet? Society and Sustainability

• IRL100 Imagining World Order

• IRL102 International Relations Since 1945

• PIR100 Discovering World Politics

• PIR101 Democracy and Democratization

• POL101 Comparative Democracies

Year 2

In your second year, you'll build on your knowledge and sharpen your understanding of key issues in politics. You’ll also delve into topics at the heart of 21st century debate, including the EU, democracy and globalisation.

Core modules

• IRL200 Understanding Global Politics

• POL201 Democracy and Globalization: Citizens and the Modern State

• POL203 Civil Society and the Public Sphere

• POL204 Politics of European Integration

Optional modules

• IRL201 International Security Studies

• IRL202 The Third World

• PIR200 International Political Economy

• POL205 Campaigns, Voting, Elections and British Politics

Final year

In your final year, you'll deepen your knowledge by engaging with key concepts and debates in modern politics. You’ll investigate ethnopolitics in contemporary Europe, the politics of the US and elections in the UK.

Core modules

• PIR300 Dissertation and PDP Review

Optional modules

• IRL302 NATO after the Cold War and Beyond

• LCG300A Research Traineeship

• LCG300B Research Traineeship

• PIR304US Foreign Policy Since 1945

• PIR305 The Politics of the United States

• PIR306 Environmental Political Economy

• PIR307 Europe in the World

• PIR310 Work Based Learning in Politics or International Relations

• PIR311 Global Governance and the United Nations

• PIR312 The Politics and International Relations of the Middle East

• POL301 Campaigns, Voting, Elections and British Politics

• SOC3538 Philosophy of Social Science

Every undergraduate taught course has a detailed programme specification document describing the course aims, the course structure, the teaching and learning methods, the learning outcomes and the rules of assessment.