International Relations BA with Year Abroad

Modules in the first year

In the first year of your degree you receive a thorough grounding in the study of international relations, with particular emphasis on the major approaches to the discipline and key ideas such as conflict, war, peace, security, international and regional organisations, and international law. Each of the modules you take in the first year is designed to introduce you to the theory and practice of international relations and to provide you with a foundation for more advanced, specialised study in the second and third years of your degree.

Compulsory modules

• Global History
• Understanding International Relations
• Debates in World Politics
• Pathways to International Relations Research 1
• Pathways to International Relations Research 2
• Politics as a vocation 1 and 2

In addition to these modules you will also have the opportunity to take an optional module from within POLSIS.

The second-year of your degree course further develops your understanding of the discipline and introduces new perspectives on international relations. It is designed to develop your knowledge and theoretical understanding of this dynamic and changing field. You will take two compulsory modules. The first is International Relations Theory which introduces you to advanced theories of international relations and applies these to key issues in international politics. You are then asked to take one of Diplomatic History Post 1945, which focuses the development of the international system in the second half of the twentieth century or International Security, which uses theoretical approaches to examine a range of major security topics.

Optional modules

Your second year of study will also provide you with the opportunity to undertake more specialised study in areas of the subject that interest you. You will be able to choose four optional modules from the extensive list of modules that we offer. These modules will build on the knowledge and skills you have acquired thus far on your degree and allow you to tailor your studies in a way that best fits with your interests and future plans.

• Public Choice Theory
• International Political Economy
• Diplomatic History post 1945
• British Politics
• International Security
• International Politics & Security in Russia & Eurasia
• Modern Political Thought
• Analysing Political Worlds
• Global Governance
• International Relations of the Middle East
• Feminist Political Ideas
• Comparative Politics
• Elections and Voting in Britain
• America and the Middle East through Politics and Film
• Public Policy Blunders and Bad Decision Making
• Soviet Politics: Rise and Fall of a Superpower
• War and Peace in Theory and Practice
• Quantitative Political Analysis
• Rebels and Revolutionaries: The Politics of Non-State Armed Groups
• Controversies in Contemporary Democracies: Comparative Perspectives
• The Political Economy of Energy and Energy Security

In your third year you will register for the equivalent of 120 credits at the host institution. You will have to undertake and pass the assessment for 60 credits of the modules for which you are registered at the host institution. A Pass is required for progression to the 4th year of the programme. These credits will not contribute to the overall degree classification.

• 60 credits - POLSIS year abroad
• 60 credits - Year Abroad Assessment Module

In the final year of your degree you will undertake an independent study project and up to five optional modules. Modules in the final year are advanced, research led modules taught by experts in the subject area.

There are two distinct independent study pathways of independent study in the final year:

On this pathway you will write a 10,000 word dissertation on a topic of your choice. You will be guided and supported by a supervisor who is an expert in your area of interest. In addition to writing the dissertation you will be able to take four optional modules.

On the second pathway you take the module Problems in World Politics. This module is designed to allow students to apply the knowledge they have acquired on their degree to real world policy problems in politics. In addition to this independent study module you will be able to take five optional modules.

• War-Torn States and Post-Conflict Reconstruction in the South
• Power in Britain
• Contemporary US Foreign and Security Policy
• Contemporary International Political Economy
• Topics in British Politics
• Democracy and Democratization in Contemporary Europe
• Left Parties and Protest Movements
• Issues in US Domestic Politics
• The Diplomacy of the Arab-Israeli Conflict
• Global Capitalism and Migration
• Law, Politics and the International System: Mediating Power beyond the State
• Globalisation, Capitalism and Welfare
• Parties, Voters and Elections
• Russian Foreign Policy
• Security in Europe: Actors, Crises and Threats
• Strategy and Decision-Making
• Conflict, Statehood and Sovereignty in World Politics
• Populism in Contemporary Politics
• Politics of Migrants, Refugees, and Diasporas in the Middle East
• Politics, Music and the Arts
• Global Uprisings: Critique and Radical Politics
• New Media, Social Media, and International Politics
• Contemporary Russian and East European Politics
• Body Politics: Security, Economy, Violence
• Understanding Brexit: Identity and Euroscepticism in Europe
• The EU in a Globalised World
• The Political Economy of Russia
• Environment, Politics and Society
• Gender in World Politics

Please note: The modules listed on the website for this programme are regularly reviewed to ensure they are up-to-date and informed by the latest research and teaching methods. Unless indicated otherwise, the modules listed for this programme are for students starting in 2020. On rare occasions, we may need to make unexpected changes to compulsory modules; in this event we will contact offer holders as soon as possible to inform or consult them as appropriate.