Politics

If you are dedicated to understanding and critically engaging with the political world, exploring the theoretical and empirical approaches to political ideas, problems and issues and confronting the politics of our everyday lives, then our BA Politics course is right for you.

Political theory and comparative politics provide the core of the programme, but you can choose options across the full range of Politics and International Studies modules in any of our four specialised pathways, study a language as part of your degree, or choose an approved option each year in a related discipline.

You will tackle questions relating to the nature and distribution of power, the advantages and disadvantages of different political systems and the role of ideology in determining political outcomes. You’ll critique how politics works in a number of different nations and question the appropriate level to analyse politics from the individual to the global system. You’ll consider how the work of political theorists can help explain the ways in which politicians intervene in questions of economy, law-making, conflict and the regulation of our daily lives.

Engaging with contested ideas such as equality, justice, freedom and human rights, you’ll apply these ideas to everyday political problems such as immigration, poverty, war and climate change.

The emphasis on the integration of theory and practice is reflected in the foundation modules that you will take in the first year and in the core and optional modules taken in subsequent years. For example, questions about the nature of democracy you discuss in the Introduction to Politics first year module will then be pursued in second year modules on the politics of particular countries such as Britain or the US. You can take these even further in more specialised third year modules such as Violence and Reconciliation in Eastern Africa, or The Politics of European Union Policy-making.

In each year you will take four modules of equal weight (or the equivalent number, in the case of half module options). As the years progress, you will take a decreasing proportion of core modules and specialise your degree with an increasing proportion of optional modules. You can choose to study a language as part of your degree, and take advantage of our many study abroad and internship opportunities. Throughout your degree you will acquire a range of valuable transferable skills such as theoretical analysis, quantitative and qualitative research skills, and a high level of written and verbal communication.

How will I learn?

The Department of Politics and International Studies (PAIS) has more than 50 academic staff, almost all of whom teach at undergraduate level or supervise final-year dissertations. You normally take four modules in each year and have 8-12 hours of classroom contact per week. Teaching follows a pattern of weekly lectures and seminars, supplemented by group work, one-to-one advice and feedback hours, and the use of web-based materials.

In preparation for seminars, you are expected to read widely from recommended texts and conduct extensive independent research. You usually have the opportunity to deliver at least one seminar presentation per module. You can also attend the Departmental research seminar series that features guest speakers from other universities as well as from our own faculty, independent researchers, and politics practitioners presenting their own research or speaking on relevant topics.

We also have a Departmental film club, which regularly screens documentaries and films with political themes tied to our degree pathways. Films range from box office hits such as Eye In The Sky and Snowden to independent foreign-language films such as The Baader Meinhof Complex and The Lives of Others. Screenings are open to all PAIS students and staff. Each one is introduced by a member of academic staff and is followed by an informal discussion, enabling you to share your opinions.

How will I be assessed?

Assessment is via a combination of essays and examinations at the end of each year. You will be given extensive feedback on formative essays, assessed essays and examinations. Most modules enable you to choose between examinations or assessed essays.