Course summary
This is a Connected Degree Portsmouth is the only University in the UK with the flexibility to choose when to do an optional paid placement or self-employed year. Either take a placement in your third year, or finish your studies first and complete a placement in your fourth year. You can decide if and when to take a placement after you've started your course. Overview Make sense of the world and the forces shaping nations. Understand the factors behind war, conflict and collaboration between states. Explore what democracy, freedom and equality mean to people at home and abroad. On this BA (Hons) International Relations and Politics degree, you’ll analyse the global and local issues influencing society, from global migration to the rise of populist politics – and learn the skills needed to help enact change, shape opinions, and tackle inequality. You’ll explore the latest developments in British and international politics, and set yourself up for careers in local and national government, international diplomacy, security, lobbying, academic research, the charity sector and the media. Course highlights
- Learn from staff at our Centre for European and International Studies Research (CEISR), whose research impacts government policy
- Create policy briefing papers offering recommendations to practitioners on major recent international issues, such as the Ukraine Crisis, the 'MeToo' movement, the rise of terrorist organisations and the Arab Revolutions
- Attend events and talks led by people working in NGOs, local, national and international government, and journalism
- Go on field trips to locations such as the Houses of Parliament
- Take part in a simulated ‘academic conference’, where you’ll present a paper that will be discussed with your peers
- Have the chance to study abroad at one of our partner institutions – including Science Po Strasbourg (France), Maastricht University (Netherlands), Université libre de Bruxelles (Belgium) and University of Szeged (Hungary)
- local and central government
- embassies
- non-governmental organisations (NGOs)
- security services
- international organisations, like the United Nations (UN)
- international charities like War Child, Amnesty International or the Red Cross
- policy research and think tanks
- media and international business consultancy
- political risk analysis
- public relations
- voluntary organisations
- management
- banking and financial services
- tourism
- political researcher, Houses of Parliament
- assistant to Member of Parliament
- civil servant, Department for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
- senior policy advisor, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
- communications officer, House of Commons
- local government administrator, Government of Jersey
- director of Language Studies for an international school
- public affairs consultant
- bilingual consultant
- multilingual project coordinator
- translator
- social researcher
- information officer
- conference producer
Modules
Year 1 Core modules in this year include:
- Analysing Politics: Britain and Beyond (20 credits)
- Critical Thinking and Professional Identity (40 credits)
- Global Development (20 credits)
- Key Themes in International Relations (20 credits)
- Political Thought (20 credits)
- Bending the Truth a Little? Researching Politics and International Relations (20 credits)
- A History of US Foreign Policy: From the Great War to 9/11 (20 credits)
- Analysing Foreign Policy (20 credits)
- Autocracy and Democracy (20 credits)
- British Political Leadership (20 credits)
- Climate Crises (20 credits)
- Comparative European Politics (20 credits)
- Democracies On Five Continents: Politics and Policy Challenges (20 credits)
- Development and Democracy in Latin America (20 credits)
- East Asian States and Societies (20 credits)
- Empire and Its Afterlives in Britain, Europe, and Africa (20 credits)
- Engaged Citizenship in Humanities and Social Sciences (20 credits)
- Global Security (20 credits)
- Ideology and Politics (20 credits)
- Intercultural Perspectives On Communication (20 credits)
- International Thought (20 credits)
- Marketing & Communication (20 credits)
- Modernity and Globalisation (20 credits)
- Nationalism and Migration: Chaos, Crisis and the Everyday (L5) (20 credits)
- News, Discourse, and Media (20 credits)
- Principles of Economic Crime Investigation (20 credits)
- Professional Experience L5 (20 credits)
- Puritans to Postmodernists: American Literature (20 credits)
- Russia, Central Europe and the World (20 credits)
- The Geopolitics and Geo-Economics of Africa (20 credits)
- Transitional Justice & Human Rights (20 credits)
- Us Politics (20 credits)
- Wildlife Crime: Threats and Response (20 credits)
- Global Capitalism: Past, Present and Future (20 credits)
- Decolonial Politics and Theory in International Relations (20 credits)
- Digital Media and Democracy (20 credits)
- Dissertation (International Relations) (40 credits)
- Dissertation (Politics) (40 credits)
- France in the World: Global Actor Or Global Maverick? (20 credits)
- Independent Project (International Relations) (20 credits)
- Independent Project (Politics) (20 credits)
- International Security in the Asia-Pacific (20 credits)
- Looking for Utopia, Finding Dystopia? Ideas and Ideologies in the New Millennium (20 credits)
- Major Project (40 credits)
- NGOs and Social Movements (20 credits)
- Post Brexit Politics (20 credits)
- Professional Development: Recruiters and Candidates (20 credits)
- Professional Experience L6 (20 credits)
- Race, Rights & Development: Global Perspectives On Inequality & Social Justice (20 credits)
- Religion and Politics in Global Perspective (20 credits)
- Security Challenges in the Twenty-First Century (20 credits)
- The European Union: a Global Power in the Making? (20 credits)
Assessment method
You’ll be assessed through:
- written exams
- coursework: article reviews, essays, projects, briefing papers
- individual and group presentations
- simulations, podcasts and creative videos
- 10,000 word dissertation
How to apply
This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.
Application codes
- Course code:
- L250
- Institution code:
- P80
- Campus name:
- Main Site
- Campus code:
- -
Points of entry
The following entry points are available for this course:
- Year 1
- Year 2
- Year 3
Entry requirements for advanced entry (i.e. into Year 2 and beyond)
We welcome applications for advanced entry. If you’d like to apply for advanced entry, you need to select the required year when you complete your UCAS application.
This course may be available at alternative locations, please check if other course options are available
Entry requirements
Qualification requirements
UCAS Tariff - 96 - 112 points
A level - BBC - CCC
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016) - DMM - MMM
Access to HE Diploma
Scottish Higher
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate (first teaching from September 2016)
Scottish Advanced Higher
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme - 25 points
Welsh Baccalaureate - Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate (last awarded Summer 2024)
Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017) - H3, H4, H4, H4, H4 - H3, H3, H3, H3, H4
Cambridge International Pre-U Certificate - Principal
GCSE/National 4/National 5
T Level - M
English language requirements
Test | Grade | Additional details |
---|---|---|
IELTS (Academic) | 6 | English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 6.0 with no component score below 5.5. |
PTE Academic | 54 | An overall score of 54 with a minimum of 51 in each skill. |
TOEFL (iBT) | 79 | 79 with a minimum of 18 in Reading, 17 in Listening, 20 in Speaking and 17 in Writing. |
Cambridge English Advanced | Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) taken after January 2015. An overall score of 169 with no component score less than 162. | |
Cambridge English Proficiency | Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE) taken after January 2015. An overall score of 169 with no component score less than 162. | |
Trinity ISE | Pass | Trinity College Integrated Skills in English (ISE) Level III with a Pass in all 4 components |
Student Outcomes
The number of student respondents and response rates can be important in interpreting the data – it is important to note your experience may be different from theirs. This data will be based on the subject area rather than the specific course. Read more about this data on the Discover Uni website.
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
EU | £9535 | Year 1 |
England | £9535 | Year 1 |
Northern Ireland | £9535 | Year 1 |
Scotland | £9535 | Year 1 |
Wales | £9535 | Year 1 |
Channel Islands | £9535 | Year 1 |
Republic of Ireland | £9535 | Year 1 |
International | £17200 | Year 1 |
Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .
Additional fee information
Provider information
University of Portsmouth
University House
Winston Churchill Avenue
Portsmouth
PO1 2UP