Skip navigation
Politics (including foundation year) at University of Essex - UCAS

Course options

Course summary

On our four-year BA Politics (including foundation year), we work with you to develop your subject-specific knowledge, and to improve your academic skills. You receive a thorough grounding in these areas during your foundation year (known as Year Zero) to prepare you for a further three years of undergraduate study at Essex. You are an Essex student from day one, a member of our global community based at the most internationally diverse campus university in the UK. At Essex, you will receive a thorough training in all major areas of political science at the top politics department in the country. You study topics including:

  • Concepts in political science: state, laws, wars and political parties
  • International relations
  • Democratic systems
  • Political power
  • Obligations, freedom, rights and equality
Our Department of Government is one of the most prestigious in Europe, with an outstanding record of teaching, research and publication. We are rated top in the UK for research (REF 2014), and have consistently been the highest-rated politics department in the country since national assessments began.

Modules

Many of our courses offer a choice of optional modules to tailor your learning experience. More information about these can be found on the University of Essex website.


How to apply

Application codes

Course code:
L202
Institution code:
E70
Campus name:
Colchester Campus
Campus code:
-

Points of entry

The following entry points are available for this course:

  • Foundation

International applicants

Please note that this course is not open to international applicants.

Entry requirements

Qualification requirements

For our Essex Pathways courses we will consider your whole application before making a decision, regardless of your educational background and grades. If you need any advice please contact our Admissions team on [email protected].

Please click the following link to find out more about qualification requirements for this course

https://www.essex.ac.uk/undergraduate/applying-to-essex


Student Outcomes

Operated by the Office for Students
70%
Employment after 15 months (Most common jobs)
90%
Go onto work and study

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

England £5760 Year 1
Northern Ireland £5760 Year 1
Scotland £5760 Year 1
Wales £5760 Year 1
Channel Islands £5760 Year 1
Republic of Ireland £5760 Year 1
EU £20475 Year 1
International £20475 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

Fees displayed are for the 2025-26 academic year. Fees may increase for each academic intake and each academic year of study.
Politics (including foundation year) at University of Essex - UCAS