University of Reading has participated in the Teaching Excellence Framework. These ratings were awarded in 2023, for four years.
Course summary
Specialise in warfare and strategy within international politics, drawing on the research strengths of strategic specialists with our BA War, Peace and International Relations. Learn about the role of military force and defence policy, study war in a historical context and consider challenging questions such as whether the use of military force can ever be justified or whether peace should be maintained at all costs. As a student at the University of Reading’s Department of Politics and International Relations you will benefit from a learning environment driven by high-quality research. Our Department of Politics and International Relations is ranked 6th in the UK for research outputs and 97% of our research outputs are rated ‘world leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’ (Times Higher Education analysis of the latest REF 2021 – Politics and International Studies, when scoring by GPA Output). Learn more about our research impact. Our areas of strength include:
- Strategy and Conflict and Security
- International Relations
- Applied Political Theory
- Comparative Politics
- Public Policy Analysis.
Modules
The following modules have been approved in principle for delivery in 2025/26. Please note that as part of our current curriculum improvement process, all modules require final University approval and may be subject to change. Core modules for this course: Politics of Climate Change; Introduction to Contemporary Democracy; War and Warfare; War and Peace since 1800; Global Order. The University cannot guarantee that all optional modules will be available to all students who may wish to take them. Further information about the content of final approved modules will be available in the summer of 2024. We suggest that you regularly revisit our course page during this time to ensure you have the most up-to-date information regarding the modules offered on this programme. Check our website for more details about the course structure.
How to apply
29Jan
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:
- L252
- Institution code:
- R12
- Campus name:
- Main Site
- Campus code:
- -
Points of entry
The following entry points are available for this course:
- Year 1
Entry requirements
Qualification requirements
UCAS Tariff - Not accepted
A level - BBB
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016) - DDM
Access to HE Diploma - D: 18 credits M: 27 credits
Scottish Higher - ABBBB
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme - 30 points
Extended Project - B
Cambridge International Pre-U Certificate - Principal - M2, M2, M2
GCSE/National 4/National 5
T Level - M
Contextual offers for this programme are typically two grades beneath our standard entry requirement, e.g. BCC.
English language requirements
| Test | Grade | Additional details |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS (Academic) | 6.5 | We require a minimum score of 6.5 overall with at least 5.5 in each element of the test (Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing). |
| TOEFL (iBT) | 88 | We require a minimum score of 88 overall with no less than 17 in Listening and Writing, 18 in Reading and 20 in Speaking. |
| Cambridge English Advanced | B | We require a grade B or a score of 176 overall with no element less than 162. |
| Cambridge English Proficiency | C | We require a grade C or a score of 176 overall with no element less than 162. |
| PTE Academic | 69 | We require a minimum score of 69 overall with at least 59 in each element of the test (Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing). |
| Institution's Own Test | Test of English for Educational Purposes (TEEP). We require a minimum score of 6.5 overall with at least 5.5 in each element of the test (Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing). | |
| Trinity ISE | Merit | We require a Merit in each element from ISE II. If you take ISE III or ISE IV, we require a Pass in each element. |
Full list of acceptable English Language Tests
Student Outcomes
Operated by the Office for Students
Employment after 15 months (Most common jobs)
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
| Republic of Ireland | £9535 | Year 1 |
| EU | £25250 | Year 1 |
| International | £25250 | Year 1 |
| England | £9535 | Year 1 |
| Northern Ireland | £9535 | Year 1 |
| Scotland | £9535 | Year 1 |
| Wales | £9535 | Year 1 |
| Channel Islands | £9535 | 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
No additional fees or cost information has been supplied for this course, please contact the provider directly.
Provider information
University of Reading
Whiteknights House
PO Box 217
Reading
RG6 6AH