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Study Politics and Economics with Placement Year and examine the key political and economic issues that dominate the headlines and develop a deep understanding of how they shape the world in which we live.
In politics, you will acquire a solid foundation in the fundamental aspects of the subject, including political ideas and democratic processes. Choose from a broad range of specialist, core and optional modules, spanning topics from British government and politics, to European political integration and political thinking. The course is flexible, and encourages you to forge your own pathway by selecting modules that reflect your interests. Gain first-hand experience through work placements, and gain direct insight into political processes and apply your skills and knowledge to real-world scenarios through our Model United Nations, US Foreign Policy and Middle East simulations.
Your learning is informed by our world-leading research and is led by expert staff who have direct experience of the world of politics and international affairs. Most of your learning time will be spent in small seminar groups, allowing you to interact directly with staff and other students and add your own voice to the discussion.
In economics, you will explore the relationship between economics and society, and acquire knowledge of both applied and practical issues. Less emphasis is placed on mathematical and statistical content, and instead you will focus on the relevance of these techniques to applied problems. You will still need to learn necessary maths skills in your core modules, but extensive support is available should you need it.
You will be able to choose from a wide variety of modules which cover the theoretical aspects of economics, as well as its real-world applications. Depending on your interests, optional modules cover topics including business, policy, economic history and the economics of climate change. You will be taught by staff who are active researchers, with many involved in research that informs policy decisions by governments, major multinational organisations and international agencies like the UN. The course gained a 92% overall satisfaction score in the 2020 National Student Survey. This joint degree also gives you the option to select modules from other subject areas including history and international relations.
Placement
As part of this degree, we provide you with the opportunity to go on a one year placement in industry between your second and final year of study, which we encourage students to do.
A successful industry placement can also lead to a job offer with your placement company upon graduation. You will also have plenty of opportunity to develop excellent professional contacts that will stand you in good stead for the future.
For more information about securing and completing a placement for your placement year, please visit our Important Information page.
Overview
In politics, you will acquire a solid foundation in the fundamental aspects of the subject, including political ideas and democratic processes. Choose from a broad range of specialist, core and optional modules, spanning topics from British government and politics, to European political integration and political thinking. The course is flexible, and encourages you to forge your own pathway by selecting modules that reflect your interests. Gain first-hand experience through work placements, and gain direct insight into political processes and apply your skills and knowledge to real-world scenarios through our Model United Nations, US Foreign Policy and Middle East simulations.
Your learning is informed by our world-leading research and is led by expert staff who have direct experience of the world of politics and international affairs. Most of your learning time will be spent in small seminar groups, allowing you to interact directly with staff and other students and add your own voice to the discussion.
In economics, you will explore the relationship between economics and society, and acquire knowledge of both applied and practical issues. Less emphasis is placed on mathematical and statistical content, and instead you will focus on the relevance of these techniques to applied problems. You will still need to learn necessary maths skills in your core modules, but extensive support is available should you need it.
You will be able to choose from a wide variety of modules which cover the theoretical aspects of economics, as well as its real-world applications. Depending on your interests, optional modules cover topics including business, policy, economic history and the economics of climate change. You will be taught by staff who are active researchers, with many involved in research that informs policy decisions by governments, major multinational organisations and international agencies like the UN. The course gained a 92% overall satisfaction score in the 2020 National Student Survey. This joint degree also gives you the option to select modules from other subject areas including history and international relations.
Placement
As part of this degree, we provide you with the opportunity to go on a one year placement in industry between your second and final year of study, which we encourage students to do.
A successful industry placement can also lead to a job offer with your placement company upon graduation. You will also have plenty of opportunity to develop excellent professional contacts that will stand you in good stead for the future.
For more information about securing and completing a placement for your placement year, please visit our Important Information page.
Entry requirements A Level BBB | IB 30 points overall
Typical offer:
BBB
International Baccalaureate
30 points overall including minimum 4 in Maths at standard level
GCSE
GCSE Mathematics grade B (6)
Extended Project Qualification
In recognition of the excellent preparation that the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) provides to students for University study, we can now include achievement in the EPQ as part of a formal offer.
BTEC Extended Diploma
DDM
English language requirements
IELTS 6.5, with no component below 5.5
For information on other English language qualifications, please visit our international student pages.
Alternative entry requirements for International and EU students
For country specific entry requirements look at entry requirements by country.
International Foundation Programme
If you are an international or EU student and do not meet the requirements for direct entry to your chosen degree you can join the University of Reading’s International Foundation Programme. Successful completion of this 1 year programme guarantees you a place on your chosen undergraduate degree. English language requirements start as low as IELTS 4.5 depending on progression degree and start date.
Pre-sessional English language programme
If you need to improve your English language score you can take a pre-sessional English course prior to entry onto your degree.
Structure
Compulsory modules include:
Code | Module | Convenor |
---|---|---|
PO1PLA | Placement Support | MRS Purnima Darji |
PO1IRS | Politics: International Relations and Strategic Studies | DR Vladimir Rauta |
PO1IPI | Introduction to Political Ideas | DR Rob Jubb |
PO1DCC | Degree Core Competencies | DR Vladimir Rauta |
PO1ICD | Introduction to Contemporary Democracy | DR Christoph Arndt |
EC114 | Introductory Macroeconomics | DR Mark Guzman |
EC113 | Introductory Microeconomics | PROF Marina Della Giusta |
EC115 | Introductory Quantitative Methods in Economics and Business 1 | DR Stefania Lovo |
EC116 | Introductory Mathematics for Economics 1 | DR Yutong Li |
Compulsory modules include:
Code | Module | Convenor |
---|---|---|
PO2SOP | The Study of Politics | DR Christoph Arndt |
EC202 | Intermediate Macroeconomics | DR Mark Guzman |
EC201 | Intermediate Microeconomics | DR Minyan Zhu |
Optional modules include:
Code | Module | Convenor |
---|---|---|
PO2BGP | British Government and Politics | DR Matthew Whiting |
PO2CGP | Comparative Government and Politics | DR Daphne Halikiopoulou |
PO2AMG | American Government and Politics | DR Mark Shanahan |
PO2COS | Contemporary Strategy | DR Kenton White |
PO2MIR | Modern International Relations | DR Joseph O' Mahoney |
PO2PWS | Politics of the Welfare State | DR Brandon Beomseob Park |
PO2PPY | Professional Placement Year | DR David Marshall |
PO2PHC | Political Classics | PROF Alan Cromartie |
PO2WAP | War and Peace Since 1800 | DR Geoff Sloan |
PO2TMP | The Media and Politics | DR Dawn Clarke |
PO2THI | Political Thinking | DR Alice Baderin |
EC2WEP | Work Experience Year | DR Simon Burke |
EC243 | Economic History | PROF Peter Scott |
EC238 | Economics of Social Policy | DR Carl Singleton |
EC208 | Business Economics | DR Nigel Wadeson |
EC209 | History of Economic Thought | PROF Marina Della Giusta |
EC207 | Empirical Methods for Economics and Social Sciences | MR Adesola Olumayowa Sunmoni |
Optional modules include:
Code | Module | Convenor |
---|---|---|
PO3BFD | British Foreign and Defence Policy since 1945 | DR Kenton White |
PO3DIS | Dissertation | DR Adam Humphreys |
PO3FAR | The Far Right | DR Daphne Halikiopoulou |
PO3FPT | Feminism and Political Theory | PROF David Marshall |
PO3RIS | Risk | DR Alice Baderin |
PO3MEA | Politics & International Relations of the Middle East | DR Younis Lahwej |
PO3WPE | War, Peace and International Ethics | PROF Alan Cromartie |
PO3WIR | Worlding International Relations | DR Andreas Behnke |
PO3USF | US Foreign and Defence Policy since 1950 | DR Graham O'Dwyer |
PO3INT | Intelligence, War and International Relations | DR Geoff Sloan |
PO3IOG | International Organizations in Global Politics | DR Martin Binder |
PO3ITE | International Terrorism | DR Christina Hellmich |
PO3IPE | International Political Economy | DR Jonathan Golub |
EC3DIS | Dissertation | PROF Ken Dark |
EC349 | Financial Economics | DR Hussein Hassan |
EC348 | Business History | PROF Peter Scott |
EC347 | Industrial Organisation | DR Joo Young Jeon |
EC343 | Behavioural Economics | DR Stephen Kastoryano |
EC337 | Processes of Long Term Political and Economic Change | PROF Ken Dark |
EC325 | The Economics of Sports and Games | DR Carl Singleton |
EC320 | Money and Banking | DR Shixuan Wang |
EC311 | International Economics | DR Hussein Hassan |
EC314 | Public Economics | DR Vivien Burrows |
Fees
New UK/Republic of Ireland students: £9,250* per year
New international students: £17,320 per year
*UK/Republic of Ireland fee changes
UK/Republic of Ireland undergraduate tuition fees are regulated by the UK government. These fees are subject to parliamentary approval and any decision on raising the tuition fees cap for new UK students would require the formal approval of both Houses of Parliament before it becomes law.
EU student fees
With effect from 1 August 2021, new EU students will pay international tuition fees. For exceptions, please read the UK government’s guidance for EU students.
Additional costs
Some courses will require additional payments for field trips and extra resources. You will also need to budget for your accommodation and living costs. See our information on living costs for more details.
Placement Year fees
If you spend a full year on placement – including professional and research placements and industrial experience – you’ll pay a discounted tuition fee for that year.
For UK/Republic of Ireland students, the discounted fee is subject to parliamentary approval and is currently capped at £1,385.
For International students, the discount is 15% of your normal tuition fee.
For more information, please contact placements@reading.ac.uk.
Financial support for your studies
You may be eligible for a scholarship or bursary to help pay for your study. Students from the UK may also be eligible for a student loan to help cover these costs. See our fees and funding information for more information on what's available.
Careers
Our courses will help you develop strong analytical and research skills and gain experience in delivering presentations and working as part of a group, which makes you suitable for a wide range of careers. Graduates with degrees in social science subjects such as politics and international relations are highly sought after by employers for their wide range of transferable skills.
Past students have put their political analysis skills to direct use in the home and European civil services, political research units, think tanks, non-governmental organisations and journalism. Others have gone into media, retail, management consultancy and banking.