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BA WAR, PEACE AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS WITH A PLACEMENT YEAR

  • UCAS code
    L253
  • Typical offer
    BBB
  • Year of entry
    2021
  • Course duration
     4 years
  • Year of entry
    2021
  • Course duration
     4 years
View all

COVID-19 update


Find out about how we'll be delivering our courses in 2020.

BA War, Peace and International Relations with Placement Year draws on the research strengths of the Department of Politics and International Relations. This course enables you to specialise in war, peace, strategy and the issues that surround conflict.

It will especially appeal to you if you are interested in learning about the role of military strategy and defence policy in conflict resolution.

Whilst studying BA War, Peace and International Relations with Placement Year, most of your contact time will be spent in small seminar groups, allowing you to interact directly with staff and add your own voice to the discussion. You will study war in a historical context and consider challenging questions such as whether war can ever be justified or whether peace should be maintained at all costs. In your final year, you will be able to choose from a wide variety of optional modules and develop interests in other areas of politics.

Through our Model United Nations and Middle East simulations, you can apply what you have learnt to a practical situation and get an insight into the political process. Should you wish to gain real-world experience, you can undertake a work experience module or opt to carry out a year-long placement. The skills and knowledge these opportunities provide will prepare you for your future career, whether it be related to politics or in an entirely different field.

For more information, please visit the Department of Politics and International Relations website.

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

It will especially appeal to you if you are interested in learning about the role of military strategy and defence policy in conflict resolution.

Whilst studying BA War, Peace and International Relations with Placement Year, most of your contact time will be spent in small seminar groups, allowing you to interact directly with staff and add your own voice to the discussion. You will study war in a historical context and consider challenging questions such as whether war can ever be justified or whether peace should be maintained at all costs. In your final year, you will be able to choose from a wide variety of optional modules and develop interests in other areas of politics.

Through our Model United Nations and Middle East simulations, you can apply what you have learnt to a practical situation and get an insight into the political process. Should you wish to gain real-world experience, you can undertake a work experience module or opt to carry out a year-long placement. The skills and knowledge these opportunities provide will prepare you for your future career, whether it be related to politics or in an entirely different field.

For more information, please visit the Department of Politics and International Relations website.

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 32-30 points overall

Typical offer

BBB

International Baccalaureate

30 points overall

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.

  • Learn more about our International Foundation programme

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.

  • Find out the English language requirements for our courses and our pre-sessional English programme

Structure

  • Year 1
  • Year 2
  • Year 3
  • Year 4

Core modules include:

  • Introduction to contemporary democracy
  • Introduction to political ideas
  • Politics: international relations and strategic studies

Optional modules include:

  • British society
  • Freedom

Please note that all modules are subject to change.

Core modules include:

  • Contemporary strategy
  • Modern international relations
  • The study of politics
  • War and peace since 1800

Optional modules include:

  • American government and politics
  • British government and politics
  • Comparative government and politics
  • European political integration
  • Model United Nations
  • Political classics
  • Political thinking
  • Study Abroad
  • Work placement and project

Please note that all modules are subject to change.

During your third year, you may have the opportunity to do a paid placement at a company or organisation (please note that a placement cannot be guaranteed). In your first and second year, you will receive plenty of support with applying for internships and placements. 

Core modules include:

  • Dissertation

Optional modules include:

  • Intelligence, war and international relations
  • War, oeace and international ethics
  • British foreign and defence policy since 1945
  • Contemporary power politics
  • Crime and punishment: theoretical approaches
  • Democracy and femocracy promotion
  • Feminism and political theory
  • International political economy
  • International terrorism
  • Introduction to critical security studies
  • Nationalism
  • Politics and international relations of the Middle East
  • Politics of the international economy
  • Strategic theory
  • Strategy in the two World Wars
  • The UN and international order
  • Toleration: theory and practice
  • US foreign and defence policy since 1950
  • United Kingdom politics since 1960
  • Work placement and project

Please note that all modules are subject to change.

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

Through this course you will develop strong analytical and research skills and become experienced in delivering presentations and working in a group. This makes you suitable for a wide range of careers in politics and further afield.

Past students have put their political analysis skills to direct use in the British and European civil services, the armed forces, think tanks, non-governmental organisations and journalism. Others have gone into advertising, PR, media and banking.

Contextual offers


We make contextual offers for all our courses.

Take the next step


How to apply

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2020
2021
Undergraduates
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Subjects A-B

  • Agriculture
  • Ancient History
  • Animal Science
  • Anthropology
  • Archaeology
  • Architectural Engineering
  • Architecture
  • Art
  • Biological Sciences
  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Biomedical Sciences
  • Building and Surveying
  • Business and Management, Accounting and Finance

Subjects C-E

  • Chemistry
  • Classics and Classical Studies
  • Climate Science
  • Computer Science
  • Construction Management
  • Consumer Behaviour and Marketing
  • Creative Writing
  • Drama
  • Ecology
  • Economics
  • Education
  • Engineering
  • English Language and Applied Linguistics
  • English Literature
  • Environment

Subjects F-G

  • Film & Television
  • Food and Nutritional Sciences
  • Foundation programmes
  • French
  • Geography
  • German
  • Graphic Communication and Design

Subjects H-M

  • Healthcare
  • History
  • International Development
  • International Foundation Programme (IFP)
  • International Relations
  • Italian
  • Languages and Cultures
  • Law
  • Linguistics
  • Marketing
  • Mathematics
  • Medical Sciences
  • Meteorology and Climate
  • Museum Studies

Subjects N-T

  • Nutrition
  • Pharmacology
  • Pharmacy
  • Philosophy
  • Physician Associate Studies
  • Politics and International Relations
  • Psychology
  • Real Estate and Planning
  • Spanish
  • Speech and Language Therapy
  • Surveying and Construction
  • Teaching
  • Theatre

Subjects U-Z

  • Wildlife Conservation
  • Zoology

Subjects A-C

  • Agriculture
  • Ancient History
  • Animal Sciences
  • Archaeology
  • Architecture
  • Art
  • Biological Sciences
  • Biomedical Sciences
  • Business (Post-Experience)
  • Business and Management (Pre-Experience)
  • Chemistry
  • Classics and Ancient History
  • Climate Science
  • Computer Science
  • Construction Management and Engineering
  • Consumer Behaviour
  • Creative Enterprise

Subjects D-G

  • Data Science
  • Economics
  • Education
  • Energy and Environmental Engineering
  • Engineering
  • English Language and Applied Linguistics
  • English Literature
  • Environmental Science
  • Film, Theatre and Television
  • Finance
  • Food and Nutritional Sciences
  • Geography and Environmental Science
  • Graphic Design

Subjects H-P

  • Healthcare
  • History
  • Information Management and Digital Business
  • Information Technology
  • International Development and Applied Economics
  • Languages and Cultures
  • Law
  • Linguistics
  • Management
  • Medieval History
  • Meteorology and Climate
  • Microbiology
  • Nutritional Sciences
  • Pharmacy
  • Philosophy
  • Physician Associate
  • Politics and International Relations
  • Project Management
  • Psychology
  • Public Policy

Subjects Q-Z

  • Real Estate and Planning
  • Social Policy
  • Speech and Language Therapy
  • Strategic Studies
  • Teaching
  • Theatre
  • Typography and Graphic Communication
  • War and Peace Studies
  • Zoology

Subjects A-B

  • Agriculture
  • Ancient History
  • Animal Science
  • Anthropology
  • Archaeology
  • Architectural Engineering
  • Architecture
  • Art
  • Biological Sciences
  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Biomedical Sciences
  • Building and Surveying
  • Business and Management, Accounting and Finance

Subjects C-E

  • Chemistry
  • Classics and Classical Studies
  • Climate Science
  • Computer Science
  • Construction Management
  • Consumer Behaviour and Marketing
  • Creative Writing
  • Drama
  • Ecology
  • Economics
  • Education
  • Engineering
  • English Language and Applied Linguistics
  • English Literature
  • Environment

Subjects F-G

  • Film & Television
  • Food and Nutritional Sciences
  • Foundation programmes
  • French
  • Geography
  • German
  • Graphic Communication and Design

Subjects H-M

  • Healthcare
  • History
  • International Development
  • International Foundation Programme (IFP)
  • International Relations
  • Italian
  • Languages and Cultures
  • Law
  • Linguistics
  • Marketing
  • Mathematics
  • Medical Sciences
  • Meteorology and Climate
  • Museum Studies

Subjects N-T

  • Nutrition
  • Pharmacology
  • Pharmacy
  • Philosophy
  • Physician Associate Studies
  • Politics and International Relations
  • Psychology
  • Real Estate and Planning
  • Spanish
  • Speech and Language Therapy
  • Surveying and Construction
  • Teaching
  • Theatre

Subjects U-Z

  • Wildlife Conservation
  • Zoology

Subjects A-C

  • Agriculture
  • Ancient History
  • Animal Sciences
  • Archaeology
  • Architecture
  • Art
  • Biological Sciences
  • Biomedical Sciences
  • Business (Post-Experience)
  • Business and Management (Pre-Experience)
  • Chemistry
  • Classics and Ancient History
  • Climate Science
  • Computer Science
  • Construction Management and Engineering
  • Consumer Behaviour
  • Creative Enterprise

Subjects D-G

  • Data Science
  • Economics
  • Education
  • Energy and Environmental Engineering
  • Engineering
  • English Language and Applied Linguistics
  • English Literature
  • Environmental Science
  • Film, Theatre and Television
  • Finance
  • Food and Nutritional Sciences
  • Geography and Environmental Science
  • Graphic Design

Subjects H-P

  • Healthcare
  • History
  • Information Management and Digital Business
  • Information Technology
  • International Development and Applied Economics
  • Languages and Cultures
  • Law
  • Linguistics
  • Management
  • Medieval History
  • Meteorology and Climate
  • Microbiology
  • Nutritional Sciences
  • Pharmacy
  • Philosophy
  • Physician Associate
  • Politics and International Relations
  • Project Management
  • Psychology
  • Public Policy

Subjects Q-Z

  • Real Estate and Planning
  • Social Policy
  • Speech and Language Therapy
  • Strategic Studies
  • Teaching
  • Theatre
  • Typography and Graphic Communication
  • War and Peace Studies
  • Zoology

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How to apply
Visit an Open Day
Get a prospectus
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