We offer a wide variety of modules, enabling you to either study a broad range of topics or specialise in the areas that interest you the most.

Every year we review our range of modules on offer to ensure what you are studying is up to date with the latest developments in the discipline.

Watch our film to find out more about our Year 1 optional module, Freedom.

Year 1

Core modules

In your first year you will take three core modules that will give you the strong foundation you need to succeed in your second and final years.

• Introduction to Contemporary Democracy
• Introduction to Political Ideas
• Politics: International Relations and Strategic Studies

Optional modules

If you're on one of our single-honours degree courses, then you can take modules from other subjects, such as history and philosophy, or you could even learn a language.

There are three optional modules you can also choose from in your second year:

• British Society
• Freedom
• Inequality

Year 2

Depending on which degree course you are studying, some of the following modules are compulsory while others are optional. You will find this information on our undergraduate degrees pages.

Modules

• American Government and Politics
• British Government and Politics
• Comparative Government and Politics
• Contemporary Strategy (compulsory for BA War, Peace and International Relations students)
• European Political Integration
• Model United Nations
• Modern International Relations
• Political Classics
• Political Thinking
• Politics of the Welfare State
• The Media and Politics
• The Study of Politics
• War and Peace Since 1800 (compulsory for BA War, Peace and International Relations students)
• Work Placement Project

You will also have the option to study modules worth up to 20 credits in another subject. You may wish to study abroad during the second half of your second year. Find out more about studying abroad.

Year 3

In your final year, you will write a 10,000-word dissertation. It's an opportunity for you to choose a topic that fascinates you and study it in great depth.

You will also take four further modules. None of the third-year modules are compulsory, so you have a lot of flexibility to craft the course to suit your own interests. These modules are built around the research specialisms of our teaching staff and are taught in small-group seminars.

Core modules

• Dissertation

Optional modules

• British Foreign and Defence Policy Since 1945
• Crime and Punishment: Theoretical Approaches
• Democracy and Democracy Promotion
• Feminism and Political Theory
• Intelligence, War and International Relations
• International Organisations in Global Politics
• International Political Economy
• International Terrorism
• Introduction to Critical Security Studies
• Justice and Injustice
• Nationalism
• Parliamentary Studies
• Politics and International Relations of the Middle East
• Strategic Theory
• The UN and International Order
• US Foreign and Defence Policy Since 1950
• United Kingdom Politics Since 1960
• War, Peace and International Ethics

As in Year 2, you can also take modules worth up to 20 credits in subjects other than politics and international relations.

Disclaimer

Our optional modules are arranged on an annual basis and are subject to change. It is possible that a module may be modified in its content, suspended for a session, or discontinued. New modules may become available in any given year.