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BA Politics and International Relations with International Foundation Year - September Entry

  • UCAS code
    L257
  • Typical offer
  • Year of entry
    2023/24
  • Course duration
    Full Time:  4 Years
  • Year of entry
    2023/24
  • Course duration
    Full Time:  4 Years

Our BA Politics and International Relations with International Foundation Year course enables you to address some of the contemporary world’s most pressing problems, and explore ethical and moral issues that arise when political authority is exercised.

This programme is designed for international students. If you want to study politics at a British university but don’t have the correct qualifications, our four-year BA Politics and International Relations with International Foundation Year programme enables you to undertake an undergraduate politics and international relations degree.

You will complete a foundation year (called Year 0) before progressing onto our three-year BA Politics and International Relations degree. This means you can apply for a single four-year visa that covers the whole duration of your studies.

The foundation year is designed to equip you with the subject-specific and general study skills needed to cope with the demands of undergraduate study. Our high-quality teaching is geared towards the needs of students from a wide range of educational backgrounds. In 2022, 95% of our students agreed that our staff are good at explaining things and made the subject interesting in BA Politics and International Relations (National Student Survey 2022).

For more information, visit the International Foundation Programme website.

Overview

Our BA Politics and International Relations with International Foundation Year course enables you to address some of the contemporary world’s most pressing problems, and explore ethical and moral issues that arise when political authority is exercised.

This programme is designed for international students. If you want to study politics at a British university but don’t have the correct qualifications, our four-year BA Politics and International Relations with International Foundation Year programme enables you to undertake an undergraduate politics and international relations degree.

You will complete a foundation year (called Year 0) before progressing onto our three-year BA Politics and International Relations degree. This means you can apply for a single four-year visa that covers the whole duration of your studies.

The foundation year is designed to equip you with the subject-specific and general study skills needed to cope with the demands of undergraduate study. Our high-quality teaching is geared towards the needs of students from a wide range of educational backgrounds. In 2022, 95% of our students agreed that our staff are good at explaining things and made the subject interesting in BA Politics and International Relations (National Student Survey 2022).

For more information, visit the International Foundation Programme website.

Entry requirements

GCSE

Grades A*– C (9-4) in five subjects

IELTS

A minimum overall score of 5.5 in IELTS, with no component below 5.5.

See our IFP English Qualifications page for full details of the academic and English language entry requirements for this course.

Further requirements

If you are an international student planning to apply for one of our degree programmes, you may need to take a foundation course or pre-sessional course if you do not have qualifications that are equivalent to British A levels or if you need to improve your English language level.

  • Look at entry requirements by country.
  • Find out the English language requirements for our courses and our pre-sessional English programme.

Structure

  • Foundation year
  • Year 1
  • Year 2
  • Year 3
Sample modules may include:

Compulsory modules:

  • Academic Skills
  • International English A (if English is below IELTS 6.5)

Optional modules:

  • Economics
  • Mathematics for Finance, Economics and Business
  • Law
  • Politics
  • Sociology
  • Information Systems and Statistics
​Please note that all modules are subject to change. 

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:

  • The study of politics

Optional modules include:

  • American government and politics
  • British government and politics
  • Comparative government and politics
  • European political integration
  • Model United Nations
  • Modern international relations
  • Political classics
  • Political thinking
  • Politics of the welfare state
  • Study Abroad
  • The media and politics
  • Work placement project
Please note that all modules are subject to change.

Core modules include:

  • Dissertation

Optional modules include:

  • Intelligence, war and international relations
  • War, peace and international ethics
  • British foreign and defence policy since 1945
  • Comparative political economy
  • Contemporary power politics
  • Crime and punishment: theoretical approaches
  • Democracy and democracy promotion
  • Feminism and political theory
  • International political economy
  • International terrorism
  • Introduction to critical security studies
  • Nationalism
  • Parliamentary studies
  • 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
Please note that all modules are subject to change.

Fees

New UK/Republic of Ireland students: £9,250

New international students: £20,300

*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.

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, as well as become experienced in delivering presentations and working in a group. These skills are valued by employers in many industries, giving you the option of roles that are directly related to your degree or in completely different fields.

Our combination of skills development, placements, and practical modules has meant that 91% of graduates from Politics and International Relations are in work or further study within 15 months of graduation [1].

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

[1] Based on our analysis of HESA data © HESA 2022, Graduate Outcomes Survey 2019/20; includes first-degree Politics and International Relations responders.

Raj discusses Politics and International Relations

Contextual offers


We make contextual offers for all our courses.

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How to apply for 2023 entry

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Chat to our students

I always had an interest in UK Politics, so modules like ‘Parliamentary Studies’ allowed me to dive in deep about how our Government works, but at the same time the module ‘British Government’ allowed me to go on the ground, put my knowledge to the test and see what the outcomes would be like in the real world.

Evan Hall
BA Politics and International Relations

Related Subjects


  • Politics and International Relations
  • International Relations
  • International Foundation Programme (IFP)

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