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International Relations and Politics (with Professional Placement Year)

Entry requirements


A level

B,B,B-B,C,C

A Level - grades BBB-BCC preferred.

Access to HE Diploma

M:45

Typical offers for applicants with Access to HE will be the Access to HE Diploma or Access to HE Certificate (60 credits, 45 of which must be Level 3, at Merit or higher).

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

32

A minimum of 32 points are required.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

DDM-DMM

Extended Diploma grades from Distinction Distinction Merit (DDM) to Distinction Merit Merit (DMM) accepted in any subject.

T Level

M

Grade Merit is preferred.

UCAS Tariff

104-120

We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.

About this course


Course option

4years

Full-time with year in industry | 2024

Subjects

International politics

International relations

- Combine theoretical study with practical application to affect change and make a difference.

- Discover how the world works by connecting with partner organisations that link local and global issues.

- Build the practical skills required to work in the field by applying knowledge and research methods to contemporary challenges.

Does democracy limit the threat of war? Can capitalism coexist with the climate crisis? What does globalisation mean in an era of growing fragmentation? Studying International Relations and Politics gives you the tools to tackle the biggest challenges faced by the world today. You’ll dig beneath the surface of the fundamental questions of our time and work together to define the kinds of solutions that could positively impact future generations.

International Relations looks beyond formal interactions between states and governments. You’ll explore how local and global structures interact, and the ways in which "international relations" are shaped as much through everyday actions as by formal institutions of government. This could relate to the work of NGOs and the impact of "soft diplomacy", or to the communities of artists and activists that contribute to campaigns against global inequalities and injustice.

**Why choose this combination?**
Combining International Relations with Politics will deepen your understanding of political concepts and theories and expand your grasp of global events and international affairs.

The study of Politics complements the global focus of International Relations by providing foundational, specialised subject knowledge and research methods that you’ll apply to contemporary challenges, issues and debates. Our progressive Politics programme has been designed to develop your practical, analytical and communication skills, which are essential to and valued by a diverse range of careers and employers.

**More about the Professional Placement Year**
A Professional Placement Year (PPY), traditionally known as a sandwich year, is where a student undertakes a period of work with an external organisation for between 9-13 months. The placement occurs between the students' second and third years of undergraduate study. Students can engage in up to 3 placements to make up the total time and are required to source the placement(s) themselves with support from the Careers and Employability Team.

Modules

Year one
An interdisciplinary first year introduces you to the study of a wide range of ideas, approaches and concepts that will underpin and inform your work. Throughout, you’ll develop the skills and insight you'll need to apply your learning to solving problems, working with others, finding your own voice and honing your skills of political analysis. You’ll follow a broad curriculum that allows you to ask questions, challenge your own assumptions, interrogate evidence, integrate data and contextualise diverse opinions.

Year two
During year two you’ll focus on theories and practices of international conflict, security and development. You’ll explore the nature of contemporary violence and critically analyse why conflicts begin, persist and often recur. You’ll also study mechanisms of soft power and diplomacy, and the relationships between art, culture and activism. You’ll apply your knowledge and understanding to a defined problem or case study of your choosing.

Year three
Professional Placement Year

Final Year
Alongside a range of optional modules, you'll bring together your theoretical and practical knowledge to devise, plan and implement your final project. This might be an extended piece of academic writing, but it might also be a pitch to a local employer, a community project or the creation of digital resources.

Assessment methods

We use a mix of traditional and contemporary assessments, including practical tasks and exams, as well as essays, group and individual presentations, online reports, surveys, project portfolios, campaign documents and context papers, podcasts, blog posts and vlogging.

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

Channel Islands
£9,250
per year
England
£9,250
per year
EU
£15,750
per year
International
£15,750
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Republic of Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni


Course location:

Bath Spa University

Department:

School of Writing, Publishing and the Humanities

Read full university profile

What students say


How do students rate their degree experience?

The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Politics

Sorry, no information to show

This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.


Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

98%
UK students
2%
International students
22%
Male students
78%
Female students
82%
2:1 or above
10%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

D
D
B

After graduation


The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Politics

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

93%
low
Employed or in further education

Top job areas of graduates

13%
Sales assistants and retail cashiers
8%
Other elementary services occupations
7%
Childcare and related personal services

The numbers of people taking politics degrees fell sharply last year and we'll keep an eye on this one - it can't really be because of graduates getting poor outcomes as politics grads do about as well as graduates on average. Most politics or international relations graduates don't actually go into politics - although many do, as activists, fundraisers and researchers. Jobs in local and central government are also important. Other popular jobs include marketing and PR, youth and community work, finance roles, HR and academic research (you usually need a postgraduate degree to get into research). Because so many graduates get jobs in the civil service, a lot of graduates find themselves in London after graduating. Politics is a very popular postgraduate subject, and so about one in five politics graduates go on to take another course - usually a one-year Masters - after they finish their degrees.

Explore these similar courses...

Higher entry requirements
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Nearby University
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UCAS Points: -
Same University
Bath Spa University | Bath
International Relations and Politics
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UCAS Points: 104-120

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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

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Post-six month graduation stats:

This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.

It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.

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Graduate field commentary:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?

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