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Politics & International Relations

Entry requirements


A level

B,B,C

Specific A Level subjects not required

The Access to HE Diploma. Plus GCSE English at grade 4 / C or above.

GCSE/National 4/National 5

5 GCSEs at grade 4 / C or above to include English.

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

29

Any subject.

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

DMM

Specific BTEC subjects not required

Scottish Higher

C,C,D

UCAS Tariff

112

[1] 4 qualifications for tariff points allowed [2] May also include AS level and EPQ [3] Specific subject not required

About this course


This course has alternative study modes. Contact the university to find out how the information below might vary.

Course option

3years

Full-time | 2024

Other options

4 years | Sandwich | 2024

Subjects

Policing

International relations

Our BA Politics and International Relations course looks at how countries are governed and decisions are made, what shapes foreign policies, and how national and international political events impact people locally.

Coventry University offers you an exciting and innovative Politics and International Relations degree. You will learn about national and international affairs in depth by:

* Having the opportunity to study a range of modules on African, American, European, Middle Eastern politics, and (South) East Asian Politics.

* Gaining a deeper understanding of the rationale and value of peaceful and cooperative relations between nations and people.

* Learning how the world is becoming increasingly more connected and how this impacts on governments and their agencies, multinational companies, international organizations, non-governmental organisations, and you.

**Key Course Benefits**

* Academic staff who are actively engaged in high-quality research that informs their teaching and who are qualified lecturers with members of staff being fellows and senior fellows of AdvanceHE (staff subject to change).

* Multidisciplinary teaching with experts from national and international politics, history, global security and social theory.

* An intellectually stimulating course that encourages you to sharpen your analytical skills and engage with issues of vital concern for today’s world.

* The opportunity to focus on specific themes such as North American, European, East Asian, and Middle Eastern politics, social movements or global security as you progress through your course.

* The opportunity to develop advanced professional skills such as the ability to think independently and creatively, to advance sophisticated arguments and to communicate ideas confidently as enquired by potential employers.

Modules

This course has a common first year

The common first year enables you to work alongside students doing similar courses to you, to widen your knowledge and exposure to other subject areas and professions. You will have the opportunity to collaborate with other students, so you can share your insights and experience which will help you to develop and learn.

If you discover an interest in a specific subject you have studied, upon successful completion of your first year, you could swap degrees with another course in your common first year (subject to meeting progression requirements).

Common first year courses

History BA (Hons)
History and Politics BA (Hons)
International Relations BA (Hons)
Politics BA (Hons)
Politics and International Relations BA (Hons)

Year One Modules
Themes and Concepts in History, Politics and International Relations
Nations and Nationalism
Global Histories
World Politics since 1945
Politics in Action
Ideas, Ideologies and the State

Year Two
In year two, you will develop more advanced knowledge and skills to do with: global security, foreign policy, and modern British politics, amongst others.

Year Two Modules
Contemporary Global Security
Foreign Policy Analysis
Ethics and International Relations
The Far Right in Contemporary Europe
Global Experiences of Liberal Democracy
British Politics since 1997 

Placement Year
There’s no better way to find out what you love doing than trying it out for yourself, which is why a work placement* can often be beneficial. Work placements usually occur between your second and final year of study. They’re a great way to help you explore your potential career path and gain valuable work experience, whilst developing transferable skills for the future.

If you choose to do a work placement year, you will pay a reduced tuition fee* of £1,250. For more information, please go to the fees and funding section. During this time you will receive guidance from your employer or partner institution, along with your assigned academic mentor who will ensure you have the support you need to complete your placement.

Final Year
Year three aims to bring you to the level to enter the world of work by consolidating your knowledge and skills from Year one and two. You could also work on a large final project in an area of your interest, with the support of a mentor and your Academic Personal Tutor.

Modules
Independent Project
United States' Foreign Policy since 1945
Chinese Politics, Foreign Relations and Security
International Relations of South Asia
The Far Right in Britain and France
The Green Movement: The Search for Sustainability
Political Ideologies since 1945
Politics of the Middle East

We regularly review our course content, to make it relevant and current for the benefit of our students. For these reasons, course modules may be updated. Before accepting any offers, please check the website for the most up to date course content. For full module details please check the course page on the Coventry University website.

*For further information please check the course page on the Coventry University website

Assessment methods

This course will be assessed using a variety of methods which will vary depending upon the module.

Assessment methods can include:

Phase tests
Essays
Group work
Presentations
Reports
Projects
Coursework
Individual Assignments

The Coventry University Group assessment strategy ensures that our courses are fairly assessed and allows us to monitor student progression towards achieving the intended learning outcomes.

Tuition fees

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

Channel Islands
£9,250
per year
England
£9,250
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:

Coventry University

Department:

School of Humanities

Read full university profile

What students say


We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

72%
Policing
87%
International relations

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.

Law

Teaching and learning

77%
Staff make the subject interesting
84%
Staff are good at explaining things
76%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
80%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

79%
Library resources
89%
IT resources
87%
Course specific equipment and facilities
67%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

98%
UK students
2%
International students
62%
Male students
38%
Female students
63%
2:1 or above
18%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

D
D
C

Politics

Teaching and learning

82%
Staff make the subject interesting
100%
Staff are good at explaining things
90%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
73%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

88%
Library resources
85%
IT resources
85%
Course specific equipment and facilities
81%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

36%
UK students
64%
International students
42%
Male students
58%
Female students
74%
2:1 or above
18%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

C
D
C

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.

Law

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.

£18,000
med
Average annual salary
98%
med
Employed or in further education
62%
med
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

26%
Legal associate professionals
9%
Business, finance and related associate professionals
9%
Sales assistants and retail cashiers

Law graduates tend to go into the legal industry, and they usually take similar routes. Jobs are competitive — often very competitive - but starting salaries are good and high fliers can earn serious money - starting on over £24k in London on average. Be aware though - some careers, especially as barristers, can take a while to get into, and the industry is changing as the Internet, automation and economic change all have an effect, If you want to qualify to practise law, you need to take a professional qualification — many law graduates then go on to law school. If you want to go into work, then a lot of law graduates take trainee or paralegal roles and some do leave the law altogether, often for jobs in management, finance and the police force. A small proportion of law graduates also move into another field for further study. Management, accountancy and teaching are all popular for these career changers, so if you do take a law degree and decide it’s not for you, there are options.

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.

£18,000
low
Average annual salary
95%
med
Employed or in further education
35%
low
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

12%
Teaching and educational professionals
12%
Sales, marketing and related associate professionals
12%
Welfare and housing associate professionals

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.

What about your long term prospects?

Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.

Law

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£19k

£19k

£20k

£20k

£24k

£24k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

Politics

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£17k

£17k

£27k

£27k

£30k

£30k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

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This is what the university has told Ucas about the criteria they expect applicants to satisfy; some may be compulsory, others may be preferable.

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This is the percentage of applicants to this course who received an offer last year, through Ucas.

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This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Course location and department:

This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):

We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the TEF.

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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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?

Have a question about this info? Learn more here