International Relations
Durham University
UCAS Code: L250 | Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)
Durham University
UCAS Code: L250 | Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)
Entry requirements
A level
Including a social science or humanities subject. Specific subjects excluded for entry: General Studies and Critical Thinking. Information: Please see the website for a list of accepted social science and humanities subjects.
Access to HE Diploma
We require 60 credits with a minimum of 45 credits at level 3 (or equivalent). Applicants may be required to meet additional subject-specific requirements for particular courses at Durham. General information on subjects/grades required for entry: Sufficient credits in at least one accepted social science or humanities subject. Due to the range of qualifications available we are unable to specify a specific amount of credits to meet this requirement, however if you would like more information please contact us with your application ID, or module list, so that we may advise appropriately.
Cambridge International Pre-U Certificate - Principal
General information on subjects/grades required for entry: Grade D3 in an accepted social science or humanities subject.
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
With 666 in higher level subjects, including a social sciences or humanities subject.
Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)
General information on subjects/grades required for entry: Grade H2 at Higher Level in an accepted social science or humanities subject.
OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma
A Levels must include a social science or humanities subject.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
A Levels must include a social science or humanities subject.
Scottish Advanced Higher
General information on subjects/grades required for entry: Grade A at AH level in an accepted social science or humanities subject.
Scottish Higher
Departments will normally make offers based on Advanced Highers. In the absence of 3 Advanced Highers, where these are not offered by the applicant’s school, offers comprising of Advanced Highers and Highers or a number of Highers may be made on a case by case basis. General information on subjects/grades required for entry: Grade A at AH level in an accepted social science or humanities subject.
At Durham we welcome applications from students of outstanding achievement and potential from all educational backgrounds. We will consider applicants studying T level qualifications for entry to many of our courses. Where a course requires subject specific knowledge and this is not covered within the T level being studied, you may need to supplement your T level studies with a suitable qualification to meet this requirement, for example at A level. Where this is needed this will be clearly stated in our entry requirements.
UCAS Tariff
We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.
About this course
**Course details**
Our BA in International Relations will give you a grounding in global politics and so much more. Taking a research-led approach you’ll develop an understanding of many of the relationships that shape our complex and interconnected world.
Issues that range from regional studies and global security to the balance of power and social norms. Study is structured around three main themes: political thought, political institutions and international relations.
You can further tailor your course by applying to add a work placement, or an international dimension with an overseas study year in locations such as Boston College in the USA, the University of British Columbia in Canada, the University of Hong Kong or the National University of Singapore.
**Why Durham University?**
Based in the School of Government and International Affairs, we offer a range of courses that are flexible and interdisciplinary in nature. Alongside the study of political theory, comparative politics, and international relations you can choose from a wide selection of modules in areas that align with your interests.
As a research-intensive discipline we employ a range of techniques that integrate new and innovative research into the curriculum and introduce a variety of research-oriented skills and projects.
You will be taught by academics with a genuine passion for their subject, whose areas of expertise include government, political theory, political economy and international relations.
**Facilities**
The School of Government and International Affairs provides a social centre to our students as well as an exceptional environment for learning, it is also a base for a number of research institutes including the Global Policy Institute, the Institute of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies and the Durham Global Security Institute.
**Rankings**
**World Top 100** in the QS World University Subject Rankings 2023
**Top 10** in The Complete University Guide 2024
**Career Opportunities**
Our courses are informed by both academic researchers and our links with industry. This specialist expertise develops the knowledge and skills that our students need to succeed in a competitive job market.
We offer a series of employment-related events which include talks from visiting speakers who explore the range of careers open to politics and international relations students, and offer advice about applying for jobs. We also host a regular Civil Service Fast Stream event in which Durham alumni give first-hand advice about how to excel in the recruitment process.
Graduates are equipped with an academic and practical skill set that will take them into a wide range of fields including local and national government, newspaper and broadcast journalism, the charity sector, business and finance, publishing, law, manufacturing, teaching and academia, and the armed forces.
Modules
For current information please scroll to the bottom of the page for Provider Information and select Visit our Course Page under Course Contact Details.
Assessment methods
Assessment takes various forms including examinations and unseen essay questions, essays, group projects and the final-year dissertation.
The range of assessment methods vary between modules. They have been designed to assess your knowledge and understanding of course material, test critical thinking skills, enhance written and oral communication skills, and assess your ability to relate your learning to real-world issues.
The dissertation is an in-depth study of a topic of your choice which makes up one-third of your final-year marks.
In addition to the help provided by your subject lecturers, you can also access extensive support for your assessments through ASC, the Academic Skills Centre. See below for details: https://www.durham.ac.uk/departments/centres/academic-skills-centre/
Tuition fees
Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:
Extra funding
Durham University offers a range of scholarship opportunities to academically well-qualified and highly motivated students. For further details, including deadlines for application, please visit: https://www.durham.ac.uk/study/scholarships/
The Uni
Durham City
School of Government and International Affairs
What students say
We've crunched the numbers to see if the overall teaching satisfaction score here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.
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
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
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.
Top job areas of graduates
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.
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.
£26k
£35k
£45k
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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Higher entry requirements
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Teaching Excellence Framework (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.
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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.
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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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