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Politics

Entry requirements


104 - 112 UCAS Tariff points from up to four qualifications (two of which must be A-level equivalent)

Pass your Access course with 60 credits overall with a minimum of 45 credits at level 3

104 - 112 UCAS Tariff points from your BTEC Level 3 National Diploma and up to two other qualifications.

104 - 112 UCAS Tariff points from your BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate and up to three other qualifications (one of which must be A-Level equivalent).

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

DMM

DMM from a BTEC Extended Diploma

We will consider T Levels for entry to this course, either as stand-alone qualifications or in conjunction with other Level 3 qualifications, in accordance with the specified course tariff points.

UCAS Tariff

104-112

104 - 112 UCAS Tariff points from up to four qualifications (two of which must be A-level equivalent)

About this course


Course option

3years

Full-time | 2024

Subject

Politics

Politics is everywhere and everything. Understand it, and you’ll understand your own world; know its rules, and you can start to play the game on your own terms. This course is for the brave, the curious, and the rebels searching for a cause. It’s about making the political personal, and being the kind of change you want to see.

At NTU, learning means doing. We focus on two things: great theory, and grassroots activism. Studying in Nottingham — the UK’s original ‘rebel city’, and a hotbed of revolution, insurrection, and political intrigue — you’ll be applying your skills, passion and knowledge in the real world. Politics is a living, breathing subject, and you’ll analyse the big questions of how systems operate, how countries are governed, and how decisions are made. But you’ll also put the fundamentally human issues of social justice, morality and ethics under the microscope. You’ll interrogate your own political identity and values; you’ll explore the ins and outs of today’s most contentious political issues; you’ll take a deep dive into conspiracy theories, cover-ups, and secret histories.

Politics is a versatile and universally respected degree. Our graduates have become MPs, sustainability crusaders, motivational speakers, community leaders, and even successful entrepreneurs. This is your world, your time, and your stage — we’ll give you the tools, insights, and confidence to guarantee you’re heard.

Modules

Year One modules include Study and Research Skills, Politics and International Relations in Practice, Media, Power and Truth, British Politics and Beyond, Politics and Young Citizens, Place & Belonging.

Year Two modules include Social Research, Careers and Experience in Politics and International Relations and UK Parliamentary Studies.
Optional modules include Contemporary European Politics, Justice, Ethics and Democracy, Security Studies, The Politics of Art, Film and Literature, Environmental Politics and Policy and Global Political Marketing.

You may choose to take an optional year-long placement in Year Three, either in the UK or overseas. You will be supported by our experienced Employability Team to source a suitable placement.

Final Year modules include a Dissertation and Leadership, Activism and Campaigning module.
Optional modules include British Politics in Uncertain Times, US Politics and Policy, End of the Liberal Order, Political Violence and Terror, Global Politics of Pop Culture, Feminist Thought and Praxis, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean in World Politics and The International Relations of Middle East and North Africa.

Assessment methods

The BA Politics course has been designed to provide a broad, varied, and consistent range of assessments to ensure a fair and balanced representation of the skills and knowledge you gain throughout.

Study Skills sessions – including advice on academic essay planning/writing/editing and referencing – are embedded into the course early and further, continual support is available throughout your degree.

Throughout your three years, each module will include both formative (i.e., non-bearing feedback, designed to help you improve in the future) and summative (i.e., bearing feedback which is then translated into overall grades) forms, which might include academic essays, case studies and reports, to individual/group presentations, policy briefs, simulation exercises, strategic communications plans, and infographic factsheets.

Tuition fees

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

England
£9,250
per year
EU
£17,150
per year
International
£17,150
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni


Course location:

City Campus

Department:

School of Social Sciences

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.

81%
Politics

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

79%
Staff make the subject interesting
86%
Staff are good at explaining things
77%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
68%
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

87%
Library resources
90%
IT resources
79%
Course specific equipment and facilities
73%
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?

87%
UK students
13%
International students
54%
Male students
46%
Female students
69%
2:1 or above
11%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

C
C
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.

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.

£19,500
med
Average annual salary
97%
med
Employed or in further education
51%
med
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

14%
Business, finance and related associate professionals
12%
Sales, marketing and related associate professionals
11%
Other elementary services occupations

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.

£19k

£19k

£25k

£25k

£25k

£25k

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.

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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?

Have a question about this info? Learn more here