Politics and International Relations with a Year Abroad
Entry requirements
A level
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
International students will also require a score of 4 at Higher Level English Language or Literature, or 5 at Standard Level English Language or Literature.
UCAS Tariff
Swansea University will accept the Welsh Baccalaureate - Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate as fully equivalent to one A-Level.
About this course
Our Politics and International Relations with a Year Abroad degree is designed for students who are interested in domestic politics (including the study of political theory, states, elections, and parliaments) as well as politics between countries (with a focus on international relations theory, security studies, and conflict).
The degree allows students to develop expertise in both areas and to explore topics (such as environmental politics, global political economy, and international development) where they intersect.
Politics at Swansea is ranked:
• Top 20 in the UK for Student Satisfaction (Complete University Guide 2023)
International Relations at Swansea is ranked:
• Top 15 in the UK for Course Satisfaction (Guardian University Guide 2023)
• Top 25 in the UK for Overall Satisfaction (Guardian University Guide 2023)
• Top 25 in the UK for Teaching Satisfaction (Guardian University Guide 2023)
The course is designed to give students a strong grounding in both politics and international relations in the first year, before allowing greater specialisation as well as increasing focus on the domestic/international intersection in the second year and building to a final year that centres on self-directed learning, allowing students flexibility to choose topics and areas that they wish to focus on.
Swansea University is one of a limited number of institutions selected to partner with the UK Parliament to deliver an innovative Parliamentary Studies module. The module is taught by specialist academic staff and includes a series of sessions with experts and members of staff currently working in the UK Parliament. The module features a day long visit to Westminster including talks with Senior Members of Parliament.
Students on this course typically develop excellent oral and writing skills and you will learn to present your ideas in a range of formats, along with strong research, analytical and problem-solving skills. Our graduates are truly international and are employed all around the world. They have careers in: government and politics education humanitarian organisations business media, communication, and public relations law public services. You will spend a year abroad between your second and final year, broadening your skills and experience. Our partner institutions span the globe, with opportunities varying each year.
If you wish to receive more information, please get in touch with us on [email protected]
Modules
Your first year of study is made up of compulsory modules covering a range of themes. Compulsory modules are studied by all students on the programme, meaning you are automatically enrolled.
Examples of compulsory modules include:
• Introduction to Politics
• Politics and the People
In your second and third year you will study a mixture of compulsory and optional modules, from an expansive range of subject areas.
Examples of optional modules in recent years have included:
• Contemporary Moral Controversies
• Freedom, Angst and the Embodied Self: Themes in Continental Philosophy
• America in Crisis: Political Culture and Society from the Tet Offensive to Trump
• International Security
• British Politics and Public Policy
You will have the opportunity to spend a year abroad between your second and final year, broadening your skills and experiencing different cultures. Our partner institutions span the globe, with opportunities varying each year.
Your final year will include a compulsory independent dissertation project.
For the full programme structure and module breakdown, please visit our webpage at: https://www.swansea.ac.uk/undergraduate/courses/social-sciences/politics-philosophy-international-relations/ba-politics-international-relations/
Assessment methods
We offer a variety of assessment methods within our programmes. In addition to traditional examinations and essays, examples of alternative assessment include:
• Presentations
• Group Work
• Original Writing
Throughout your undergraduate Politics and International Relations degree, you will develop excellent research and analytical skills and learn to present your ideas effectively both verbally and in writing.
For full breakdown of course structure and assessment please visit our course page: https://www.swansea.ac.uk/undergraduate/courses/social-sciences/politics-philosophy-international-relations/ba-politics-international-relations/ or get in touch with us at [email protected]
The Uni
Singleton Park Campus
College of Arts and Humanities
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.
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.
£19k
£24k
£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 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:
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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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