International Relations and History
UCAS Code: LV2C
Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)
Entry requirements
A level
Access to HE Diploma
Access to Humanities Course
We recognise the EPQ as an excellent indicator of success. If you are predicted a grade B or above in the EPQ, you will receive an offer with a one grade reduction, to include your EPQ with a grade B.
GCSE/National 4/National 5
GCSEs: English/Welsh Language Grade C
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
B + BB at A-Level
UCAS Tariff
We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.
About this course
Studying a Modern History and International Relations degree allows you to explore the dynamics between modern history and globalisation, involving human rights, international politics, and peace and conflict. You will examine history through various perspectives such as gender, war and conflict, and British social history.
Our three-year degree helps to provide graduates with a wealth of inspiring career opportunities thanks to numerous transferable skills which are highly valued by employers.
International Relations at Swansea is ranked in the Top-10 for teaching experience (Times and Sunday Times 2018) and History at Swansea achieved an overall satisfaction rating of 93% in the 2017 National Student Survey (NSS). Of those graduating from this subject area 94% are employed or in further study 6 months after graduating (Destination of Leavers from HE survey 2015). Some,80% of our students achieved a 1st class or 2.1 honours degree in 2017/18.
Your early studies will concentrate on war and peace in the nuclear age, how politics and International relations are defined, and what it means to make history. But whether your true passion lies in American politics and society, modern warfare, ethics and justice or strategic communications, our generous range of first year modules has it covered. This range enables you to discover, learn and narrow your individual interests for later study.
Based on our stunning Singleton Park campus overlooking Swansea Bay on the edge of the Gower Peninsula, you will have the ability to tailor your degree according to your specific interests as you progress.
The second year gives you a chance to study abroad for a semester in the USA, Canada, China, Hong Kong or Singapore. Later studies are shaped by modules around your specific historical and political interests and a substantial dissertation project, while three separate work placement programmes are available to help prepare you for graduate life.
Students typically develop oral and writing skills through presenting ideas in different formats, supported by strong research and rigorous analysis. Assessment is conducted through essays, coursework, examination, presentations and a dissertation.
Teaching is informed by a vibrant and supportive research environment that unites academics, postgraduates and visiting scholars around shared subject matter.
“I have learnt so much about international relations and developed valuable essay writing skills. The IR Professors are very helpful especially when I need help as English is not my native language. My dream would be to work for the UN." – Salma El Hankouri.
Graduates of Modern History and International Relations have truly international potential and gain employment around the world. They have careers in education, government and politics, humanitarian organisations, media and public relations, law and public services.
Please visit our course page for more information:
swansea.ac.uk/undergraduate/courses/artsandhumanities/history/ba-modhistory-ir-lv2c/
**We guarantee that you will be made a conditional offer for a course at Swansea University. Subject requirements will apply. Please come along to our next Open Day or get in touch for further information.**
Modules
You will study six modules each year to include compulsory and optional modules. Module selection options may change.
Assessment methods
This degree programme is delivered through lectures, tutorials and seminars. You will usually receive nine hours minimum scheduled contact time with your teachers every week. Full attendance at lectures, seminars and personal tutorials (personal tutorials are obligatory). All Arts and Humanities degree programmes include independent learning which requires initiative and hard work.
We will challenge you with demanding teaching and assessment. Assessment includes essay, coursework and examination, presentations and a dissertation.
The Uni
Singleton Park Campus
Interdepartmental
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)
History
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.
History
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
History is a very popular subject (although numbers have fallen of late) — in 2015, over 10,000 UK students graduated in a history-related course. Obviously, there aren't 11,000 jobs as historians available every year, but history is a good, flexible degree that allows graduates to go into a wide range of different jobs, and consequently history graduates have an unemployment rate comparable to the national graduate average. Many — probably most — jobs for graduates don't ask for a particular degree to go into them and history graduates are well set to take advantage. That's why so many go into jobs in the finance industry, human resources, marketing, PR and events management, as well as the more obvious roles in education, welfare and the arts. Around one in five history graduates went into further study last year. History and teaching were the most popular further study subjects for history graduates, but law, journalism, and politics were also popular postgraduate courses.
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.
£18k
£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.
History and archaeology
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£16k
£22k
£23k
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 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).
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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