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International Relations with Quantitative Methods

Entry requirements


A level

A*,A,A

Required subjects: A Levels: Mathematics at B, or AS Mathematics at A. GCSEs: English at C or 4.

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

39

39 points with 666 at HL. Required subjects: HL: Mathematics at 5. SL: English at 5 and Mathematics at 6 (if not at HL).

Scottish Higher

A,A,A,A,A

AAAAA (achievement by end of S5 preferred). BBB must be achieved in one year of S4-S5. Required subjects: Highers: Mathematics at B. Higher Applications of Mathematics is not accepted in place of Higher Mathematics. National 5s: English at C.

UCAS Tariff

152-165

We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.

About this course


Course option

4years

Full-time | 2024

Subjects

Statistics

International relations

International Relations studies:

* actions and challenges that transcend national boundaries

* the resulting conflicts or attempts at cooperation

How do states cope with our highly complex and interconnected world? How can we tackle problems like climate change, global economic inequality, and interstate war? Do our very ideas about state power, sovereignty, democracy, justice, legitimacy, and order have to change?

Guided by leading academics and researchers in the field, you will explore:

* the origins and evolution of the state system

* the emergence of global non-state actors

* the power of international institutions

* the driving forces behind international cooperation and conflict

**Quantitative methods**

Data is becoming increasingly important in political decision-making and political research.

On this programme, one quarter of your study time will be devoted to quantitative methods, and systematically developing your skills in politics and statistics. You will learn how to research political issues by using data in a practical setting.

Quantitative skills underpin effective evidence-based planning within:

* government

* the private sector

* international organisations

We aim to equip you for the job market with key skills in data analysis and statistics.

**Internship opportunities**

You will have the opportunity to complete an internship, allowing you to gain practical experience and further strengthen your skills.

Our placement hosts include prestigious institutions such as:

* the Scottish Government

* NHS Scotland

* private-sector employers

**Q-Step support and funding**

This programme receives support and funding from the UK-wide Q-Step initiative. This mean you will benefit from small class sizes and be able to develop your skills in close proximity to experts.

There is also plenty of support available if you are less confident with maths.

Tuition fees

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

Channel Islands
£9,250
per year
England
£9,250
per year
EU
£26,500
per year
International
£26,500
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Republic of Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£1,820
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni


Course location:

Central area campus

Department:

School of Social and Political Science

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.

78%
Statistics
64%
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.

Statistics

Teaching and learning

74%
Staff make the subject interesting
82%
Staff are good at explaining things
78%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
69%
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

82%
Library resources
93%
IT resources
94%
Course specific equipment and facilities
57%
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?

34%
UK students
66%
International students
41%
Male students
59%
Female students
92%
2:1 or above
6%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

A*
A
A

Politics

Teaching and learning

81%
Staff make the subject interesting
83%
Staff are good at explaining things
74%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
60%
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

71%
Library resources
89%
IT resources
83%
Course specific equipment and facilities
47%
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?

45%
UK students
55%
International students
30%
Male students
70%
Female students
90%
2:1 or above
6%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

A
A
A

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.

Statistics

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.

£24,000
med
Average annual salary
98%
high
Employed or in further education

Top job areas of graduates

28%
Business, finance and related associate professionals
17%
Business, research and administrative professionals
11%
Information technology and telecommunications professionals

The business and research sectors worry that the UK hasn't got enough people with good statistics skills, and as stats are at the heart of so much of the economy, and we only have a few hundred graduates a year in the discipline, this type of degree can be very useful and versatile. The finance industry is very popular with this group, and they're far more likely to be working in London than most other graduates. And who can blame them — statistics graduates starting work in London were earning an average of nearly £29k just six months after leaving university. There is also demand from the Scottish finance sector in Edinburgh and Glasgow - particularly in banking and insurance. But a good statistician can find work almost anywhere that data can be analysed - which, in an online world, is almost anywhere - and many industries struggle to find enough statisticians to fulfil demand, so stay flexible and you can find a variety of 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.

£24,000
high
Average annual salary
96%
med
Employed or in further education
69%
high
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

22%
Business, research and administrative professionals
10%
Business, finance and related associate professionals
7%
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.

Statistics

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

£24k

£24k

£31k

£31k

£41k

£41k

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.

£23k

£23k

£31k

£31k

£33k

£33k

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.

Explore these similar courses...

Higher entry requirements
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Mathematics and Statistics (3 years)
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UCAS Points: 160-168
Lower entry requirements
The University of Edinburgh | Edinburgh
Sociology with Quantitative Methods
MA (Hons) 4 Years Full-time 2024
UCAS Points: 126-144
Nearby University
University of St Andrews | St Andrews
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UCAS Points: 159-160

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Course location and department:

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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?

Have a question about this info? Learn more here