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International Relations

Entry requirements


A level

A,A,B

Specific subject requirements

Complete 60 credits with 45 credits at level 3, including 30 credits at Distinction and 15 at Merit or higher.

Cambridge International Pre-U Certificate - Principal

D3,D3,M2

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

35

6,5,5 higher

Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)

H2,H2,H2,H2,H3,H3

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

DDD

AB in Advanced Highers and AABBB in Highers; or A in Advanced Highers and AAABB in Highers, or AAAABB in Highers.

We will consider T-levels in appropriate subjects as they become available. In all cases applicants should have GCSE English at 4 or above.

UCAS Tariff

136

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

About this course


This course has alternative study modes. Contact the university to find out how the information below might vary.

Course option

3years

Full-time | 2024

Other options

4 years | Full-time with year in industry | 2024

4 years | Full-time with time abroad | 2024

Subject

International relations

International Relations explores how states interact and co-operate with each other. This degree offers you a historical understanding of the development of the ‘society of states’ and how it is changing today.

You’ll explore the political dynamics that influence interstate cooperation, as well as how organisations like the UN promote international peace and security. You’ll also gain expertise in data analysis, research and critical thinking, as you examine what obligations we may have to international society.

We offer a wide range of optional modules which allow you to develop your interests in specialist areas. You’ll gain a diverse skillset that will be valuable to you as a citizen, as well as in your future career – whatever path you choose to take.

Modules

Visit our website for the latest information on which modules we offer. https://courses.leeds.ac.uk/a753/international-relations-ba

The Uni


Course location:

University of Leeds

Department:

School of Politics and International Studies

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.

72%
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.

Politics

Teaching and learning

82%
Staff make the subject interesting
87%
Staff are good at explaining things
83%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
59%
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

73%
Library resources
89%
IT resources
80%
Course specific equipment and facilities
66%
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?

72%
UK students
28%
International students
38%
Male students
62%
Female students
83%
2:1 or above
6%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

A
B
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.

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.

£23,000
high
Average annual salary
99%
high
Employed or in further education
72%
high
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

24%
Business, research and administrative professionals
15%
Sales, marketing and related associate professionals
14%
Business, finance and related associate professionals

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.

£23k

£23k

£29k

£29k

£35k

£35k

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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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