International Relations with Foundation Year
University of Portsmouth
UCAS Code: L255 | Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)
University of Portsmouth
UCAS Code: L255 | Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)
Entry requirements
A level
32 tariff points at A level.
Pass the Access to HE Diploma.
Cambridge Pre-U to include a Principal Subject at M3.
GCSE/National 4/National 5
2 GCSEs at Grade E/2 or above to include English and Maths.
24 points from the IB Diploma.
32 points to include a Higher Level subject.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate (first teaching from September 2016)
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
32 tariff points.
T Level
UCAS Tariff
32 tariff points at A level, or equivalent.
32 points from the Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate including 1 A level, plus the Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate.
About this course
This course has alternative study modes. Contact the university to find out how the information below might vary.
If you want to kickstart your career in international relations but aren't yet ready to embark on a full undergraduate degree, this foundation year course is for you.
During this foundation year degree, you'll get all the background knowledge and skills you'll need to move on to our full Bachelor's degree in international relations. So, it's ideal if you don't yet meet the entry requirements, if you've taken a break from study, or if you need a bit of extra support to get uni-ready.
You'll spend a year studying with us on campus, through ICP. You'll get the knowledge and academic skills needed to take on a bachelor's degree, learning how to analyse information, do research, and improve your academic writing.
The skills you'll learn will help you work in teams as well as on your own in culturally diverse workplaces. You'll develop your understanding of new workplaces and environments, and how to adapt to new environments.
After your foundation year, you'll be ready to move onto the first year of BA (Hons) International Relations.
**Course highlights**
- ICP is based on the University of Portsmouth campus so you'll have access to all facilities, support and societies
- When you finish your foundation year successfully, you get a guaranteed place on BA (Hons) International Relations
- Get used to how lectures, seminars and tutorials work, so you can move onto your degree ready for success
- Learn how to meet the demands of taking on a bachelor's at university
**Careers and opportunities**
When you study international relations, you'll explore topics like conflict between nations, global migration and populist politics, gaining the skills you'll need to play your part in improving equality and creating positive change.
After this foundation year course, you'll move straight on to our BA (Hons) International Relations degree, which will help you develop the kind of analytical expertise needed for careers within government agencies, NGOs, charities, think tanks and international organisations.
Your understanding of complex international issues will help you stand out to employers in local and national government, security, tech, intelligence, and with global charities and institutions like the UN.
**Placement year opportunities**
Once you've completed your foundation year and moved on to your full Bachelor's degree, you can do an optional work placement year to get valuable longer-term work experience in the industry.
Taking an optional placement year will give you the experience you need to increase your chances of landing your perfect role. We'll give you all the support you need to find a placement that prepares you for your career, and we'll continue to mentor you throughout your placement.
Previous students have been on placements to organisations such as:
- The Ministry of Defence
- The House of Commons
- National Museum of the Royal Navy
- Otra Cosa (Peru)
- SEK International
- Freedom from Torture
- Victim Support London
- Tools for Self Reliance
Modules
**Foundation year**
In your foundation year, you'll gain the knowledge you need to move on to the first year of BA (Hons) International Relations. It will bridge the gap to uni, with the knowledge and academic skills you'll need to start.
Throughout the year, you'll learn to critically engage with information, undertake literature reviews, enhance your academic writing, and gain awareness of different types of research.
When you successfully complete this year, you'll get a guaranteed place on the first year of the BA (Hons) International Relations degree.
**Years 2, 3 and 4**
After your first year, you will transfer to BA (Hons) International Relations. The modules you study in years 2, 3 and 4 (and year 5 if you do a placement year) can be found on the relevant course page.
**Optional placement year**
When you transfer to BA (Hons) International Relations, you could do an optional work placement year between your 2nd and 3rd years, or after your final year of study. This allows you to get valuable experience working in the industry.
We’ll help you secure a work placement that fits your situation and ambitions. You’ll get mentoring and support throughout the year.
Assessment methods
You'll be assessed in a number of ways on your foundation year, including:
- assignments
- oral presentations
- exams
- lab reports
- portfolio
- court reports
Typically, you can expect to have two assessments per module.
Tuition fees
Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:
The Uni
University of Portsmouth
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
What students say
We've crunched the numbers to see if the overall teaching satisfaction score 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.
£20k
£26k
£31k
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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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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