COURSE CURRICULUM

The International Politics BSc at Brunel University provides students with a comprehensive understanding of political systems, international relations, and global affairs. In the first year, students explore the foundations of politics, including conflict in the modern world, American politics, comparative politics, world politics, political thought from Hobbes to Freud, and the concept of Global London, gaining essential analytical and research skills. The second year builds on this foundation with modules on research methods, theories of international relations, and optional topics such as climate politics, colonialism and decolonization in Africa, global racism, comparative electoral systems, insurgency and counter-insurgency, national security intelligence, and civil rights movements, preparing students for independent research and deeper critical engagement. In the final year, students develop advanced research skills and complete a dissertation in international politics, while optional modules explore applied quantitative methods, crises and societal responses, European Union politics, fascist Italy, apartheid in South Africa, media and politics in America, parliamentary studies, public policy analysis, South Asian politics and development, terrorism and counterterrorism, the Arab-Israeli conflict, violence and conflict in Eastern Africa, and the anthropology of war and humanitarianism. Across all years, the program emphasizes critical thinking, empirical analysis, and practical understanding of political issues, equipping graduates for careers in politics, civil service, intelligence, international organisations, NGOs, media, and public and private sector roles worldwide.