COURSE CURRICULUM

The Politics BA at Leeds provides a structured and comprehensive program designed to develop critical understanding and practical skills in political analysis. In the first year, students engage with core modules including the Politics of Global Challenges, Comparative Politics, British Politics, and Freedom, Power and Resistance, which introduce key political concepts, theoretical frameworks, and historical contexts, while also developing research and analytical skills. Year one also includes discovery modules, allowing students to broaden their knowledge across disciplines. In the second year, compulsory modules like Approaches to Analysis equip students with practical research skills, while optional modules enable exploration of topics such as revolution and reaction, justice, conflict and community, British political economy, media and democracy, US politics, African politics, and environmental politics. Year two also includes discovery modules for interdisciplinary learning. In the final year, students complete a 10,000-word dissertation, providing an opportunity for independent research on a chosen topic. Optional modules in the final year cover a wide range of contemporary issues, including video games and politics, nuclear weapons, human rights, British foreign policy, the far right, national identity, gender and security, terrorism, and the evolving political landscape in the UK and Europe. Across all years, students develop analytical, research, and communication skills while engaging with both theoretical and practical aspects of politics, preparing them for diverse careers or further study.