COURSE CURRICULUM

The Politics and International Relations BA offers a structured progression from foundational knowledge to advanced thematic exploration. In the first year, students develop core understanding of political systems, key political and international relations concepts, and major global developments since the end of the Cold War, with options to explore American politics or the Cold War era, as well as European politics or global economic power. The second year deepens analytical and theoretical skills through a double module on dissertation preparation and a wide selection of optional modules covering political ideas, global feminism, the Global South, international theory, protest movements, sustainability and digital histories. Students also choose further modules that explore the EU, international security, foreign policy, conflict governance and major global historical transformations. The final year centres on an independent dissertation, allowing students to focus on their own research interests, supported by an extensive range of optional modules. These cover themes such as feminism, human rights, nuclear politics, migration, environmental politics, public opinion, civil rights movements, modern conflict, colonialism, political theory and international security. By the end of the course, students gain strong analytical, research and critical thinking skills and a broad understanding of political and international issues across historical and contemporary contexts.