Overview
Understand the political issues shaping – and dividing – societies around the world, and discover the integral role politics plays in every aspect of people’s lives globally.
On this BA (Hons) Politics degree, you’ll tackle the major issues facing people and politicians today, including Brexit, the NHS, and life in a ‘post-truth’ world.
You’ll learn politics theory, how the political world works and look at how our Parliament functions, as well as how the law and our institutions interact. You’ll study the historic moments that have shaped our democracy – and learn the skills required to play your part in changing minds, shaping policy and fighting inequality.
Course Highlights
- Learn from staff at our Centre for European and International Studies Research (CEISR), whose research directly impacts government policy
- Tailor your politics degree by choosing optional modules that match your interests and career ambitions, from gender in politics, to radicalisation and the rise of the far-right
- Attend events and talks led by people working in local, national and international government (including current MPs and staff from the US Department of Defence), and political journalism
- Go on field trips to locations such as the Houses of Parliament
- Take part in a simulated ‘academic conference’, where you’ll present a paper that will be discussed with your peers
- Have the opportunity to organise your own political campaign in your second year, on a political issue you care about
- Choose to do a work placement year after your second or third year on this Connected Degree - we're the only UK university to offer flexible sandwich placements for undergraduates
- Go on an exchange at a university outside the UK, such as Nagoya University in Japan, Science Po or Caen-Normandy University in France, The Hague University of Applied Sciences or University of Maastricht in the Netherlands, University of Western Carolina in the USA, Prince Edward Island University or Carleton University in Canada, or Edith Cowan University in Australia
- Take advantage of our Institution-Wide Language Programme and learn a foreign language for free as part of your degree, choosing from Arabic, British Sign Language, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin or Spanish
Careers and opportunities
The knowledge you gain on this politics degree, coupled with the communication, research, critical thinking and analysis skills you learn, means you'll have lots of career options when you graduate.
Many of our politics graduates go into people-focused roles, or in roles that allow them to do research, shape social policies or bring about social change.
Areas you could go into include:
- local and central government
- consultancy and think tanks
- lobbying
- research and policy
- teaching and lecturing (with additional training or further study)
- community development
- charity work
- careers advice
- advertising
- marketing and media
Placement year (optional)
After the second or third year of your politics degree, you can do an optional work placement sandwich year, to get valuable longer-term work experience in the industry.
Previous students have secured placements at:
- The Ministry of Defence
- The House of Commons
- National Museum of the Royal Navy
We’ll help you secure a work placement that fits your aspirations. You’ll get mentoring and support throughout the year.
You could also choose to set up your own business, or take a voluntary placement.
Previous graduates have gone onto work in jobs such as:
- political researcher, Houses of Parliament
- assistant to Member of Parliament
- civil servant, Department for the Cabinet Office
- senior policy advisor, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
- communications officer, House of Commons
- local government administrator, Government of Jersey
- public affairs consultant
- social researcher
- information officer
- conference producer
