International Politics, BSc (Hons)

Course summary

This degree is for students who want to explore contemporary global issues and politics. You will deepen your understanding of the rapid social and political changes affecting the world. You will also develop strong analytical skills through our thought-provoking, forward-thinking curriculum. This degree enables you to understand global issues and actors in a time of fast-moving political and social change.You will engage with important theoretical debates, exploring global political systems and how they are engaged in policy-making on issues like security, migration and social justice.You will study diplomatic international relations between governments, as well as learning how intergovernmental organisations, transnational movements, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) international and multinationals influence global politics.You will benefit from this degree in the following ways:

• Become a critical thinker with an in-depth understanding of the complex interplay of local and global forces

• Develop your analytical skills to examine and critically assess information

• Enjoy access to a wide range of internship opportunities thanks to our proximity and connections with national and international political organisations

• Boost your employability with an optional integrated professional training year or study abroad

• Study in a department with a strong international focus, approachable staff and close connections with practitioners in the policy world

• Gain knowledge and expertise for a career in politics, policy making, the Civil Service or government

• Lay the foundations for postgraduate study or research in international politics.

Year 1 Study theories of international politics, global political economy and how power has transformed in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Understand underlying concepts associated with the study of international politics. Core Modules: Introduction to Political and Economic Data Analysis Studying Politics Myths and Mysteries in World Politics International Relations Theories Politics and Power in World History Emerging Powers in a Changing World Puzzles in Comparative Politics Introduction to Political Theory Year 2 Develop skills in scholarly writing, intellectual enquiry and problem solving. Deepen your understanding with advanced theory plus elective modules from a wide selection. Core Modules: Practical Politics Advanced Theories of Global Politics Core Elective Modules: Transnational Social Movements Security Studies: Conceptual Approaches Security Studies: Contemporary and Emerging Issues Foreign Policy Analysis: Theories and Issues Foreign Policy Analysis: Instruments and Practice Religion and Politics in the Age of Global Change Elective Modules: Comparative Political Economy Advanced Topics in Comparative Politics Politics of the USA Comparative Asian Politics Analysing Political and Economic Data in the Real World Advanced Principles of Economics: Financial Markets and Corporate Systems Political Risk Analysis Political Psychology: Reason & Emotion in Politics Theories of International Political Economy Authoritarianism and Democracy in the 21st Century The Global Political Economy of Development States and Markets in the Era of Globalization History Elective Modules: Fifty Shades of Red – Russia in the Twentieth Century The American Century: The United States in the Twentieth Century Cultures of Benevolence: Philanthropy and Civil Society from 1601 to the Present The Making of Modern Japan Slavery, Colonialism and Revolution in the Caribbean Sociology Elective Modules: New Media Challenges Understanding Social Change Contemporary Social Theory Sociology of Race and Racism Journalism Elective Module: Humanitarian Reporting Modules are subject to change.