War, Peace and International Relations, BA (Hons), with industry placement

Course summary

Specialise in warfare and strategy within international politics, drawing on the research strengths of strategic specialists with our BA War, Peace and International Relations with a Placement Year.Learn about the role of military force and defence policy, study war in a historical context and consider challenging questions such as whether the use of military force can ever be justified or whether peace should be maintained at all costs.As a student at the University of Reading’s Department of Politics and International Relations you will benefit from a learning environment driven by high-quality research. Our Department of Politics and International Relations is ranked 6th in the UK for research outputs and 97% of our research outputs are rated ‘world leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’ (Times Higher Education analysis of the latest REF 2021 – Politics and International Studies, when scoring by GPA Output). Learn more about our research impact.Our areas of strength include:

• Strategy and Conflict and Security

• International Relations

• Applied Political Theory

• Comparative Politics

• Public Policy Analysis.

Integrated Placement YearThis four-year course features a year-long placement in industry between your second and final year of study.This is an opportunity to enhance your employability, build your network and develop excellent professional contacts. A successful industry placement can also lead to a job offer with your placement company upon graduation. We have a dedicated placement coordinator who can provide advice and support in your search for a placement.For more information, please visit the programme page: https://www.reading.ac.uk/ready-to-study/study/subject-area/politics-ug/ba-war-peace-and-international-relations-with-placement-year

Modules

The following modules have been approved in principle for delivery in 2025/26. Please note that as part of our current curriculum improvement process, all modules require final University approval and may be subject to change. Core modules for this course: Politics of Climate Change;Introduction to Contemporary Democracy;War and Warfare;War and Peace since 1800;Global Order.The University cannot guarantee that all optional modules will be available to all students who may wish to take them. Further information about the content of final approved modules will be available in the summer of 2024. We suggest that you regularly revisit our course page during this time to ensure you have the most up-to-date information regarding the modules offered on this programme. Check our website for more details about the course structure.

---

The following modules have been approved in principle for delivery in 2025/26. Please note that as part of our current curriculum improvement process, all modules require final University approval and may be subject to change. Core modules for this course: Politics of Climate Change; Introduction to Contemporary Democracy; War and Warfare; War and Peace since 1800; Global Order. The University cannot guarantee that all optional modules will be available to all students who may wish to take them. Further information about the content of final approved modules will be available in the summer of 2024. We suggest that you regularly revisit our course page during this time to ensure you have the most up-to-date information regarding the modules offered on this programme. Check our website for more details about the course structure.