Overview

Overview

• Over three years, you gain a thorough overview of the key forces and trends driving politics in a wide range of areas such as the environment, human rights and equality, conventional and non-conventional security threats, policy-making, strategy, China’s rise, Russia's international relations and the future role of the EU and the US.
• In today’s world of uncertain alliances and emerging popular movements, there is a new demand for experts who are equipped with the skills and knowledge to analyse global politics. You learn the various theoretical tools that are available to undertake such analyses and apply them to current political affairs.
• On our distinctive programme you are encouraged to become an independent, critical inquirer and aspirational learner. Each module is designed by members of staff to reflect current debates within their disciplines and is shaped by their areas of research expertise.
• Year 1 gives you a solid grounding in global political studies, including an introduction to International Relations, British and American Politics, Human Rights, the struggle for political equality, security studies and terrorism, geopolitics and political philosophy.
• In Year 2, you study modules relating to institutions and concepts behind global governance, foreign policy, political leadership and communication, US presidential politics, gender and conflict, liberty and extremism and political and religious themes in the near and Middle East. You also study research methods and have an opportunity for a work placement and study abroad.
• Your final year features modules on dealing with political ideologies, security dynamics in the Global South, the politics of resource competition, environmental politics and opportunities to specialise with options relating to social movements, US foreign policy and Russian politics. Having built up an understanding of the core research methods and taught modules, you undertake a dissertation on a topic of your choice; this is a significant piece of independent research supported by expert supervision.
• Find out more about the Department of Social Sciences.