Politics with International Relations (with Foundation Year) BA (Hons)

The University of Winchester

• Develop your knowledge and analytical skills to understand politics at domestic, regional and international levels
• Join a department that has averaged over 95% overall satisfaction since 2013 in National Student Surveys of final-year undergraduate students
• Benefit from small numbers in tutorials, which allow for rewarding discussions and debates and closer interaction with our expert staff
• Pursue your own interests through a wide range of specialist optional modules, which cover topical issues such as The War on Terror, 21st Century Africa and
• The Ethics of the Post‐Crash Economy

- How on earth do we make sense of Brexit, Trump and terrorism? Why do countries go to war? And how can I actively participate in policy making?

Our compelling course and enthusiastic team of expert lecturers will help you answer these questions and get to grips with the complexity of domestic, regional and international political life. 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 and animal rights, conventional and non-conventional security threats, diplomacy, strategy, China’s rise, 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. A Foundation Year is the perfect way to boost your academic skills, build your confidence and develop your wider subject knowledge so you can succeed at Winchester. This course offers an extra year of study at the start (Year 0) which leads onto a full degree programme (Years 1, 2 and 3). A Foundation Year is ideal if you are returning to education after a break; haven’t quite achieved the entry qualifications required; are wanting more support during the transition to studying at university; or are unsure about which subject you wish to pursue. In Year 0, you will study a set of modules from across the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences which are designed to develop your academic and practical skills. This broader focus in your first year introduces you to studying at university level and provides you with a better understanding of Politics, International Relations and related subjects.

Year 1 (2nd year of study) gives you a solid grounding in global political studies, including an introduction to International Relations, British and American Politics, Human Rights in the Global Political Economy and Principles of Micro- and Macroeconomics. In Year 2 (3rd year of study), you study the institutions and concepts behind US and Russian foreign policies, Strategic and Security Studies, Southern Cultures, Political and Religious Themes in the Near and Middle East and International Law. Your final year features compulsory modules in Diplomatic Studies, China: 21st Century Challenges, Politics of International Courts, Human Rights in World Politics, and Politics, Energy and the Environment. 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.