International Relations and Politics BA (Hons)

University of Portsmouth

Overview

Make sense of the world and the forces shaping nations. Understand the factors behind war, conflict and collaboration between states. Explore what democracy, freedom and equality mean to people at home and abroad.

On this BA (Hons) International Relations and Politics degree, you’ll analyse the global and local issues influencing society, from global migration to the rise of populist politics – and learn the skills needed to help enact change, shape opinions, and tackle inequality.

You’ll explore the latest developments in British and international politics, and set yourself up for careers in local and national government, international diplomacy, security, lobbying, academic research, the charity sector and the media.

Course highlights

• Learn from staff at our Centre for European and International Studies Research (CEISR), whose research impacts government policy
• Create policy briefing papers offering recommendations to practitioners on major recent international issues, such as the Ukraine Crisis, the 'MeToo' movement, the rise of terrorist organisations and the Arab Revolutions
• Attend events and talks led by people working in NGOs, local, national and international government, and 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 chance to study abroad at one of our partner institutions – including Science Po Strasbourg (France), Maastricht University (Netherlands), Université libre de Bruxelles (Belgium) and University of Szeged (Hungary)

Careers and opportunities

The analytical skills you’ll develop on this course are in demand – your ability to understand complex issues and find solutions to them means that roles across government agencies, NGOs, charities, think tanks and international organisations are all within your reach.

And with technology continuing to develop at a frantic pace, there’s an ever-increasing demand for graduates with the knowledge required to ensure new developments are ethical.

When you finish the course, our Careers and Employability service can help you find a job that puts your skills and cultural experience to work.

What can you do with an International Relations and Politics degree?

Graduates from this degree have gone on to careers in the following sectors:

• local and central government
• embassies
• non-governmental organisations (NGOs)
• security services
• international organisations, like the United Nations (UN)
• international charities like War Child, Amnesty International or the Red Cross
• policy research and think tanks
• media and international business consultancy
• political risk analysis
• public relations
• voluntary organisations
• management
• banking and financial services
• tourism

What jobs can you do with an International Relations and Politics degree?

Recent graduates have gone on to roles including:

• political researcher, Houses of Parliament
• assistant to Member of Parliament
• civil servant, Department for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
• senior policy advisor, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
• communications officer, House of Commons
• local government administrator, Government of Jersey
• director of Language Studies for an international school
• public affairs consultant
• bilingual consultant
• multilingual project coordinator
• translator
• social researcher
• information officer
• conference producer

After you leave the University, you can get help, advice and support for up to 5 years from our Careers and Employability service as you advance in your career.