Please note there are no vacancies on this course for September 2024
Page last updated 23 September 2024
BA(Hons) Politics and International Relations at UWE Bristol is an applied, future-focused course, which emphasises the importance of theory, policy, and practice in political and global affairs.
We live in an increasingly complex and interconnected world, where local issues are closely linked to global processes. In this changing context, politics impacts our lives in multiple ways. Our course focuses on the connection between politics and international relations and analyses and addresses political challenges on local, national, and global levels.
You'll gain a unique set of skills on this course, which can lead you to confidently pursue exciting career opportunities, both inside and outside the political world.
BA(Hons) Politics and International Relations at UWE Bristol is an exciting course, focused on delivering high-quality, practice-based teaching and an outstanding student experience, informed by academic research. We offer you a wide range of modules, covering topics such as human rights, gender and sexuality, ethics, race, religion, foreign policy, international security, and public policy. These modules are delivered with a strong emphasis on applying theoretical knowledge to practical solutions to local, national, and global challenges.
Our experienced and dedicated teaching team is passionate about our subjects and bring them to life through our teaching. You'll learn through a combination of lectures, workshops, and hands-on activities, such as role plays, debates, and policy analysis, all supported by modern technology. We design our classes to strengthen your academic, writing, and presentation skills, including activities that will develop your ability to think both independently and critically.
We're delighted to be one of the UK universities selected to deliver the prestigious Parliamentary Studies optional module to third year students from the 2024 academic year. The Parliamentary Studies module is formally approved by the Houses of Parliament and is co-taught by university tutors and Houses of Parliament officials. Students will gain a detailed knowledge of how Parliament works, both in theory and practice, as well as the first-hand experience of visiting and working with colleagues at Westminster.
We've embedded practice-orientated learning at all levels of the course. You'll get involved in activities such as live briefs, simulation exercises, and conflict resolution games, and we'll also offer opportunities for you to engage in workplace learning through placements. By the end of the course, you'll have developed the skills and knowledge to understand and engage with political questions and current affairs.
We've created an active learning community where students and academic staff exchange ideas in research seminars, roundtable events, and guest lectures. Regular events include field trips and careers sessions, including 'meet-the-employer' opportunities with speakers from the Civil Service, NGOs and local and international businesses. These events give you a clear view of how politics is researched and practiced, inspiring you to apply the skills you've gained in your degree.
Find out more about our academic staff, their teaching expertise and research interests.
Politics and International Relations graduates are in demand across a wide range of professions and many of our graduates have secured employment in government, the civil service, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), accountancy, human resources, media and journalism.
Many of our graduates also choose to deepen their skills and knowledge and get involved in research or education, or specialise further with postgraduate study.
The optional modules listed are those that are most likely to be available, but they may be subject to change.
All foundation year students study together and will take four compulsory modules covering introductions to Sociology, Criminology, Philosophy, Politics and International Relations, Psychology, and university level academic and study skills.
This will ensure that you have the necessary grounding across all the social science disciplines, enabling you to develop a range of perspectives that will enrich your learning at year one and beyond.
You'll study:
You normally need to pass your foundation year before going into year one.
You'll study:
You'll study:
Plus two optional modules from:
At the discretion of the Programme Leader, a set of optional Independent Study modules may be made available to facilitate participation in, and completion of, study abroad exchange schemes.
If you study on the four year (sandwich) course, you'll spend a year away from the University on a work or study placement after year two.
You'll complete a placement learning module.
See the Placements and Fees sections for more information.
You'll study:
Plus, either one or two optional modules* from:
*You'll have the choice to study either one or two of these modules, but if you complete the Sandwich year you'll only study one of them.
Plus, optional modules (the amount depending on credit requirement)** from:
**If you've studied two Final Year optional modules at this point, then none of these four modules will be available to study.
This structure is for full-time students only. Part-time students study the same modules but the delivery pattern will be different.
The University continually enhances our offer by responding to feedback from our students and other stakeholders, ensuring the curriculum is kept up to date and our graduates are equipped with the knowledge and skills they need for the real world. This may result in changes to the course. If changes to your course are approved, we'll inform you.
You'll learn through a combination of lectures, workshops, and hands-on activities. We have embedded practice-oriented learning at all levels of the course. You'll get involved in activities such as live briefs, simulation exercises, and conflict resolution games. We also have an active learning community where students and academic staff exchange ideas in research seminars, roundtable events, and guest lectures.
Where possible, you'll also have the opportunity to go on field trips to places such as the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to see modern politics in action.
Independent study is vital. You'll read around the subject in your own time, looking at books, articles, official documents and websites.
The course lecturers and tutors are involved in internationally-renowned research. Read about some of their work on e-International Relations.
You'll have a personal academic tutor, and peer-assisted learning (PAL), where you'll be mentored by a second or third year student.
Staff hold weekly office hours, where you can discuss your work or your progress more generally. We try to see you outside those times as well, and get back to any emails promptly.
Our teaching ethos is informal, supportive and welcoming.
See our full glossary of learning and teaching terms.
Percentage of time you'll spend in different learning activities, each year:
| Year | Scheduled learning and teaching study | Independent study | Placement study | % check |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 24% | 76% | 0% | 100% |
| 2 | 22% | 75% | 3% | 100% |
| 3 | 19% | 81% | 0% | 100% |
Attend our fortnightly student-staff events where guest speakers discuss contemporary issues and explain the role of politics in different professions. Recent topics have included: criminalising hate speech in a democratic society, the EU's role in the former Yugoslavia, and Iran's nuclear programme.
Keep up to date with the latest news and discuss contemporary political developments on the UWE Bristol Politics and International Relations Twitter.
You'll have at least 12 hours of teaching and related activities each week.
We'll assess you using a mix of essays, seminar presentations, timed assignments, case studies, literature reviews, oral presentations, simulation games, your dissertation and formal unseen examinations.
See our full glossary of assessment terms.
Approximate percentage of marks awarded by each assessment method*:
| Year | Written exam assessment | Coursework assessment | Practical exam assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 22% | 65% | 13% |
| 1 | 25% | 59% | 16% |
| 2 | 30% | 59% | 11% |
| 3 | 30% | 64% | 6% |
*Calculated from compulsory and optional modules (where applicable) each year
On completion of the Political Innovation, Leadership and Communication module, you'll be awarded the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) Level 3 Award in Management, awarded by the City and Guilds of London Institute.
Students who undertake work experience, or a study exchange overseas, tend to graduate with better degrees and with improved employability skills, making you a sought-after graduate.
As part of our Politics and International Relations course, you can apply for a sandwich year placement, completed in the third year of your studies. Examples of previous sandwich year placements undertaken by our students include:
We also offer volunteering and other work-based experiences, to deepen your knowledge and skills. You'll get help to find a placement and support throughout from staff within the School and our award-winning careers service.
You'll be on based on our Frenchay Campus, where you'll find modern, well-equipped facilities to support your studies.
Learn more about UWE Bristol's facilities and resources.
Take a virtual tour of the Philosophy, Politics and International Relations facilities and see what's on offer here for you.
An excellent range of options for all of the Bristol campuses and the city centre.
A stunning city for student living with all the qualities to make you want to stay.
There is more to your experience here than study. Choose to make the most of it and try new things.
We provide support in the way you need it.
Discover our campuses and the wealth of facilities provided for our students.
Politics and international relations students graduate with the skills to build fulfilling careers in many fields.
You could go on to work in government, the civil service, NGOs, research organisations or education. You'll also be well equipped to go into areas such as marketing, HR, industrial relations, PR, finance and investment, accountancy or journalism.
Postgraduate study is another option to you, where you can specialise in a particular area or do a professional qualification to move into a career like law.
Our award-winning careers service will develop your employment potential through career coaching and find you graduate jobs, placements and global opportunities.
We can also help find local volunteering and community opportunities, provide support for entrepreneurial activity and get you access to employer events.
Visit our employability pages to learn more about careers, employers and what our students are doing six months after graduating.
Your overall entitlement to funding is based on how long the course is that you're registered on. Standard funding is allocated based on the standard number of years that your course lasts, plus one additional year.
You'll apply for funding each year that you study and Student Finance will take into account how long the course is in each year that you apply. So if you register for the five year course and then transfer to the four year course, the number of years you can apply for funding will change. Student Finance will reassess your funding based on how many years you have been in study, not just those years for which you received student finance.
Always seek advice before taking any action that may have implications for your funding.
Additional costs are for items you could need during your studies that aren't covered by the standard tuition fee. These could be materials, textbooks, travel, clothing, software or printing.
International and EU applicants are required to have a minimum overall IELTS (Academic) score of 6.0 with 5.5 in each component (or approved equivalent*).
*The University accepts a large number of UK and International Qualifications in place of IELTS. You can find details of acceptable tests and the required grades you will need in our English Language section.
For information on required Guided Learning Hours please see our minimum entry requirements page.
If you exceed the entry requirements you may be eligible for BA(Hons) Politics and International Relations.
International applicants
For country specific entry requirements please find your country on the country information pages. If you're an international student and do not meet the academic requirements to study this course, you can qualify by completing preparatory study at our International College.
If you're applying to study at UWE Bristol and require additional support to meet our English language requirements, you may be able to attend one of our pre-sessional English courses. Read more about our Pre-Sessional English Programme.
Read more about entry requirements.
Read more about undergraduate applications.
UK applicants
Admissions@uwe.ac.uk
International/EU applicants
International@uwe.ac.uk
UK applicants
+44 (0)117 32 83333
International/EU applicants
+44 (0)117 32 86644