International Relations and Modern Languages

Why do international conflicts arise? What determines a country’s foreign policy? What are the prospects for international cooperation, necessary to address problems like global warming and environmental degradation?

Politics and political events dominate domestic and international news, impacting on our day-to-day lives as well as shaping the future. Beginning with an overview of international relations in your first year, from global political economy to studies of conflict of security, you then have a choice of topics to explore, such as:

- Comparative politics

- International political economy

- Political theory

- Politics of the Middle East

You also study up to two of the languages offered at Essex: French, German, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese, completing at least one language to Mastery level. Each of these languages is widely used in the business world, and can take you to a level of near-fluency. Many of our graduates go on to develop successful global careers with international firms looking for language specialists.

We also offer a month-long summer course abroad with fees paid for by us if you start a language from scratch via the intensive route.

We are a place where talented students become part of an academic community in which the majority of research is rated ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’, placing us firmly within the top 10 departments in the UK (REF 2014). We are also ranked among the top 40 departments on the planet according to the QS World [University] Rankings [2018] for politics and international studies.

If you want a global outlook, are interested in human communication, and want to study for a degree with real-world practical value in a world-class department, welcome to Essex.