Politics and International Relations [with Foundation Year]

On our BA Politics and International Relations degree, you’ll study the workings of society and governments around the globe, including questions of power, justice, democracy, empire, security, revolution, activism, and identity.

Our curriculum stretches from Africa to America to Britain and Europe. You’ll gain insights into change and continuity in national and global governance, how leaders and politicians have influenced such processes, and how the directions and decisions of political parties and institutions have affected the lives of ordinary people.

You’ll explore the impact of individual leaders like Tony Blair and Vladimir Putin alongside the role of international organisations and alliances, as well as wider issues of international conflict and world peace, consumption and trade, crime and terrorism, and media and communication.

In addition to the focus on politics and international relations, you’ll also gain a range of transferable skills to equip you for your graduate future. Your use of data analysis and different sources from government documents to focus groups plus innovative assessments that include, but go far beyond, the traditional essay, will give you an impressive narrative to tell in future job applications.

As a Politics and International Relations student at ARU, you'll graduate with a degree that will equip you for a career working for a political party, in diplomacy and other parts of the civil service for international organisations, or in other jobs as varied as hedge fund trader or teacher. 

Lectures, seminars and classroom time are a vital part of our BA Politics and International Relations degree, but you will have the opportunity to broaden your horizons. In your time at ARU, you could access the original documents of figures such as Margaret Thatcher and Winston Churchill (held in the city of Cambridge where you’ll be taught) and see how they handled the big international and political crises of their day.

You could hear leading politicians speak at the Cambridge Union or at the various political clubs across the city. You could access the latest journal articles and books in libraries across town to give you up to date insights into today’s politics. And you would have the option to study a language or undertake a work placement as part of your course, to further equip you with skills, knowledge and experience to prepare you for your graduate future.

Careers

As a BA (Hons) Politics and International Relations graduate, you could go on to work in a variety of fields, including local government, charities, NGOs, and European and international organisations and agencies. You might also explore career paths in public service, the criminal justice system, future energy policy and planning, security, negotiation and peacekeeping, or communication and media.

As part of your degree you have the option to learn a language, through our Anglia Language Programme. This can boost your employability in international areas such as UN conflict resolution and diplomacy.

You could also learn more, develop a specialism or start an exciting career in research with our MA International Relations, MA Sociology or MA Criminology. Take advantage of our Alumni Scholarship and get 20% off your fees.

Employability and personal career development

Informed by employers, our courses support an integrated approach to employability. You’ll have opportunities to develop the skills and abilities they are looking for and gain a deeper understanding of how your academic learning relates to the world of work through Live Briefs and Ruskin Modules.

You will need to dedicate time outside of your course to develop your employability, through placements, internships or volunteering or through our partner scheme Students at the Heart of Knowledge Exchange (SHoKE). You can add this experience to your CV and talk about it in interviews to give you that all important edge.