BSc (Hons) Politics & International Relations

Joining our campus in London means having the city as a classroom, with the seat of the UK government and many of its agencies, prominent international organisations (e.g. UN IMO), world-renowned research institutes (e.g. Chatham House – The Royal Institute of International Affairs), think-tanks (e.g. Adam Smith Institute), policy centres (e.g. Global Policy Institute), and many archives and libraries immediately surrounding our campus. This strategic location offers students one of the most current and vibrant environments to pursue politics and international relations courses and participate in discourses defining our present and future.

The BSc (Hons) Politics & International Relations degree comprises: (1) political science – analysing the organisation of government and society; (2) political theory – examining normative questions, political ideas, and ideologies; and (3) international relations – the only disciplinary field specifically concerned with the international problems of war, peace, security, economy, globalisation, and the conflicting and cooperative engagement amongst states and between state and non-state actors.

The curriculum includes politics and international relations courses that appraise the relationship between the individual and the state, the sources of authority, and forms of governance with significant implications for policy-making, policy choices, and policy outcomes. It fosters an understanding of agency through the study of power, justice, anarchy, order, conflict, legitimacy, accountability, obligation, sovereignty, mediation, security, governance, and decision-making at different levels of governance (e.g. local, regional, and global).

This unique programme combines a rigorous politics and international relations syllabus with a personalised elective pathway. Students can choose to either deepen their focus on politics and international relations through elective courses, or they can further contextualise and broaden their studies with courses that align with interests and goals further afield.

Northeastern University London’s politics and international relations students develop a broad range of in-demand skills and knowledge relevant to institutional decision- and policy-making. Graduates can manage complex information flows and networks, collect appropriate material from a broad range of sources, and undertake causal and applied projects to develop and promote critical thinking. Students acquire the ability to contribute to debates on topical issues of great currency, and apply theoretical and methodological tools of policy, institutional, and behavioural analysis.

These valuable and transferable skills make graduates ideal candidates for a wide array of politics and international relations jobs upon graduation. Such career opportunities include for example working in the public sector’s governmental and intergovernmental institutions and agencies; in the private sector – in risk analysis and management within security and financial outfits, and in journalism; in the third sector – public policy analysis and review in think tanks and charities; and in the hybrid sector – towards sustainable development, social value accounting, etc.

Our growing range of Elective courses include the subjects that have in the past been available as minors, plus some new popular subjects and interdisciplinary themes.

Focus on one subject or study multiple subjects.

Flexible Elective Pathway courses will enable students to choose to either:

• Deepen focus in their degree subject
  or
• Combine their politics and international relations courses with courses in a particular second subject or
• Explore a broad range of subjects, developing agile thinking across disciplinary boundaries

Discipline Pathways

• Art & Design
• Business
• Computer Science
• Creative Writing
• Data Science
• Economics
• English
• History
• Law
• Philosophy
• Politics & International Relations
• Philosophy, Politics & Economics (PPE)

Thematic Pathways

• Sustainability
• Technology & Ethics

Focus on one one subject or study multiple subjects 

Elective courses enable students to either deepen their focus on Politics & International Relations, or to combine their studies with courses in a particular second subject, or to explore a broad range of subjects, developing agile thinking across disciplinary boundaries.

• Rigorous, in-depth core subject study
• Interdisciplinary degrees, built around real-world problems
• Flexibility to create your own academic pathway with elective courses
• Gain core competencies and develop practical and transferable skills for politics and international relations jobs
• Experiential politics and international relations courses that drive real-world change
• Explore the big issues that need agile thinking crossing subject boundaries
• Acquire the knowledge and experience that will empower you to make a meaningful impact in a fast-changing world
• Experience a semester abroad at the Boston campus of Northeastern University, USA, one of the best politics and international relations universities today

You will experience learning at the University through a combination of formats and class sizes. Some of our politics and international relations courses are delivered through a high number of scheduled teaching or ‘contact’ hours, while others focus on smaller, more personalised, guided independent study, or hands-on or community-based projects.

Our academic staff selects the most appropriate pedagogy and contact hours for each individual course to support students to develop and succeed in their studies. This means that within your undergraduate Politics & International Relations degree you are likely to experience a combination of scheduled lectures, workshops, seminars and tutorials. The exact balance of these types of learning and number of contact hours will depend on the specific electives and optional courses you choose.

Most lectures and seminars will have a maximum of 40 student participants, while tutorials will typically have five or fewer students, and may sometimes be one-to-one. This personalised approach to teaching allows everyone to participate and thrive.

Study in the USA

You will have an option to spend a semester at Northeastern University in Boston, USA during your second year, providing you with an international study experience.
Plus, you can choose to add an extra fourth year of study in Boston to earn a bachelor’s degree from one of the top universities for politics and international relations in the USA, in addition to your degree from a university in London.

Core competencies are embedded within this degree, preparing you to succeed in a wide range of politics and international relations jobs as soon as you graduate.

By the time you graduate, you will have taken courses fulfilling the following three competencies:

1. Writing Across Audiences and Genres
2. Integrating Knowledge and Skills Through Experience
3. Demonstrating Thought and Action in a Final Project (can be dissertation)

You will also have taken courses inculcating a minimum of four of these additional competencies, depending on your learning pathways:

• Engaging with the Natural and Designed World
• Exploring Creative Expression and Innovation
• Interpreting Culture
• Conducting Formal and Quantitative Reasoning
• Understanding Societies and Institutions
• Analysing and Using Data
• Engaging Differences and Diversity
• Employing Ethical Reasoning

What can you do with a politics and international relations degree? From day one, our dedicated Careers Advisors will work with you to find your answer to this question. Some students arrive at our university knowing what politics and international relations degree jobs they’re aiming for, others need help finding their direction. Our Advisors are here to help both.

Advisors will help to identify aspirations and explore careers, as well as assist with the development of CVs, and developing an ‘elevator pitch’ to differentiate yourself in a crowded market. Whether you’re applying for jobs, internships, or placements, our Advisors are here to help you achieve your ambition in the field of politics and international relations. They also offer guidance across a wide range of sectors, including professional services, government, creative industries, law, and banking.