International Relations with Foundation Year, BA (Hons), at University of Portsmouth

International Relations with Foundation Year, BA (Hons), University of Portsmouth

the United Kingdom

Study options for this course

The award	How you will study	Study duration	Course start	Domestic course fees	International course fees
BA (Hons)	Full-time, Sandwich	4 - 5 years	September	find out	find out

About International Relations with Foundation Year, BA (Hons) - at 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 politics theory in action through the latest developments in British and international politics.

You’ll also consider what you can do with a politics degree, setting 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
Customise your international relations and politics degree with specialist subjects of your choice, such as climate change, social movements, digital technology and democracy, and human rights legislation
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 opportunity to do a work placement year after your second or third year on this Connected Degree - we're the only UK university to offer flexible sandwich placements for undergraduates
Take up an exchange opportunity at a university outside the UK, such as Nagoya University in Japan, Science Po or Caen-Normandy University in France, The Hague University of Applied Sciences or University of Maastricht in the Netherlands, University of Western Carolina in the USA, Prince Edward Island University or Carleton University in Canada, or Edith Cowan University in Australia
Choose to learn a foreign language for free as part of your degree, from a selection of Arabic, British Sign Language, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin or Spanish
Opt to do a foundation year to get uni-ready ahead of this course, then take up a guaranteed place on this full Bachelor's degree when you successfully finish your foundation year

Careers and opportunities

The analytical skills you’ll develop as you study with us are in demand - you can access a range of jobs with a politics and international relations degree, with a demonstrable ability to understand complex issues and find solutions to them. This puts roles across government agencies, NGOs, charities, think tanks and international organisations 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 a Politics and International Relations 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

Placement year (optional)

After the second or third year of your international relations and politics degree, you can do an optional work placement year to get valuable longer-term work experience in the industry.

Taking an optional placement year will give you the experience you need to increase your chances of landing your perfect role. We'll give you all the support you need to find a placement that prepares you for your career, and we'll continue to mentor you throughout your placement.

Previous students have been on placements to organisations such as:

The Ministry of Defence
The House of Commons
National Museum of the Royal Navy
Otra Cosa (Peru)
SEK International
Freedom from Torture
Victim Support London
Tools for Self Reliance

Entry requirements

32 tariff points at A level, or equivalent.

English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 5.5 with no component score below 5.5.

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International Relations with Foundation Year, BA (Hons), University of Portsmouth

Study options for this course

About International Relations with Foundation Year, BA (Hons) - at University of Portsmouth

Entry requirements

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