International Politics BSc

You only have to turn on the news or open a newspaper to see how differently the nations of the world are governed. What is democracy and democratisation? How has US foreign policy changed in the last 20 years? What is globalisation?

Politics is an exciting and dynamic subject, simulating debate and offering insight in how the ever-changing world around us works. It’s also a degree that can demonstrate your intellectual acumen and understanding of world affairs, which will be an asset in so many fields of work.

As well as providing a foundation in the approaches and theories of politics and international relations, through this degree you will develop your understanding of the importance of politics in a globalising and integrating world.

Whether you’re studying modern Africa, imperialism or Trump’s foreign policy, you’ll not just learn about politics, you’ll be analysing politics using the tools of political science and philosophy to help deepen your understanding and critical thinking.

Opt for a placement year and you'll gain work experience that is highly valued by employers. Brunel students have secured placements in the Environmental Audit Committee, the House of Commons, Directorate of Gender Affairs, HM Treasury and the Competition Commission, to name only a few.

You can also opt to take part of your degree abroad in one of our partner universities in Europe, or participate in an exchange programme to China or the USA to study politics in a different part of the world whilst experiencing a new culture.

Brunel is a dynamic university choice for your politics course. You’ll be taught by politics experts who are often called on to comment on radio and television. The Brunel campus has hosted the filming of BBC’s Question Time and is a political hub during local and national elections.

Brunel politics graduates enter diverse careers. Many of our former students go into politics and the civil service and some are currently at GCHQ and military intelligence. Others work in the public and private sector like the NHS, international banks, business consultancy, law, NGOs and the media. Whichever route you chose, an international politics degree with Brunel will set you up for a successful future.

The course content is made up of a variety of subject area strands that can be studied across all three years of the programme. At every level, there are modules relating to each strand. After taking the compulsory modules in the first year, you can choose to study across a range of strands, or specialise in particular strands. Below is a list of the strands :

American Politics: The United States is hugely influential both as a global power and as a political beacon. This strand assesses the nature of the American polity exploring across the three years the role of America’s political institutions, key issues facing the American political system and the role and function of the media in fashioning American government policy.

Comparative Politics: The relationship between different polities is a key area of modern political science research. This strand engages with this by assessing in a comparative frame: different countries, their political systems and the actors engaging with the political systems. Comparisons across countries and/or across time are used to explore the differences and similarities between the systems to answer questions on who gets what, when and how in terms of allocation of resources within and between polities.

International Relations/World Politics: The architecture and operation of the global international order is a key pillar of the modern world. This strand assesses the nature of that system, how it came into being and where it is going. This will include assessing the nature of the global political order and its key institutions and players, major theories that allow one to understand this and key contemporary issues such as foreign policy, conflict and peace, both generally and in specific geographical regions, e.g. the Middle East, Africa or Asia.

Methodology and Research Skills: This strand will help you develop the tools for sustained research in political science. This will include research design, qualitative methods, such as interview techniques, as well as quantitative analysis of, for example, polling data. There will be an opportunity to take this to an advanced level and develop key transferable research skills.

Political Ideology and Theory: This strand explores political thought across the ages from ancient times to the present. You will begin with a broad survey of major ideas in political theory, before being able to look in greater depth at particular ideologies, e.g. liberalism,Marxism, fascism and particular concepts such as multiculturalism and equality.

Optional modules are indicative and available subject to numbers.

This course can be studied 3 years full-time or 4 years full-time with placement, starting in September.

Our students pursue a wide variety of jobs after graduating. Some Brunel graduates such as John McDonnell MP, or former Labour party general secretary Baroness McDonagh, opt for careers in politics. Others have joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Home Office, the Civil Service, GCHQ and military intelligence.

Our students pursue a wide variety of jobs after graduating. Some go into Politics and the civil service and have worked for Members of the Parliment such as John McDonnell MP, or former Labour party general secretary Baroness McDonagh. Other graduates have joined Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Home Office, GCHQ and military intelligence. Others work in the public and private sectors, law and NGOs whilst some graduates become researchers, teachers and librarians.

• GCE A-level BBB.
• BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma DDM.
• BTEC Level 3 Diploma DD and  A-level at grade B.
• BTEC Level 3 Subsidiary Diploma D in any subject with A-levels grade BB.
• International Baccalaureate Diploma 30 points. GCSE English equivalent SL 5 or HL 4 and Mathematics SL 4 or HL 4.
• Obtain a minimum of 120 UCAS tariff points in the Access to HE Diploma with 45 credits.

A minimum of five GCSEs are required, including GCSE Mathematics grade C or grade 4 and GCSE English Language grade C or grade 4 or GCSE English Literature grade B or grade 5.

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Please check our Admissions pages for more information on other factors we use to assess applicants as well as our full GCSE requirements and accepted equivalencies in place of GCSEs.

• IELTS: 6.5 (min 5.5 in all areas)
• Pearson: 58 (51 in all subscores)
• BrunELT: 65% (min 55% in all areas)
• TOEFL: 92 (min R18, L17, S20, W17) 

You’ll be taught in lectures and seminars by academic staff who are internationally known for publishing and presenting papers worldwide. Their research is often reported in the press and media, which will help to keep your learning contemporary and cutting edge.

You’ll also benefit from the expertise of staff who are consultants to government departments including the Cabinet Office, Home Office and Ministry of Defence in the UK; the council of Europe; the Georgian Ministry of Defence and the Canadian Department of Citizenship Abroad.

Also, the proximity to the Brunel campus to central London’s world-class research facilities, the British Library, Westminster and Whitehall, means you will be best placed to immerse yourself in an established politics arena.

Should you need any non-academic support during your time at Brunel, the Student Support and Welfare Team are here to help.

You’ll be assessed by a combination of coursework and exams, but most of your time will be spent in private study and reading. In your final year you will produce a final dissertation on a subject of your choice under the guidance of a dissertation supervisor.