History and International Relations BA (Hons)

The 21st century is marked by an array of concerns that are decidedly international in character: seemingly intractable conflict in the Middle East; marginalisation of minorities according to race or gender; the threat posed by terrorism; stark poverty and inequality; the continued transformation of the West and the rise of new global powers elsewhere. Responding to these challenges is a daunting task that requires more than one disciplinary perspective. Our programme in History and International Relations provides you with the tools to understand how the present is conditioned by our past, and how our future is determined by our knowledge of the present. History and International Relations is an exciting new programme at the Penryn Campus, drawing on the expertise of both departments. An interdisciplinary degree, it has been designed to provide an integrated training in the historical evolution and contemporary character of world politics. In your first year, you will develop a foundational understanding of historical theory and key political concepts, an introduction in the multifarious character of global violence and the tools of critical thinking. As you progress, you will receive specialised research training that deals with the particular challenges of History and International Relations research.You will have the chance to specialise in an issue or region, and choose modules that include the Arab-Israeli conflict; authoritarianism; extremism and populism; decline and fall of empire; American politics; imperialism; race; gender; protest; security and intelligence; foreign policy; and political psychology. You will have the opportunity to participate in a US field trip where you will gain a firsthand perspective on these topics from the perspective of a global superpower.With both disciplines tackling global themes and perspectives, our staff, consisting of historians and international relations experts, specialise in international security; foreign policy; intelligence studies; the politics of the European Union; the Middle East and North Africa; gender and international relations; critical military studies; comparative electoral politics; media; political psychology; political theory; quantitative and qualitative research methods; and environmental politics.Programme variations