International Relations and Politics - BA (Hons)

Northumbria University, Newcastle

Current, relevant and inspiring, this International Relations and Politics degree offers an exciting opportunity to study the political dimensions of life around the world, recognising the connections between people, locales, ideas and problems. We provide an extensive range of modules, from Chinese Politics to Terrorism and Active Citizens, allowing you to explore politics from all angles. We work with you to explore contemporary challenges that are covered in various modules and from different angles for example, environmental politics and climate change, the place of contemporary Britain in a changing world, or the role of the media in shaping our understanding of the world, social and political problems, and the political responses to them. The theme of ''democracy and active citizens'' encourages you to ask why some states become democratic and others don’t, how politics work in non-democratic countries, what democracy is and whether we still need it, how democracy is practised at local and regional level, and how individuals and groups (active citizens) face today’s crisis of democracy. The theme of ''war, conflict and security'' investigates why states go to war with each other and how they manage to avoid doing so, how we engage with security challenges within and beyond our own borders, how war and conflict are regulated through international organisations, and what type of challenges we face in a world in which war between states has become rare. Governance is the unifying theme for both international politics and domestic politics as you will analyse a range of institutions from the local to the international, and ways of managing social and political problems beyond traditional centralised, top-down approaches of organising. Taking an integrated approach to academic theory and applying it to real world problems, this International Relations and Politics course will provide you with the tools to make a difference in your personal and professional life.This course aims to produce global citizens who are incisive and creative thinkers and not afraid to ask the big and often challenging questions. Our aim is to develop students who believe they can change society for the better. Many of our graduates go on to work in politics, for example as analysts or advisers for MPs and political parties, for local government or the Civil Service. This degree prepares you well for a career in the legal profession and journalism, while the analytical and independent research skills you gain will also serve you well in management roles elsewhere, such as retail. Graduates on related degrees have gone on to enjoy careers in Westminster and Brussels, in local government, in the charitable sector, in retail, banking and finance and in self-employment. Many graduate jobs require you to gather, synthesise and represent complex ideas and relationships in writing, in oral presentations and increasingly also visually. Our teaching and learning activities will provide you with plenty of opportunity to give presentations and practise your ability to inform, ‘teach’ and indeed persuade your audience. Using a range of active learning activities, such as simulations and debates, as well as innovative types of assessment, you will be able to apply your learning and prepare for future employment. This course will foster your intellectual curiosity and help you to become a critical, independent thinker. You will be introduced to a range of learning activities that have employability and enterprise at the core. You will have the opportunity to do work experience and engage in extra-curricular activities such as debating or volunteering to further develop your skills and, more importantly, your interests.