BA Politics and International Relations (with integrated year studying abroad)

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

Aberystwyth University

Program Overview

If you’re fascinated by global affairs and want to understand how politics shapes everything from security to climate change, this degree gives you the perfect foundation — with the added advantage of studying abroad for a full year. It’s designed for students who want to explore why countries act the way they do, how global challenges emerge, and what it takes to make an impact in international politics.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1

Your first year introduces you to the big questions that define politics and international relations today. Through modules like Behind the Headlines, Exploring the International: Central Concepts and Core Skills, and Politics in the 21st Century, you’ll learn how power works, how global events unfold, and how to analyse political systems with confidence. These classes help you build your academic skills while connecting theory to today’s real-world issues.

Year 2

In your second year, you begin to go deeper into political ideas and global systems. You’ll study modules such as International Relations: Perspectives and Debates and People and Power: Understanding Comparative Politics Today, which help you compare different governments and understand how global actors make decisions. Optional modules like Economic Diplomacy and Leadership or The Strategy and Politics of Nuclear Weapons allow you to start shaping your degree around your interests.

Year 3 – Study Abroad Year

Your third year is spent at one of Aberystwyth’s partner universities around the world — in Europe, North America, or the Asia-Pacific. This year gives you a unique chance to live in another country, take specialist modules abroad, immerse yourself in another culture, and gain a truly international perspective on global politics. It’s an experience that builds independence, confidence, and global awareness.

Year 4 (Final Year)

Returning to Aberystwyth for your final year, you’ll take more advanced modules and complete a substantial dissertation on a topic you’re passionate about — whether that’s global justice, diplomacy, international security or political theory. By the time you graduate, you’ll have strong analytical skills, international experience, and a clear sense of your future direction.

Focus areas:

international relations, global politics, diplomacy, security studies, comparative politics, global change

Learning outcomes:

critical thinking, global awareness, comparative political analysis, research skills, communication, policy evaluation

Professional alignment (accreditation):

Although not tied to an external accrediting body, the programme is taught within the historic Department of International Politics — the world’s first — giving you access to academic expertise and a curriculum enriched by real-world political insight and global engagement.

Reputation (employability rankings):

The department boasts 92% student satisfaction (NSS 2024) and is ranked Top 5 in the UK for student experience in Politics (Good University Guide 2025), reflecting strong teaching quality and student support.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

What makes this degree truly stand out is how much real-world experience you gain as you study. You won’t just learn about political systems and global issues in theory — you’ll step into simulations, work with real political actors, explore international perspectives, and spend an entire year studying in another country. From your first semester, the course is designed to build your confidence, practical skills, and global awareness through hands-on activities, digital tools, and immersive opportunities.

Here’s what your practical learning experience will look like:

Crisis Games and political simulations, where you take on roles in international decision-making scenarios, experience diplomatic pressure, and learn to negotiate, solve problems, and think strategically as global events unfold.
Parliamentary Placement Scheme, allowing you to work directly with an MP in Westminster or a Member of the Senedd in Cardiff — a rare chance to see how political offices function behind the scenes.
A full year abroad, spent at one of Aberystwyth’s partner universities across Europe, North America, or the Asia-Pacific. This experience broadens your global perspective, exposes you to new political contexts, and strengthens your cultural confidence.
Strong digital and research resources, including access to Aber’s excellent library collections, political databases, online journals, and IT services — everything you need to support research, presentations, and independent projects.
A vibrant political community, with opportunities to join the InterPol Society, take part in student-run roundtable debates, publish in the Interstate journal, or join international-themed events and workshops that enrich your learning outside the classroom.
Regular guest lectures, talks, and events, where speakers from government, diplomacy, NGOs, and academia share insight into real-world political and international challenges.

Progression & Future Opportunities

With this degree, you’ll come away with more than academic knowledge — you’ll have global experience, analytical insight and the confidence to step into impactful roles across politics, policy, international affairs, or research. Graduates of this programme regularly move into positions such as Policy Analyst, Diplomatic Service Officer, International Relations Consultant, or Global Development Researcher. Then we’ve got the next part:

Dedicated careers and employability support: Aberystwyth’s Careers Service provides personalised guidance, help in securing internships and placements, and connections to employer networks in government, NGOs, policy research and international bodies.
Strong graduate outcomes: The Department of International Politics enjoys student satisfaction rates of about 92% (NSS 2024) and consistently ranks in the UK Top 5 for student experience—highlighting how well students are supported and prepared.
Industry and international links: Thanks to the study-abroad component and active departmental partnerships, you’ll build a global network, gain cultural confidence and experience that set you apart in the job market.
Long-term value in a global age: The combination of political insight, cross-cultural experience, research skills and a global mindset makes you an attractive candidate for careers in diplomacy, global governance, policy, international business and academia.
Graduation outcome: By the time you complete your degree, you’ll have substantial academic credentials, lived and studied abroad, engaged in real-world political issues, and developed the communication and research skills employers look for.

Further Academic Progression:

After earning your degree, you’ll be equipped to move into postgraduate study such as a Master’s in International Relations, Global Policy, Security Studies, Diplomacy, or Political Communication. If you have a passion for deep research, you could also follow the path into an MRes or PhD, entering the world of academic or policy-focused research and analysis.