BA Politics and International Relations

This isn’t a course where you just sit in lectures and write essays — at Reading, you’ll get to test out your ideas in real-world settings. From political simulations to professional placements, the degree is designed to build your confidence and give you practical experience alongside academic knowledge. You’ll also benefit from guest speakers, research opportunities, and access to specialist facilities that bring global politics to life.

Here’s what that looks like in practice:

• Model United Nations trips – represent a country, debate with others, and see how the UN works through live simulations.

• Crisis role-plays – in modules like The Middle East, you’ll step into the shoes of decision-makers and learn how to negotiate under pressure.

• Media projects – on Media and Politics, you might even produce your own political radio show, sharpening your communication and media skills.

• Teamwork and presentations – many modules involve working with classmates to analyse issues, debate solutions, and present your findings.

• Professional placements – you can take short placements or a full placement year, with past students working at places like the Cabinet Office, Office for National Statistics, Microsoft and Disney.

• Dedicated placement support – a specialist coordinator helps you find roles and prepare applications.

• Guest lectures – meet high-profile figures such as John Bercow (former Speaker of the House of Commons) and Alastair Campbell, who bring insider insight into politics.

• Undergraduate research schemes – get paid experience working on live academic projects through the Reading Internship Scheme (RIS).

• Research centres and institutes – take part in events run by centres such as REAPP (Reading Ethics and Political Philosophy), the Ways of War Centre, and the UN and Global Order Programme.

A Politics and International Relations degree from Reading opens doors to a wide range of careers. Many graduates go into roles like policy officer in government, researcher in think tanks, political journalist, or consultant. Because you’ll graduate with strong analytical, communication and research skills, you’ll also be well prepared for careers in business, NGOs, or international organisations. And if you choose the placement year, you’ll already have professional experience on your CV when you graduate.

Here’s how Reading supports your future success:

• Careers support you can count on – a dedicated placement coordinator will help you secure internships and placements, while the university’s Careers & Employability team offers workshops, mock interviews, CV reviews, and one-to-one coaching.

• Strong employment outcomes – around 93% of graduates are working or in further study within 15 months of finishing this degree. Those who take the placement year report average starting salaries of about £26,000.

• Real-world connections – past students have landed placements at places like the Cabinet Office, Office for National Statistics, Microsoft, Disney, and the Department of Health and Social Care.

• Long-term value – the degree is designed to UK quality benchmarks and taught by a department with internationally recognised research, giving your qualification strong weight with employers and postgraduate institutions.

• Graduate destinations – alumni work across the civil service, NGOs, media and communications, research, consultancy, and even finance, with some continuing directly with organisations where they interned during their studies.

Further Academic Progression

If you’d like to keep studying after your degree, Reading offers excellent routes forward. You could move into a Master’s in International Relations, Public Policy, Security Studies or Global Governance, or take advantage of the university’s partnerships with institutions like Jindal Global University and KDI School of Public Policy for postgraduate opportunities abroad. For those drawn to research, the department also provides pathways to MPhil or PhD study, with world-leading centres such as the UN and Global Order Programme and the Ways of War Centre offering a strong research community.