Global Politics and International Relations

Global politics and international relations examine the forces that shape life beyond national borders: the competition and cooperation between states, the rise and decline of international institutions, the causes of conflict and conditions for peace, and the governance challenges posed by issues such as climate change, migration, and the regulation of the global economy. The field draws on political theory, history, economics, and sociology to build frameworks that can make sense of a world where no single authority exists and where power is exercised in multiple and often contested ways.

At Birkbeck this three-year full-time BA provides a thorough grounding in international politics alongside detailed engagement with the most pressing global challenges of the current period. You will explore competing theoretical approaches to international relations, including realism, liberalism, constructivism, and critical theories, and examine how they apply to real political dynamics at regional and global levels. The programme develops both your analytical skills and your ability to communicate complex arguments clearly and persuasively, preparing you for contexts where the ability to understand and explain global events is directly relevant.

Birkbeck's distinctive position as a university with a strong tradition of engaged, intellectually rigorous teaching in the social sciences means you will encounter global politics through a genuinely critical lens, with attention to questions of power, inequality, and the limits of existing frameworks.

Graduates pursue careers in international organisations, government and the civil service, NGOs and charities, journalism and media, think tanks and policy research, international business, diplomacy, and education. The combination of political analysis and global perspective is highly transferable, and many graduates also go on to postgraduate study in international relations, political science, global governance, or law.