International Relations and History

International Relations and History is built on a recognition that the world as it exists today cannot be understood without understanding how it came to be. International relations is concerned with the behaviour of states, international organisations, and non-state actors on the global stage, exploring questions of war, diplomacy, trade, and governance. History grounds that analysis in evidence from the past, tracing the long chains of cause and consequence that connect particular events to broader patterns of change.

At the University of Leicester, this three-year full-time programme brings the two disciplines into close dialogue. You will examine the ways in which historical change has produced the international order, and how that order in turn generates new historical conditions. The course develops your ability to work with primary sources, to evaluate competing historical interpretations, and to apply theoretical frameworks from international relations to concrete cases.

You will also have the opportunity to undertake a placement year and a year abroad, gaining practical professional experience and spending time studying in a different country, both of which deepen your understanding of global affairs from a perspective you could not develop from a single campus alone.

Graduates from this programme are well suited to roles in the civil service, foreign affairs, international organisations, journalism, research, and the charity sector. The analytical and communication skills the degree develops are also valued in law, consultancy, and policy work at national and international level. Many graduates go on to postgraduate study in international relations, history, security studies, global politics, or law, using their undergraduate training as a platform for more specialised work in academia or professional practice.