International Relations and Sociology

International relations and sociology together offer a comprehensive framework for understanding the world we live in. International relations examines how states, international organisations, and non-state actors interact across borders, addressing questions of war and peace, trade and diplomacy, global governance, and the distribution of power in the international system. Sociology looks at the social structures, institutions, and cultural forces that shape life within societies, examining inequality, identity, social change, and the way collective life is organised and reproduced.

Together they give you tools for understanding the world at multiple scales, from the dynamics of global politics to the everyday experiences of individuals within social structures.

At the University of Glasgow, this four-year full-time degree develops expertise in both disciplines to an advanced level. You will study international relations theory, foreign policy, global security, international organisations, and the political economy of the global system alongside sociological analysis of class, gender, race, migration, culture, and social institutions. The programme includes a year abroad, which broadens your perspective significantly and gives you direct experience of a different society and educational tradition.

Research methods, both quantitative and qualitative, run through the programme, equipping you to investigate social and political questions with rigour.

You will develop sophisticated analytical skills, the capacity to engage with complex and contested evidence, and the ability to write clearly and argue persuasively, capacities that are valued across a very wide range of professional contexts.

Graduates work in diplomacy and the foreign service, international organisations, the civil service, think tanks and policy institutes, journalism, non-governmental organisations, international development, and research. The sociological grounding adds depth to the understanding of international affairs, and the combination is particularly valued in organisations that work across national and cultural boundaries. Postgraduate study in international relations, sociology, or related fields is a natural continuation for those who want to develop deeper expertise.