Law and Politics and International Relations

Law, politics and international relations together form a programme that addresses some of the most fundamental questions about how societies are organised and governed. Law is concerned with the obligations, duties and rights that define the relationship between individuals and between individuals and the state. Politics examines how power is acquired, exercised and contested within and between political systems.

International relations extends that analysis to the global level, exploring how states, international organisations and other actors interact in a world without a single sovereign authority. The three disciplines are deeply interconnected, and studying them together produces a more integrated understanding than any one alone can provide.

At the University of Strathclyde, this four-year degree includes a year abroad, giving you the opportunity to study in a different legal and political system and to develop an international perspective on the questions the programme addresses. Strathclyde notes clearly that studying law within the BA degree does not qualify you for entry to the legal profession; those seeking professional legal qualifications in Scotland follow the LLB route. The degree is instead designed for those who want to understand law as a social and political phenomenon, exploring its foundations in theory and practice alongside the political and international contexts in which legal systems operate.

You will study constitutional and administrative law, political theory, comparative politics, international law, international organisations, human rights and the politics of global governance, developing analytical rigour and the ability to work across different disciplinary frameworks.

Graduates go on to careers in the civil service, public policy, international organisations, non-governmental organisations, diplomacy, journalism, think tanks, research and, with additional professional training, the legal profession. Further study in law, politics, international relations or a related field is also a common route.