Politics and International Relations

Politics and international relations brings together two disciplines that are concerned with how power is exercised and contested, one primarily within states and one primarily between them. Politics examines the institutions, processes, and ideas through which societies make collective decisions: constitutions, governments, parties, elections, public policy, and the ideologies that frame political debate. International relations focuses on the relationships between states and other actors across borders, addressing diplomacy, security, international law, global governance, trade, and the dynamics of conflict and cooperation in a world without a single overarching authority.

The University of Bath's three-year full-time Politics and International Relations programme develops rigorous analytical skills in both disciplines within a research-intensive environment. You will engage with core theoretical frameworks in politics and international relations, including realism, liberalism, constructivism, and critical perspectives, and you will apply these frameworks to contemporary issues ranging from electoral politics and populism to security dilemmas, climate negotiations, and the politics of international economic institutions. Bath has particular strengths in European politics, security studies, and global governance, and the programme takes seriously the empirical study of how political actors behave as well as the normative questions about how they should.

You will develop skills in research methods, quantitative and qualitative analysis, and academic writing that are valued across a wide range of professional contexts.

A typical entry tariff of 168 points reflects the competitive admissions context and the academic standard of the programme.

Graduates pursue careers in the civil service and foreign service, international organisations, policy research, journalism, NGOs, political consultancy, law, and business with a public affairs dimension. Many also proceed to postgraduate study in international relations, political science, law, or public policy.