Politics and International Relations with Placement Year

Politics and international relations is a degree that examines how power operates, how states and other actors behave in the international system, and how political decisions are made, contested, and implemented at every level from local government to the United Nations. Politics as a discipline draws on political theory, comparative politics, and the analysis of political institutions and processes. International relations brings a focus on the relations between states, the role of international organisations, the causes of war and the conditions for peace, and the global governance structures that attempt to manage shared problems from climate change to human rights.

At the University of Reading, this four-year full-time programme includes a placement year, giving you the opportunity to work in a professional environment related to your studies, whether that is a think tank, a government department, an NGO, a political party, an international organisation, or a commercial research firm. Reading has particular strengths in international security, European politics, and environmental politics, and the department's research active staff bring current scholarly debates directly into teaching. Reading's location in the South East of England gives good access to London's concentration of political and international institutions, which enriches the professional opportunities available to students on placement.

You will study political theory, comparative government, international relations theory, foreign policy analysis, global governance, and contemporary political issues at the domestic and international level. The placement year provides professional context and employer connections that strengthen your position in the graduate job market.

Graduates of politics and international relations programmes move into the civil service, the diplomatic service, international organisations, NGOs, political research, journalism, law, policy consultancy, and a range of other careers where understanding of power, institutions, and international affairs is valuable.