International Relations, BA (Hons)

University of Portsmouth, the United Kingdom

Study options for this course

The award	How you will study	Study duration	Course start	Domestic course fees	International course fees
BA (Hons)	Full-time, Sandwich	3 - 4 years	September	find out	find out

About International Relations, BA (Hons) - at University of Portsmouth

Overview

Examine the major issues affecting the world. Discover why nation states rise and fall. Take a closer look at the factors behind international conflict, and learn the role state leaders, NGOs, civil society and activists play in solving these problems.

On this BA (Hons) International Relations degree, you'll explore topics like global migration and the rise of populist politics around the world. You’ll learn the skills required to play your part in improving equality and enacting positive change.

And after graduation, you’ll be ready for careers in local and national government, security, tech, intelligence, and with international charities and institutions like the UN.

Course Highlights

Learn from staff at our Centre for European and International Studies Research (CEISR), whose research directly impacts government policy
Create policy briefing papers offering recommendations to practitioners on major recent international issues, such as the Ukraine Crisis, the 'MeToo' movement, the rise of terrorist organisations and the Arab Revolutions
Attend events and talks led by people working in NGOs, local, national and international government, and journalism
Go on field trips to locations such as the Houses of Parliament
Participate in a simulated ‘academic conference’, where you’ll present a paper that will be discussed with your peers
Have the opportunity to do a work placement year after your second or third year on this Connected Degree - we're the only UK university to offer flexible sandwich placements for undergraduates
Take up an exchange opportunity at a university outside the UK, such as Nagoya University in Japan, Science Po or Caen-Normandy University in France, The Hague University of Applied Sciences or University of Maastricht in the Netherlands, University of Western Carolina in the USA, Prince Edward Island University or Carleton University in Canada, or Edith Cowan University in Australia
Choose to learn a foreign language for free as part of your degree, from a selection of Arabic, British Sign Language, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin or Spanish

Careers and opportunities

The analytical skills you’ll develop on this course are in demand – your ability to understand complex issues and find solutions to them means that roles across government agencies, NGOs, charities, think tanks and international organisations are all within your reach.

And with technology continuing to develop at a frantic pace, there’s an ever-increasing demand for graduates with the knowledge required to ensure new developments are ethical.

When you finish the course, our Careers and Employability service can help you find a job that puts your skills and cultural experience to work.

Graduates from this degree have gone on to careers in the following sectors:

local and central government
embassies
non-governmental organisations (NGOs)
security services
international organisations, like the United Nations (UN)
international charities like War Child, Amnesty International or the Red Cross
policy research and think tanks
media and international business consultancy
political risk analysis
public relations
voluntary organisations
management
banking and financial services
tourism

Placement year (optional)

After your second or third year, you can do an optional work placement year to get valuable longer-term work experience in the industry.

Taking an optional placement year will give you the experience you need to increase your chances of landing your perfect role. We'll give you all the support you need to find a placement that prepares you for your career, and we'll continue to mentor you throughout your placement.

Previous students have been on placements to organisations such as:

The Ministry of Defence
The House of Commons
National Museum of the Royal Navy
Otra Cosa (Peru)
SEK International
Freedom from Torture
Victim Support London
Tools for Self Reliance

You could also choose to set up your own business, or take a voluntary placement.

Recent graduates have gone on to roles including:

director of Language Studies for an international school
political researcher, Houses of Parliament
assistant to Member of Parliament
civil servant, the Cabinet Office
senior policy advisor, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
communications officer, House of Commons
local government administrator, Government of Jersey
public affairs consultant
bilingual consultant
multilingual project coordinator
translator
social researcher
information officer
conference producer

Notes about fees for this course

https://www.port.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/undergraduate-fees-and-student-finance

Entry requirements

104-112 points to include a minimum of 2 A levels, or equivalent.

English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 6.0 with no component score below 5.5.

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Study options for this course

About International Relations, BA (Hons) - at University of Portsmouth

Notes about fees for this course

Entry requirements

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