Politics with Foundation Year, 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	4 - 5 years	September	find out	find out

About Politics with Foundation Year, BA (Hons) - at University of Portsmouth

Overview

Understand the political issues shaping – and dividing – societies around the world, and discover the integral role politics plays in every aspect of people’s lives globally.

On this political studies degree, you’ll tackle the major issues facing people and politicians today, including Brexit, the NHS, and life in a ‘post-truth’ world.

You’ll learn politics theory, how the political world works and look at how our Parliament functions, as well as how the law and our institutions interact. You’ll study the historic moments that have shaped our democracy – and learn the skills required to play your part in changing minds, shaping policy and fighting inequality.

Course Highlights

Learn from staff at our Centre for European and International Studies Research (CEISR), whose research directly impacts government policy
Tailor your politics degree by choosing optional modules that match your interests and career ambitions, from gender in politics, to radicalisation and the rise of the far-right
Attend events and talks led by people working in local, national and international government (including current MPs and staff from the US Department of Defence), and political journalism
Go on field trips to locations such as the Houses of Parliament
Take part in a simulated ‘academic conference’, where you’ll present political theory in a paper that will be discussed with your peers
Have the opportunity to organise your own political campaign in your second year, on a political issue you care about
Choose 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
Go on an exchange 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
Take advantage of our Institution-Wide Language Programme and learn a foreign language for free as part of your degree, choosing from Arabic, British Sign Language, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin or Spanish
Opt to do a foundation year to get uni-ready ahead of this course, then take up a guaranteed place on this full Bachelor's degree when you successfully finish your foundation year

Careers and opportunities

The knowledge you gain on this politics degree, coupled with the communication, research, critical thinking and analysis skills you learn, means you'll have lots of career options when you graduate.

What sectors can you work in with a politics degree?
Many of our politics graduates go into people-focused roles, or bring their understanding of political theory to roles in research, shaping social policy or bringing about social change.

Areas you could go into include:

local and central government
consultancy and think tanks
lobbying
research and policy
teaching and lecturing (with additional training or further study)
community development
charity work
careers advice
advertising
marketing and media

What jobs can you do with a politics degree?
Previous graduates have gone onto work in jobs such as:

political researcher, Houses of Parliament
assistant to Member of Parliament
civil servant, Department for 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
social researcher
information officer
conference producer

Placement year (optional)

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

Previous students have secured placements at:

The Ministry of Defence
The House of Commons
National Museum of the Royal Navy
We’ll help you secure a work placement that fits your aspirations. You’ll get mentoring and support throughout the year.

Entry requirements

32 tariff points at A level, or equivalent.

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

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Politics with Foundation Year, BA (Hons), University of Portsmouth

Study options for this course

About Politics with Foundation Year, BA (Hons) - at University of Portsmouth

Entry requirements

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