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International Relations at University of Portsmouth - UCAS

Course options

2024 - 20252025 - 2026
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There are other course options available which may have a different vacancy status or entry requirements – view the full list of options

University of Portsmouth has participated in the Teaching Excellence Framework. These ratings were awarded in 2023, for four years.

Course summary

This is a Connected Degree Portsmouth is the only University in the UK with the flexibility to choose when to do an optional paid placement or self-employed year. Either take a placement in your third year, or finish your studies first and complete a placement in your fourth year. You can decide if and when to take a placement after you've started your course. 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. 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
  • Take part in a simulated ‘academic conference’, where you’ll present a paper that will be discussed with your peers
  • Have the chance to study abroad at one of our partner institutions – including Science Po Strasbourg (France), Maastricht University (Netherlands), Université libre de Bruxelles (Belgium) and University of Szeged (Hungary)
Optional pathways
  • On this course, you can study history or international development alongside your international relations degree
Careers and opportunities The analytical skills you’ll develop on this course are in demand – your ability to understand complex issues and find solutions means that roles across government agencies, NGOs, charities, think tanks and international organisations are within your reach. 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
What jobs can you do with an International Relations degree? 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
After you leave the University, you can get help, advice and support for up to 5 years from our Careers and Employability service as you advance in your career.

Subject options

This course offers the following subject options:

  • International Relations with Development Studies
  • International Relations with History

Modules

Year 1 Core modules in this year include:

  • Critical Thinking and Professional Identity (40 credits)
  • Global Development (20 credits)
  • Key Themes in International Relations (20 credits)
  • Political Thought (20 credits)
  • The Making of the Global South (20 credits)
There are no optional modules in this year. Year 2 Core modules in this year include:
  • Bending the Truth a Little? Researching Politics and International Relations (20 credits)
  • International Thought (20 credits)
Optional modules in this year currently include:
  • A History of US Foreign Policy: From the Great War to 9/11 (20 credits)
  • Analysing Foreign Policy (20 credits)
  • Development and Democracy in Latin America (20 credits)
  • East Asian States and Societies (20 credits)
  • Empire and Its Afterlives in Britain, Europe, and Africa (20 credits)
  • Engaged Citizenship in Humanities and Social Sciences (20 credits)
  • Global Security (20 credits)
  • Intercultural Perspectives On Communication (20 credits)
  • Marketing & Communication (20 credits)
  • Modernity and Globalisation (20 credits)
  • Nationalism and Migration: Chaos, Crisis and the Everyday (L5) (20 credits)
  • News, Discourse, and Media (20 credits)
  • Principles of Economic Crime Investigation (20 credits)
  • Professional Experience L5 (20 credits)
  • Puritans to Postmodernists: American Literature (20 credits)
  • Russia, Central Europe and the World (20 credits)
  • The Geopolitics and Geo-Economics of Africa (20 credits)
  • Transitional Justice & Human Rights (20 credits)
  • Us Politics (20 credits)
  • Wildlife Crime: Threats and Response (20 credits)
Placement year (optional) Have the opportunity to do an additional 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. Year 3 Core modules in this year include:
  • Security Challenges in the 21st Century (20 credits)
Optional modules in this year currently include:
  • Decolonial Politics and Theory in International Relations (20 credits)
  • Dissertation (International Relations) (40 credits)
  • France in the World: Global Actor Or Global Maverick? (20 credits)
  • Global Capitalism: Past, Present and Future (20 credits)
  • Global Health (20 credits)
  • Independent Project (International Relations) (20 credits)
  • International Security in the Asia-Pacific (20 credits)
  • Major Project (40 credits)
  • Ngos and Social Movements (20 credits)
  • Professional Development: Recruiters and Candidates (20 credits)
  • Professional Experience L6 (20 credits)
  • Race, Rights & Development: Global Perspectives On Inequality & Social Justice (20 credits)
  • Religion and Politics in Global Perspective (20 credits)
  • The European Union: a Global Power in the Making? (20 credits)
We use the best and most current research and professional practice alongside feedback from our students to make sure course content is relevant to your future career or further studies. Therefore, some course content may change over time to reflect changes in the discipline or industry and some optional modules may not run every year. If a module doesn’t run, we’ll let you know as soon as possible and help you choose an alternative module.

Assessment method

You’ll be assessed through: written exams coursework article reviews essays projects briefing papers simulations, podcasts and creative videos individual and group presentations 10,000 word dissertation You’ll be able to test your skills and knowledge informally before you do assessments that count towards your final mark. You can get feedback on all practice and formal assessments so you can improve in the future. The way you’re assessed may depend on the modules you select. As a guide, students on this course last year were typically assessed as follows: Year 1 students: 25% by written exams, 8% by practical exams and 67% by coursework Year 2 students: 35% by written exams, 7% by practical exams and 58% by coursework Year 3 students: 3% by practical exams and 97% by coursework

How to apply

31Jan

This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.

Application codes

Please select a course option – you will then see the application code you need to use to apply for the course.

Points of entry

The following entry points are available for this course:

  • Year 1
  • Year 2
  • Year 3

Entry requirements for advanced entry (i.e. into Year 2 and beyond)

We welcome applications for advanced entry. If you’d like to apply for advanced entry, you need to select the required year when you complete your UCAS application.

Entry requirements

Qualification requirements

English language requirements

TestGradeAdditional details
IELTS (Academic)6English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 6.0 with no component score below 5.5.
PTE Academic54An overall score of 54 with a minimum of 51 in each skill.
TOEFL (iBT)7979 with a minimum of 18 in Reading, 17 in Listening, 20 in Speaking and 17 in Writing.
Cambridge English AdvancedCambridge English: Advanced (CAE) taken after January 2015. An overall score of 169 with no component score less than 162.
Cambridge English ProficiencyCambridge English: Proficiency (CPE) taken after January 2015. An overall score of 169 with no component score less than 162.
Trinity ISEPassTrinity College Integrated Skills in English (ISE) Level III with a Pass in all 4 components

Student Outcomes

Operated by the Office for Students
67%
Employment after 15 months (Most common jobs)
87%
Go onto work and study

The number of student respondents and response rates can be important in interpreting the data – it is important to note your experience may be different from theirs. This data will be based on the subject area rather than the specific course. Read more about this data on the Discover Uni website.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

EU £9250 Year 1
England £9250 Year 1
Northern Ireland £9250 Year 1
Scotland £9250 Year 1
Wales £9250 Year 1
Channel Islands £9250 Year 1
Republic of Ireland £9250 Year 1
International £17200 Year 1

Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .

Additional fee information

Students who are resident in EU countries: please note that the net fee is inclusive of the Transition Scholarship Placement Year and Year abroad: UK/Channel Islands and Isle of Man students – £1,385 EU – £1,385 (including Transition Scholarship)| International (Non-EU) – £2,875. Fees are accurate at the time of publishing and are subject to change at any time without notice. Fees may also go up in later years, in line with inflation. For more information about fees, go to port.ac.uk/ug-tuition-fees
International Relations at University of Portsmouth - UCAS