In your first year you are encouraged to study areas that include politics. You will also study an introduction to international relations, politics and the people; war and peace in the nuclear age; politics and society; ethics, justice and society.

In the following two years you will cover a wide range of interesting and diverse areas including globalisation; fundamental issues in moral and political philosophy; society and culture; media, gender and sexuality; politics and international development; religion, science and superstition; aftermaths of war; arctic security and parliamentary studies. You will also explore the CIA and covert action; visions of democracy and contemporary security.

You will complete an independent research-based dissertation in your final year, developing the knowledge and skills to become a research-effective practitioner in the field of international relations.

BA 3 Year Full-time
Year 1 (Level 4)
FHEQ 4 Undergraduate / HECert
Students choose 120 credits from the following:

Compulsory Modules
Module Name Module Duration Credits Module Code
Introduction to International Relations September-January 20 PO-126
Introduction to Politics September-January 20 PO-131
War and Peace in the Nuclear Age January-June 20 PO-118
Optional Modules
Optional Modules
Choose Exactly 60 credits from the following Modules:

NOTE : You should pick a total of three optional modules. So that your workload is balanced across the year, please pick: one optional module in TB1 and two optional modules in TB2.

Module Name Module Duration Credits Module Code Guidance
The American Experience 1492-2000 September-January 20 AM-111
Europe of Extremes, 1789–1989 September-January 20 HIH121
Living Well and Doing Good - An Introduction to Ethics September-January 20 HUP104
Critical Reasoning September-January 20 HUP105
Fundamental Issues in Philosophy September-January 20 HUP127
Politics and the People September-January 20 PO-119
Theories of War September-January 20 WS-100
American Politics and Society January-June 20 AM-112
Introduction to Ancient Philosophy and Rhetoric January-June 20 CLC103
Reading Great Works of Philosophy January-June 20 HUP132
Political Philosophy January-June 20 HUP133
Disinformation, Ideology and Bias: Researching and examining political data January-June 20 PO-127
War and Society in the Modern Era January-June 20 WS-101
Year 2 (Level 5)
FHEQ 5 Undergraduate / HEDip
Students choose 120 credits from the following:

Compulsory Modules
Module Name Module Duration Credits Module Code
Anarchy and Order: Theories in International Relations September-January 20 PO-203
Globalisation September-January 20 PO-222
Optional Modules
COMPULSORY MODULES - SELECTIVE
Choose Minimum Of 20 credits from the following Modules:

NOTE : Select ONE or BOTH of these modules

Module Name Module Duration Credits Module Code Guidance
Global Justice and Human Rights September-January 20 PO-235
International Security January-June 20 PO-248
AND
Optional Modules
Choose Minimum Of 40 credits from the following Modules:

NOTE : If you have selected BOTH PO-248 and PO-235 select TWO of the below modules. If you have selected only one of PO-248 or PO-235 select THREE of these modules. Students must select an overall balance of 60 credits in TB1 and 60 credits in TB2

Module Name Module Duration Credits Module Code Guidance
Disunited Kingdom? Class, Race, Gender and Social Division in Twentieth-Century Britain September-January 20 HIH284
Philosophy and the Enlightenment September-January 20 HUP243
The State and Political Institutions September-January 20 PO-209
Globalisation September-January 10 PO-222A
Elections and Voting September-January 20 PO-234
Global Justice and Human Rights September-January 20 PO-235
America in Crisis: From the Tet Offensive to Trump September-January 20 PO-258
Investigating Gender September-January 20 PPS203
The First World War September-January 20 WS-201
Poverty and Social Justice January-June 20 ASP220
Ruin and Renewal: Europe, 1918-1968 January-June 20 HIH288
Freedom, Angst and the Embodied Self: Themes in Continental Philosophy January-June 20 HUP242
Contemporary Moral Controversies January-June 20 HUP244
Moralities of War and Peace January-June 20 PO-239
The History of Political Thought January-June 20 PO-245
International Security January-June 20 PO-248
The Colour Line: Race and Racism in World Politics January-June 20 PO-253
Contemporary Wars and Conflicts January-June 20 PO-257
British Politics and Public Policy January-June 20 PO-281
Year 3 (Level 6)
FHEQ 6 Undergraduate / Honours
Students choose 120 credits from the following:

Compulsory Modules
Module Name Module Duration Credits Module Code
Researching Politics 1 September-January 20 PO-3319
Researching Politics 2 January-June 20 PO-3320
Optional Modules
Dissertation
Choose Exactly 40 credits from the following Modules:

NOTE : SELECT either PO-3323 or PO-3317

Module Name Module Duration Credits Module Code Guidance
Dissertation September-June 40 PO-3317
Senedd Cymru/The Welsh Parliament September-June 40 PO-3323
AND
Optional modules - Semester 1
Choose Exactly 20 credits from the following Modules:

NOTE : Select One module

Module Name Module Duration Credits Module Code Guidance
Gunfighter Nation: the West in History, Mythology and Fiction September-January 20 HUA301
Philosophy, Mental Health and Illness September-January 20 HUP308
Parliamentary Studies September-January 20 PO-3121
Genocide September-January 20 PO-3330
Aftermaths of War September-January 20 PO-3332
Clear and Present Danger: America and Terrorism September-January 20 PO-3333
Politics and International Development September-January 20 PO-3335
The Russian Civil War January-June 20 WS-305
AND
Optional Modules - Semester 2
Choose Exactly 20 credits from the following Modules:

NOTE : Select ONE module. If you wish to select POA301 in TB2 you must also select PO-3121 in TB1

Module Name Module Duration Credits Module Code Guidance
Digital Futures January-June 20 MS-306
Shadow Wars: US Presidents and covert action from the Cold War to Trump January-June 20 PO-3316
Capitalism and Justice: inequality, power and prosperity in contemporary economies January-June 20 PO-3325
Law, War and Empire in World Politics January-June 20 PO-3328
America and the Bomb January-June 20 PO-3334
Parliamentary Studies project January-June 20 POA301
Overlord: War, Societies, and the Battle for Normandy 1944. January-June 20 WS-306