Study international politics and graduate with a university degree

How do major international institutions, issues and ideas shape our societies? International Politics concerns issues of power, alliances, conflict and peace, trade, the role of NGOs and the notion of an international society.

Through your study, you’ll gain insight into international decision-making in the United Nations, the European Union, NATO and the World Trade Organisation and others.

More widely, we’ll equip you with the kinds of intellectual and analytical skills that are attractive to many employers. Politics graduates are to be found in commerce and industry, as well as the civil service, journalism, law and teaching.

The quality of teaching in Politics at Stirling has received the highest rating and we offer the chance of a semester at the University of Gothenburg.

Year 1

Highers BBBB.
A-levels BBC.
IB Diploma with a total of 32 points.
HNC or HND with Bs in graded units.

Access courses and other UK/EU and international qualifications are also welcomed.

Year 2

A-levels or Advanced Highers ABB to include Politics/ Government and Politics or Modern Studies.

Scottish HND in Social Sciences, to include four Politics units and Bs in Graded Units.

General entrance requirements apply.

International students can study our Undergraduate Certificate if they do not possess the necessary entrance requirements to be admitted directly to the first year of an undergraduate degree course.

Other information

Required subjects

Applicants with English Standard Grade (3) will also be considered, although alternative entry conditions may be made in this case.

information on possible sources of funding

Full-time (three modules per semester).
Part-time (one or two modules per semester).
February entry also available.

You will take Politics plus two other subjects in Year 1.

Semesters 1 - 4

In Semesters 1 - 4 you will take core modules in:

• The Politics of the British Isles: This module explores major institutions and processes in British politics
• Political Concepts and Ideas: This module offers an introduction to political theory by exploring ideas and concepts central to the political debate in liberal democracies
• Introduction to International Politics: This module covers mainstream theories of international relations, analyses key international organisations (e.g. the UN and NATO) and explores contemporary issues and debates in world politics after the Cold War and 9/11

In Semester 4 you take the following modules:

• Great Political Thinkers: this module explores some of the key issues in political theory by focusing on five influential writers: Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Mill and Marx.
  
• Comparative Politics: Power and Representation in Western Europe: this module is designed to encourage students to think more deeply about political structures and processes in the UK by comparing these with other countries in the European Union and the US.
  

Semesters 5 - 8

Of the 11 level 10 modules in Semesters 5 – 8 you will study at least five International Politics modules. In addition, you are expected to complete the Semester 6 module, Research Methods, and the final-year International Politics dissertation.

Semester 5 - 8 International Politics options include:

• Authoritarianism and After
• Stability and Disintegration of States
• US Foreign Policy after the Cold War
• The Politics of European Intergration
  
• Politics of the Middle East
• European Union and European Security
• Issues in International Politics
• Party Systems in Comparative Perspective
• Problems in International Politics

Teaching in most Politics modules – at all levels – is by lecture and tutorial. In most modules, you will attend two lectures and one tutorial per week. Assessment is based on your performance in tutorials, on one or two essays and an examination at the end of semester.

For the Honours degree, the grades for all advanced modules taken in Semesters 5 – 8 are combined to give your final degree classification.

(For a Combined Honours degree the higher entrance requirements of the subjects usually apply.)

History; Modern Languages; Politics; Politics, Philosophy and Economics: PPE; Psychology.

Besides participating in University-wide exchange programmes, the School of History and Politics has developed an exchange programme with the Politics department at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. Students who have met the grade requirements and passed the interview can spend their sixth semester in Gothenburg.

Teaching provision in Politics has been assessed by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education and achieved the highest possible rating of ‘commendable’ in all aspects.

The study of International Politics equips you with the kinds of intellectual and analytical skills that are attractive to many employers. These include the ability to critically evaluate data and information, a capacity to work independently, effective time management, an ability to organize and solve problems, and a capacity to communicate clearly, both in writing and speech.

Because our graduates have developed these transferable skills and Politics graduates are to be found in commerce and industry, as well as the civil service, journalism, law and teaching – and in politics, of course, in both research and representative capacities.