International Relations – (B.A.)

Our BA International Relations looks at questions like: why do international conflicts arise? Why are other parts of the world largely peaceful? What determines a country’s foreign policy? What is the role of the United Nations and other international organisations? How and why do non-governmental organisations matter? What is globalisation and how does it impact our daily lives? What are the prospects for international cooperation to address problems like global warming and environmental degradation?

Politics and political events dominate domestic and international news and impact on our day-to-day lives as well as shaping the future. This course explores all major areas of international relations, including conflict and security studies, international political economy, political theory, and the use of modern research techniques that impact upon political theory.

Your first year combines a thorough introduction to the fundamentals of international relations and politics with the flexibility to study optional courses in specific areas of interest. In your second and third years, we develop further the ideas of political theory and your understanding of political analysis, whilst still letting you concentrate on the areas that you have developed a particular interest in, for example international security, globalisation, environmental politics or human rights.