Politics
 Politics (Major).jpg)
UCAS Code: Combined Honours only – see combinations tab|Duration: 3 years|Full Time|Hope Park
UCAS Campus Code: L46
Work placement opportunities|International students can apply|Study Abroad opportunities
About the course
Politics affects all of us. It is central to human life and human affairs. It is fundamental to how we organise and govern ourselves and to how we resolve conflicts. The decisions we make as political communities, who makes them and how, have consequences for how we live, from questions of war and peace, the distribution of wealth, our rights, freedoms, responsibilities, our access to education, transport and health care.
In this rapidly changing world, new challenges are constantly arising – from climate change to new technologies, from identity politics to Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic – and the study of politics needs to respond. At Liverpool Hope, therefore, we seek to engage with politics and political issues in the real world as they evolve and change over time. In doing so, we actively encourage free and open debate and discussion amongst our students, encouraging a stronger awareness and appreciation of different points of view.
On this programme of study, you will explore key ideas, institutions and politics in an international, national and local context. You will be taught by staff who are experts in their fields, who will teach you to engage with political research and develop the capacity to be an independent, critically-minded scholar. The course also aims to equip you with transferable skills to take into the world of work.
Liverpool Hope can also offer work placement opportunities. In Politics we’ve also organised a Practitioners in Politics series of events, in conjunction with our Careers Office, where individuals including MPs, the Mayor of Liverpool and the Merseyside Commissioner for Crime and Policing have come to advise students on pathways into political careers and the skills needed to get there.
Course structure
You can take this course in combination with another subject of your choice, or as part of our Politics and International Relations single honours programme.
Teaching on this programme is structured into lectures, interactive and student-led seminars, and tutorials which in your first year typically have no more than 10 students. Regular study skills classes are also provided in the first year to support you in your transition into Higher Education. You also have the support of a supervisor when engaged in your final year research project.
In your first and second years of study there are 6 teaching hours each week in the Politics programme, which reduces 5 hours in the third year. You are also expected to spend a number of hours studying independently each week, as well as studying in groups to prepare for any group assessments that you may have. Overall, you should expect to spend an average of 40 hours per week devoted to your studies, including taught hours, independent work and group work where relevant.
The study of politics at Liverpool Hope does not just take place in the classroom and the library. Conventionally we organise a wide range of events with politicians, campaigners and others through our Politics Research Group and the Desmond Tutu Centre.
Assessment and feedback
Assessments are varied and consist of formal exams focusing on lecture topics, and a range of written coursework assignments. You will be given clear, generic and additional assessment criteria at the start of the degree and at appropriate points throughout your studies. In your final year, you will complete a special study or dissertation, allowing you to specialise in an area of your own choice.
Assessment is a vital building block of learning and the team recognises the importance of providing timely, high-quality, constructive written feedback to you that not only explains the strengths and weaknesses of the particular piece of work, but which also makes clear what must be improved in future work. In your first year feedback is provided verbally to tutorial groups where possible in 1-2-1 meetings, to emphasise points of general relevance, areas of strength and weakness in the written assessments. Should you require it, your tutor’s ‘drop-in’ office hours are an opportunity to gain verbal feedback and discuss your work privately.
Year One
Introduction to Politics
Your first year provides you with the knowledge of the key sub disciplines that underpin a study of Politics.
In the first year, you will be given in-depth introductions to:
- Key Concepts and Debates in Politics and Political Analysis
- Key Political Institutions, Ideas and Political Actors
- Understanding of the Features of Political Systems and Political Practice in the UK, Europe, the United States and beyond
The key themes of the first year course are as follows:
- Key Ideas in Politics: what are the different ways in which politics is studied? How is democracy and the state understood? What is power and who has it? How are decisions made? How do we explain political behaviour?
- Key Institutions in Politics: including constitutions, legislatures, the executive. How do key institutions work and relate to one another? What does this tell us about the structure of political power?
- Key Actors in Politics: including parties, interest groups, the public and the media. How has political organisation and participation changed? What are the current trends? What does this tell us about democracies?
- International Organisations: including the United Nations and NATO. What is their role and importance in the world today?
- Political Ideologies: we examine the most influential ‘classic’ political ideologies from conservatism to communism and discuss their relevance, their differences and similarities and their implications. We also take a look at more recent ideological movements, including green movements and feminism.
- Foundations of Democracy: what are the ideas and history behind modern liberal democracies? We take a journey through time from ancient Greece to the emergence of modern systems of representation in the 19th Century.
- Challenges to Democracy: from authoritarianism and so-called ‘illiberal democracy’ to political violence and terrorism, we consider the key challenges faced by democracy and whether they can be overcome.
In your first year, lectures will provide you with detailed introductions to these topics and you will explore and debate them through participation in Seminars seminar activities. Tutorials, which are special small-size classes that allow you to get to know your fellow students and the staff more quickly, will be an opportunity discuss specific questions in depth.
Skills for Study and Research
A key theme in our first year is developing skills and techniques needed for successful undergraduate study to help ensure that you reach your full potential. In our weekly ‘Big Issues and Bright Ideas’ class, we address a key issue of the week, based on the topics covered in the course (above), and also give you important study advice, tips and support for assignments.
Year Two
The following outlines the programme of study we currently offer.
Explorations in Democracy
The course will be structured around three main topics, broadly based on exploring democracies in more depth, engaging in case studies and applying the ideas covered in the first year to real life case studies. As part of your studies, you will conduct critical evaluations of British, American and European democracy.
Part One: British Politics and Democracy - In this course, you will look at key institutions and organisations of the British political system and how they function, as well as major issues in British politics today, including where does power really lie in our system of government? Is the system of representation fair? What are the ongoing implications of Brexit? In seminars you will be working with fellow students on analysing and evaluating British democracy and developing your own critique
Part Two: Democracy in the USA - This element discusses American democracy and the US Constitutional Framework, the electoral process and voting behaviour before looking at key election case studies from the 21st Century. Consideration is given to the controversies of minority presidents, the election of Barack Obama, and the issues surrounding the Trump election issues of 2016 and 2020. You will carry out a critical report based on documentary and other forms of analysis.
Part Three: European Democracy – This element compares and contrasts the different styles of democracy across the European continent. Through select themes such as parliaments, welfare-states, electoral systems and voting behaviour, students are introduced to the diverse and unique expressions of democracy in countries from Ireland to Russia. The comparative aspects of this element acts as a departure point for students approaching their final year studies at Hope, and who will undertake independent research via dissertations. Therefore, the seminars in this element prepares students for dissertations by expanding and deepening their knowledge of politics and governance, and developing essential skills for independent research.
Year Three
Advanced Studies in Politics
Your third year provides the opportunity for you to explore in depth some of the key prominent and controversial areas of politics and political theory. The following outlines the programme of study we currently offer.
Politics in the United States
Lectures will examine in depth the evolution of American politics through the lens of core institutions and contemporary issues. Key policy challenges and dilemmas are explored, including changing demographics, gun control and the death penalty, issues which have shaped some of the key dividing lines in American politics and continue to do so today. Seminars will focus on the development of the ‘Imperial Presidency’ as a central institution in American politics and foreign policy from Franklin Roosevelt’s reinvention of the office in the 1930s to the present day. This will be based around discussions and activities in class and will address Presidents such as Kennedy, LBJ, Nixon, Reagan and Bush Jr.
Governance and Decision-Making in the European Union
In this lecture series, we explore the unorthodox system of EU governance and its diverse decision-making practices. During the series, students are introduced to core theories of European integration and governance, core governing institutions in the EU, and the various policy-making methods that the EU employs across its broad portfolio of everyday and ad hoc policy areas. Using their knowledge of theory and decision-making procedures, students are equipped to analyse the complex interaction between EU institutions in their management of European integration. This enables a deep understanding of the flow of divergent preferences and power across this unique, and alien political system. In seminars, students will put their analytical skills to the test through a combination of treaty analysis, debate and mock treaty negotiations.
Power and Politics
In this course, you will explore the changing political landscape through the lens of the concept of power. You are introduced to key debates and concepts in the analysis of power in political contexts, and are invited to use them to analyse where power lies in contemporary politics, the changing shape of political organization and activism, the impact of technology, how the state works and more besides. In class, you will conduct your own analyses of these issues through discussion and case studies.
Research Dissertations and Research Projects
You will do either a 10,000 word dissertation in conjunction with your other subject, or a 5,000 words special study. You will receive guidance and individual support from an assigned tutor in the creation and completion of this work. You are expected to work, in the main, in an autonomous way on this work. You will be central in suggesting an interesting subject area for your work, material that gives you a passion for politics.
Entry requirements
| A-Levels | BCC |
|---|---|
| UCAS Tariff Points | 104 UCAS Tariff points must come from a minimum of two A Levels (or equivalent). Additional points can be made up from a range of alternative qualifications |
| BTEC | DMM |
| Access to HE | 104 Tariff Points |
| IB | 24 |
| Irish Leaving Certificate | 104 Tariff Points from Higher Level qualifications only |
| Welsh Baccalaureate | This qualification can only be accepted in conjunction with other relevant qualifications |
| T-Levels | Merit |
| Subject Requirements | No specific subject requirements |
International entry requirements
| Specific Country Requirements | Select your country |
|---|---|
| IELTS | 6.0 overall (with reading and writing at 6.0) and no individual score lower than 5.5. We also accept a wide range of International Qualifications. For more information, please visit our English Language Requirements page. |
Careers
Careers available for Politics graduates include those in government, in international organisations and in policy work. Teachers with politics skills are also in demand. Many firms and companies look for the general skills that the study of politics at degree level gives you – such as conducting critical analysis, preparing reports, constructing arguments and making judgements.
We encourage both teamwork and independent learning, and to develop your communication skills throughout the three years of study. Many students move on to postgraduate Masters programmes and research degrees. We have graduates who work in the UK Parliament, in the field of communications, the civil service and with the NHS or voluntary bodies. In recent years, we have had students who have gone to work in the field of law, with think tanks and in journalism and in the UK diplomatic corps. Former students have also gone on to enter politics themselves, including running for office and winning elections. We have several former students who have been elected to council offices in Merseyside. We have also had an MP, a graduate from Hope, come to give a speech to students in 2023-24 regarding how his experience at Hope helped shape his political career.
Enhancement opportunities
SALA
The Service and Leadership Award (SALA) is offered as an extra-curricular programme involving service-based experiences, development of leadership potential and equipping you for a career in a rapidly changing world. It enhances your degree, it is something which is complimentary but different and which has a distinct ‘value-added’ component. Find out more on our Service and Leadership Award page.
Study Abroad
As part of your degree, you can choose to spend either a semester or a full year of study at one of our partner universities as part of our Study Abroad programme. We recently have had students do study in Chicago and at Baylor University in Texas. Find out more on our Study Abroad page.
Tuition fees
The tuition fees for the 2025/26 academic year are £9,535* for full-time undergraduate courses.
If you are a student from the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands, your tuition fees will also be £9,535*.
The University reserves the right to increase Home and EU Undergraduate and PGCE tuition fees in line with any inflationary or other increase authorised by the Secretary of State for future years of study.
*subject to Council approval.
Additional costs
On top of tuition fees, you also need to buy key textbooks, which we estimate to cost around £100-150.
You will also need to consider the cost of your accommodation each year whilst you study at university. Visit our accommodation pages for further details about our Halls of Residence.
Scholarships
We have a range of scholarships to help with the cost of your studies. Visit our scholarships page to find out more.
International tuition fees
The International Tuition fees for 2025/26 are £14,500.
Visit our International fees page for more information.
Course combinations
This course is only available as a Combined Honours degree with the following subjects: