Politics (with Foundation Year)
 Politics (Major).jpg)
UCAS Code: Combined Honours only – see combinations tab|Duration: 4 years|Full Time|Hope Park
UCAS Campus Code: L46
Work placement opportunities|International students can apply|Study Abroad opportunities
About the course
Politics shapes our lives in many ways. It influences governance, conflict resolution, and our rights. It also impacts our freedoms and access to essential services. This politics course looks at who makes political decisions, how they are made, and their effects on local, national, and global society.
At Liverpool Hope, we connect with politics as it changes in the real world. We tackle current issues like climate change, new technologies, identity politics, Brexit, and the Covid-19 pandemic. Students are encouraged to participate in open debate and discussion, developing a strong awareness of diverse perspectives.
You will explore important political ideas, institutions, and processes. Expert staff will teach you about political research and critical thinking. The course also develops transferable skills to prepare you for a range of careers. Opportunities include work placements and the “Practitioners in Politics” series. In this series, MPs, the Mayor of Liverpool, and the Merseyside Commissioner for Crime and Policing share insights on political careers and essential skills for success.
Hear what a Politics student has to say about the course.
Course structure
You can take this politics course as part of a combined honours programme or as a single honours Politics and International Relations degree. Teaching is delivered through lectures, interactive seminars, and tutorials of 10–25 students. First-year students also benefit from study skills classes to support their transition into higher education. Final-year students receive guidance from a supervisor for their research project.
In the first and second years, the Politics component includes approximately 6 teaching hours per week, reducing to 5 hours in the third year. Students are also expected to spend additional hours on independent study and group work, averaging around 40 hours per week in total.
Beyond formal teaching, students can participate in a wide range of extra-curricular activities, talks, events, and visits organised by research centres, such as the Archbishop Desmond Tutu Centre for War and Peace Studies, student societies, and staff.
Assessment and feedback
Assessment on this politics course is varied and includes written coursework assignments, with formal exams introduced in the second and third years. You will receive clear assessment criteria at the start of the degree and at appropriate points throughout your studies. In the final year, you will complete a special study or dissertation, allowing you to specialise in an area of your choice.
Feedback is a key part of learning. The teaching team provides timely, high-quality, constructive written feedback, highlighting strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement. In the first year, feedback is delivered verbally in tutorials or one-to-one meetings, with tutors’ office hours available for private discussion of your work.
Foundation Year
The Foundation Year is a great opportunity if you have the ability and enthusiasm to study for a degree, but do not yet have the qualifications required to enter directly onto our degree programmes. A significant part of the Foundation Year focuses upon core skills such as academic writing at HE level, becoming an independent learner, structuring academic work, critical thinking, time management and note taking.
Successful completion of the Foundation Year will enable you to progress into the first year (Level C) of your chosen honours degree. Further details can be found here.
Year One
The first year of this politics course provides a foundation in the key sub-disciplines of political study through two core modules.
Foundations in Politics
This module introduces key ideas, concepts, and debates in politics and political analysis. Core themes include:
- Key Ideas in Politics – Explore how politics is studied, understand democracy and the state, analyse power, decision-making, and political behaviour
- Political Ideologies – Examine classic ideologies from conservatism to communism, as well as contemporary movements including green politics and feminism
- Foundations of Democracy – Trace the development of modern liberal democracies from ancient Greece to 19th-century representative systems
Politics: Issues, Institutions, and Actors
This module examines political institutions, key actors, and processes at national and international levels.
Core themes include:
- Key Institutions in Politics – Study constitutions, legislatures, and the executive, and understand their roles in political power structures
- Key Actors in Politics – Explore political parties, interest groups, the public, and the media, analysing trends in organisation and participation
- International Organisations – Learn about the roles of bodies such as the United Nations and NATO
- Challenges to Democracy – Consider threats such as authoritarianism, illiberal democracies, political violence, and terrorism
Skills for Study and Research
Tutorials and study sessions support the development of academic skills, including research techniques, critical reading, writing, and assignment preparation, helping you reach your full potential as a student of politics.
Year Two
The following outlines the programme of study we currently offer.
Explorations in Democracy
The second year course is structured around three key areas, providing critical evaluations of British, American, and European democracy:
- British Politics and Democracy – Study the institutions and organisations of the British political system and how they function. Examine major political issues today, including the distribution of power, fairness of representation, and ongoing implications of Brexit. Seminars focus on analysing and evaluating British democracy, encouraging students to develop their own critiques.
- Democracy in the USA – Explore American democracy, the US constitutional framework, electoral processes, and voting behaviour. Examine key 21st-century elections, including the elections of Barack Obama and Donald Trump, and consider issues such as minority presidents and political controversies. Students produce a critical report based on documentary and other analyses.
- European Democracy – Compare and contrast democratic systems across Europe. Study parliaments, welfare states, electoral systems, and voting behaviour in countries from Ireland to Russia. This element prepares students for final-year independent research and dissertations by expanding political knowledge and developing essential skills for critical analysis and research.
Year Three
Advanced Studies in Politics
The third year of this politics course allows you to explore key areas of politics and political theory in depth, focusing on contemporary and controversial issues.
Politics in the United States
Examine the evolution of American politics through core institutions and contemporary issues. Key policy challenges such as changing demographics, gun control, and the death penalty are analysed, alongside the development of the ‘Imperial Presidency’ from Franklin Roosevelt to the present day. Seminars focus on Presidents including Kennedy, LBJ, Nixon, Reagan, and Bush Jr., with class discussions and activities exploring their impact on domestic and foreign policy.
Governance and Decision-Making in the European Union
Explore the EU’s unique system of governance and decision-making. This module introduces theories of European integration, key EU institutions, and policy-making processes across a range of areas. Seminars develop analytical skills through treaty analysis, debates, and mock negotiations, enabling students to understand the flow of preferences and power across the EU system.
Power and Politics
Analyse the concept of power in contemporary political contexts. This module examines key debates and concepts, encouraging students to explore the distribution of power, changes in political organisation and activism, the impact of technology, and state functions. Discussions and case studies provide practical opportunities to apply these ideas.
Research Dissertations and Projects
Complete either a 10,000-word dissertation in conjunction with another subject, or a 5,000-word special study. Students receive guidance and individual support from a tutor while working largely autonomously. You will select a research topic that reflects your interests and passion for politics.
Entry requirements
There may be some flexibility for mature students offering non-tariff qualifications and students meeting particular widening participation criteria.
Careers
A degree in politics provides the knowledge and skills to pursue careers in government, international organisations, policy work, teaching, law, journalism, communications, and the civil service. Employers value the critical analysis, report writing, argument construction, and decision-making skills developed through this politics course.
The course encourages both teamwork and independent learning, alongside the development of strong communication skills. Many graduates progress to postgraduate Masters programmes or research degrees. Alumni have gone on to work in the UK Parliament, the NHS, voluntary organisations, think tanks, the diplomatic corps, and local government. Some have also entered politics directly, including successfully running for elected office. Recent events include a former Hope graduate MP sharing insights on how his experience at the University shaped 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 2026/27 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 2026/27 are £14,500.
Visit our International fees page for more information.
Course combinations
This course is only available with Foundation Year as a Combined Honours degree with the following subjects: