Politics & International Relations BA (Hons) (with Foundation Year)
UCAS Code: L202|Duration: 4 years|Full Time|Hope Park
UCAS Campus Code: L46
International students can apply|Study Abroad opportunities
About the course
The Politics and International Relations degree brings together the broader study of politics and political ideas with the question of how states interact with each other on the global stage. It evaluates the key questions related to transnational issues such as globalization and the environment and the actors engaged in them.
Politics and International Relations is a very dynamic subject, which places a special emphasis on the international and global dimension of politics. In an ever changing world, new challenges are constantly arising – from terrorism and security to climate change and pandemics – and we therefore seek to engage with live issues in the world as they evolve and change over time. We actively encourage debate and discussion amongst our students, encouraging a stronger awareness and appreciation of different opinions and points of view.
In doing so, you explore the key ideas, institutions and issues that can help us to understand politics in an international, national and local context. You will be taught by staff who are experts in their field, who will teach you to engage with political research and develop the capacity to be an independent, critically-minded scholar and equip you with transferable skills to take into the world of work.
And study does not just take place in the classroom and the library. We also organise fieldtrips to relevant local, regional and national institutions as well as organising events with guest speakers and practitioners. We’ve had visits from two MPs this year, one being a graduate of Liverpool Hope. 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.
There are also opportunities available to study abroad as part of our exchange programme and to visit overseas development projects as part of the University’s Global Hope initiative.
Course structure
Teaching on this degree is structured into lectures, interactive student-led seminars, and tutorials which in your first year typically have 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 regular meetings with a supervisor when engaged in your final year research project.
In your first year of study there are 12 teaching hours each week which reduces to approximately 10 in your second and third years. 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.
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 in an area of your choice, giving you an opportunity to specialise in a field of your own personal interest.
Assessment is regarded as an important aid to 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. Feedback is provided verbally to the whole year group where possible, to emphasise points of general relevance, usually through weekly skills sessions or tutorials. Should you require it, your tutor’s ‘drop-in’ office hours are an opportunity to gain verbal feedback and discuss your work privately.
Curriculum overview
The areas of study in the single honours degree are stimulating and encompass materials that are relevant to the modern world. We look at theoretical aspects of politics and international relations, consider the institutions and foundations which provide national and international political stability and look at case studies which show the strengths and weaknesses of the application of the theory. You will be taught by staff from a range of different countries, all of whom can bring research specialism and understandings of different parts of the world to bear on the subject areas under consideration.
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
Introduction to Politics
Your first year of the Politics programme provides you with detailed introductions to key concepts, debates, institutions and ideas that underpin the study of politics. 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.
Introduction to International Relations
Year one of International Relations consists of five dimensions of learning, helping you master the basics of the discipline.
- Foundational Concepts: understanding the formative terms concepts and foundational theories of IR scholarship including power, State and Nation, security and classic liberalism and realism.
- Key Developments and Actors: analysing trends in political, economic, social, cultural and diplomatic issues as well as key actors and institutions involved.
- Global Issues in International Relations: contextualisation of the main global issues and debates in international politics today including the environment, poverty, conflict, terrorism and organised crime, amongst others.
- Academic skills: a course dedicated to academic skill development, including research, academic writing, sources, presentation skills and methodology.
Year Two
Explorations in Politics and International Relations
British Politics and Democracy: analysing and evaluating key institutions and organisations of the British political system and how they function and examining 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?
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.
European Democracy: looks at key issues, institutions and development in European political systems. 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..
Theories and Analysis of International Relations: builds and expands on the first year and includes mainstream (i.e. liberal and realist perspectives), middle ground (i.e. Constructivism, English School) and critical (e.g. Marxism, Dependency Theory, Post-Structuralism, Critical Theory, Feminism, Green theory, Post-Developmentalism).
EU Foreign Policy: explores the origins and developments of EU Foreign Policy and assesses its strengths and challenges including security, trade, environmental, normative, and integration dimensions, among others.
UK Foreign Policy: explores UK’s international identity and foreign policy in relation to key regions/countries in the world. This course discusses directions and challenges of UK foreign policy in security, trade, development, environment among other dimensions.
Year Three
Advanced Studies in Politics and International Relations
Politics in the United States: examines the evolution of American politics through through key issues and major policy challenges including changing demographics, gun control and the death penalty. Seminars will focus on:
The Imperial Presidency: which considers the development of the 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. Under consideration are Presidents such as Kennedy, LBJ, Nixon and Reagan.
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: through discussion and case studies explores the changing political landscape using the concept of power. You will analyse where power lies in contemporary politics, the changing shape of political organisation and activism, the impact of technology, how the state works and more besides.
Bottom-up international Politics: questions the role of non-state actors and civil society in international politics.
Dynamics of conflict and peace: reflects on theoretical underpinnings and developments around contemporary conflicts and notions of peacemaking, peacekeeping and peacebuilding.
U.S.-led order and post-hegemony: this component reflects on the historical role of the US in shaping the global order and reflections around post-hegemony developments, challenges and scenarios.
Research element (International Relations): research classes prepare students for their final year long essay in International Relations. We use this contact hour to provide skills, knowledge and support to the students, equipping them with the fundamental skills necessary for long essay research.
Dissertation: In your final year you will complete a dissertation on a chosen topic in Politics and International Relations. This is a 10,000 word project. You will receive support from a tutor and have meetings on a one-to-one basis. In the main, this is an autonomous project, but you will receive guidance and feedback about its evolution as the academic year progresses. This element gives you a chance to select an area of personal interest and passion and study it in depth.
Entry requirements
There may be some flexibility for mature students offering non-tariff qualifications and students meeting particular widening participation criteria.
Careers
Careers available for Politics and International Relations graduates include those in government, in international organisations and in policy work. There is a demand for teachers with politics skills and knowledge as well. Many firms and companies look for the general skills that a Politics and International Relations degree gives you – such as conducting analysis, preparing reports, constructing arguments and making judgements.
We encourage both teamwork and independent learning, and develop your communication skills throughout the three years of study. Many students move on to postgraduate Masters programmes and research degrees. We have graduate students who work in parliament in the field of communications, with the civil service and with the NHS and with 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. We also have students who have entered politics and have contested and won council seats.
Current postgraduate courses offered by Liverpool Hope include:
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. Find out more on our Study Abroad page. In recent years we’ve had students study in Chicago and in Texas.
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
As well as tuition fees, you also need to purchase core textbooks, which we estimate to be around £200.
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
With Foundation year, this degree is only available to study as a Single Honours course.