International Politics degree

International Politics degree: L254 - 3 years

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The International Politics degree is the broadest and most wide-ranging of all the International Politics courses offered at Aberystwyth University. Politics is about who gets what, how they get it, and why. The International Politics degree deals with these questions on the global scale. Issues of power and justice, conflict and co-operation are vital in our increasingly inter-related world. They affect, and are affected by, not just nation states and transnational governmental bodies like the EU and UN, but also international organisations such as Greenpeace and Amnesty International, and even super-rich individuals such as Bill Gates. In this International Politics degree, you will study in detail how these different entities interact with one another and how they deal with economic, cultural and political change on the global scale.

The International Politics degree is multi-disciplinary: it draws on the insights of History, Economics, Sociology and Psychology, as well as training you in the specific skills of political analysis. As a graduate of the Aberystwyth International Politics degree, you will be prepared for political engagement in many contexts.

International Politics degree structure

Year 1

In the first year of your International Politics degree, you study six core modules:

• Introduction To International Politics
• Revolution And Continuity In Political Philosophy
• World Politics In The Age Of The Two World Wars
• War, Strategy And Intelligence
• Introduction To The Third World In International Politics
• Politics In Europe

Years 2+3

• The Vietnam War
• The Cold War
• Marxism And Post-modernism
• Famine And Genocide
• International Conflict Resolution
• Understanding Terror

The major focus of Year 3 of your International Politics degree will be your final year Dissertation, in which you bring your deepening theoretical understanding, and your increasingly detailed knowledge, to bear on a subject of particular interest to you.

Shona Macleod BA International Politics and French Stirling, Scotland

“I chose to study at Aberystwyth because of the University’s reputation for International Politics, the friendly atmosphere when I visited, and of course, the beach! It was very easy to settle in here, it only took me a week! The atmosphere at Aberystwyth is great. The Department of International Politics is very helpful and lectures are really interesting. It’s easy to find books in the library, and it’s great to have 24 hour computer labs. There are loads of clubs and societies you can join and everyone is so friendly. The social life here is really good. You can go out any night of the week to the union or to town and there’s always plenty to do. I would definitely recommend others to come here!