International Politics & Strategic Studies

International Politics and Strategic Studies degree: L251 - 3 years

International Politics and Strategic Studies degree at Aberystwyth

This International Politics and Strategic Studies degree is concerned with understanding the use of force in international relations for political purposes. The focus of the degree, therefore, is on the threat and application of military force, and the prevention and conduct of war. One of the aims of the scheme is to show how the use of force is related to the discipline of International Relations. As a student on the International Politics and Strategic Studies degree at Aberystwyth, you can expect to be  introduced to the major strategic issues of the Cold War era,  which was concerned with nuclear deterrence, arms control and disarmament, limited war, revolutionary war, crisis management, alliances and the defence policies of the major powers. The International Politics and Strategic Studies degree course also deals with the major debates which have taken place since the end of the Cold War concerning the relationship between traditional Strategic Studies and the developing field of Security Studies.

In exploring these questions, the International Politics and Strategic Studies degree scheme focuses on contemporary strategic challenges such as the spread of weapons of mass destruction; the threat posed by global terrorism; the problem of failed states; the prospects for military intervention; the strategic implications of the War on Terror; and the possibilities of building new security regimes and common security at both a regional and global level. It will thus equip you for engagement with some of the most vital and current debates in International Politics.

International Politics and Strategic Studies degree structure

Year 1

In the first year of your International Politics and Strategic Studies degree, you will take the following core modules, which are the foundation for all your further studies:

• 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

During either your second or third year you will take the core module for your degree scheme. In the case of International Politics and the Strategic Studies, this is:

• War, Politics and Strategy

Other modules primarily dedicated to the study of strategy include:

• Understanding Terror
• The Cold War
• Islam, Foreign Policy and the Developing World

In your final year you will complete a 12,000-word dissertation on a topic related to your particular interests.

In addition to these core elements, as a Single Honours student of International Politics and Strategic Studies, you will take up to nine optional modules from the Department of International Politics over years two and three.