English and International Relations

English and international relations is a combination that brings together the close study of literary and cultural texts with the analytical frameworks needed to understand the global order, how states interact, how conflict arises and is resolved, and how international institutions and norms shape the world. The connection between the two disciplines is deeper than it might first appear: international relations has always been shaped by the stories societies tell about themselves and others, by the rhetoric of leaders and movements, and by the representations of conflict, identity, and justice that literature and culture produce. Reading them together develops an unusual breadth of analytical and communicative capability.

At the University of St Andrews, this four-year full-time programme gives you access to two strong departments in a university with a distinguished reputation for both English and international relations. Your English studies will teach you to read texts closely across a range of genres and historical periods, developing the interpretive and critical skills to engage with the ideas, human values, and historical forces that literature reflects and shapes. Your international relations studies will introduce you to theories of international politics, the history of the international system, security studies, political economy, and global governance, giving you the conceptual tools to analyse how the world works and how it is changing.

A year abroad is part of the programme, giving you the opportunity to study at a partner institution and to encounter both literary and political traditions in a different national context.

You will develop strong analytical writing, research skills, and the capacity to engage with complex material from multiple disciplinary angles.

Graduates go on to careers in diplomacy, international organisations, policy, journalism, research, the civil service, law, and a wide range of professional contexts where international perspective and sophisticated communication skills are valued. Postgraduate study in international relations, English, law, or public policy is a natural continuation.