International Relations and History

International relations and history is a combination that asks both how the world works and how it came to be the way it is. International relations provides the theoretical and empirical frameworks for analysing how states, international organisations, non-governmental actors and social movements interact across borders, examining power, security, trade, human rights and the forces that drive cooperation and conflict. History situates contemporary international affairs within the long processes of social, economic and political change that have shaped state formation, globalisation, decolonisation and the recurring patterns of conflict and settlement that mark human political life.

At Swansea University you will study for three years full-time, exploring big questions of state formation, globalisation, human rights, security studies, and peace and conflict while asking how past events shape today's world. You will learn about international relations theory alongside historical case studies spanning wars and revolutions, decolonisation, migration and the making of the contemporary international system. Historical topics including women's history, the memory of war and conflict, and race and racism are woven into the curriculum, ensuring that your historical understanding is both broad and sensitive to the diversity of historical experience.

Graduates are well placed for careers in the foreign office and diplomatic service, international organisations, journalism, NGOs, think tanks, policy research, the civil service, education and a wide range of other professional roles where understanding the contemporary world and its historical roots is valued. Many graduates also pursue postgraduate study in international relations, history, security studies, development studies or international law, building on the dual analytical foundation the undergraduate degree provides.