International Relations and Legal Studies

International relations and legal studies are natural intellectual companions. International relations examines how states, international organisations, and other actors interact in a world where no overarching authority governs everyone, exploring questions of power, diplomacy, conflict, cooperation, and the architecture of global governance. Legal studies brings a complementary rigour, examining how rules are made and enforced, how rights and duties are defined, and how legal frameworks shape the behaviour of states and individuals alike.

Together they provide a thorough and practically relevant education for anyone interested in how the world is governed and how it could be governed better.

At Aberdeen this four-year full-time programme gives you a solid grounding in the role of power, states, and governments in a changing global context, alongside a close examination of law, including European law and its effects on everyday life. You will study the major theoretical frameworks in international relations alongside the substantive areas of legal study, engaging with issues that are both topical and contested. The programme takes you into areas such as international law, human rights, the institutions of the European Union, foreign policy analysis, and the dynamics of globalisation, developing both the analytical capacity to understand these issues and the communication skills to engage with them clearly and persuasively.

A year abroad is included in the programme, giving you the opportunity to study at an international partner institution and experience a different educational and legal or political culture from a position of growing expertise.

Graduates are well placed for careers in European and international affairs, diplomatic services, international organisations, law (subject to further professional training), consultancy, government, international business, journalism, NGOs, and policy analysis. Postgraduate study in international law, international relations, or comparative law is a common route for those who wish to specialise further.