International Relations and Politics with a Year Abroad

International relations and politics, studied together, provide two complementary lenses on how power is distributed and exercised in the world. Politics examines how authority is organised within states: constitutions, governments, parties, elections, and the processes through which societies make binding collective decisions. International relations focuses on what happens between states and across borders: diplomacy, war and peace, international institutions, trade regimes, human rights law, and the growing influence of non-state actors.

Together they equip you to analyse political life at every level, from local policy to global governance.

The University of East Anglia's four-year full-time International Relations and Politics with a Year Abroad programme extends a rigorous joint honours degree with an international dimension that is integral rather than optional. You will spend a year studying at a partner institution overseas, an experience that immerses you in a different political system, academic tradition, and cultural context, deepening your understanding of the themes you study and demonstrating adaptability and cross-cultural competence to future employers. UEA has a strong reputation in politics and international relations, with particular strengths in European politics, security studies, global governance, and environmental politics.

You will engage with core theoretical frameworks including realism, liberalism, constructivism, and critical perspectives, learning to apply these to contemporary cases and historical events. Alongside political analysis, you will develop skills in research design, quantitative and qualitative methods, critical reading, and academic writing.

The typical entry tariff of 120 points and full-time study mode reflect the expectation of active engagement with a demanding curriculum.

Graduates pursue careers in diplomacy and the foreign service, international organisations, NGOs, government and civil service, journalism, policy research, and development work. Many also continue to postgraduate study in international relations, political science, law, or public policy.