International Relations with a Foundation Year
International relations is the academic discipline that examines how states, international organisations, non-governmental bodies and other actors interact across borders. It asks how peace and conflict arise, how global governance works or fails to work, what role institutions such as the United Nations play, and how forces including trade, migration, climate change and technological change reshape the relationships between nations. In a world of intensifying interdependence and growing geopolitical tension, understanding international relations has rarely felt more pressing.
At Swansea University, this four-year full-time programme includes a foundation year, providing a supported entry route before you begin the main degree. You will explore the changing nature of conflict and security, the mechanisms through which states cooperate and compete, the role of international law, and the challenges facing international institutions. The programme draws on perspectives from politics, history, economics and law, training you to analyse complex global events with rigour and to write and argue clearly about contested questions.
You will engage with questions about how transport, technology and global economic integration are making the world more interconnected, and about what that means for the capacity of states and communities to shape their own futures.
Graduates from international relations programmes pursue careers in the diplomatic service, international organisations, NGOs, journalism, the civil service, development agencies, think tanks, policy bodies and the private sector. The analytical, research and communication skills developed through the degree are highly valued by employers across public affairs, consulting, finance and the media. Many graduates go on to postgraduate study in international relations, diplomacy, international law, security studies or development studies, which provides more specialist preparation for careers in global institutions and policy.