International Relations with a Language

International relations is the study of how states, international organisations, and non-state actors interact on the world stage, engaging with questions of war and peace, diplomacy, trade, human rights, climate governance, global inequality, and the structures of international order. It is a discipline that requires both analytical rigour and the kind of broad contextual understanding that comes from engaging with history, political theory, economics, and international law together. Adding a language to this foundation transforms the degree, giving you both fluency in a second language and a deeper cultural understanding of the regions and contexts you study.

At Sussex this programme includes a foundation year for those who benefit from additional preparation before the main degree begins. The full programme runs over three years and includes a sandwich year, a year abroad, and a work placement, giving you a particularly rich combination of professional and international experience. The year abroad in a country where your chosen language is spoken is an especially important component, developing your language to a level that makes you genuinely effective in professional and international contexts.

Across the programme you will study international relations theory, global political economy, foreign policy analysis, international organisations, and contemporary global issues, alongside your language development.

International relations with a language is particularly valued by employers in international organisations, diplomacy, foreign policy, NGOs, journalism, international business, and the expanding field of global development and sustainability. Language skills consistently increase the range of roles open to international relations graduates, and the year abroad adds both competence and credibility. Many graduates continue to postgraduate study in international relations, international law, development studies, or security studies, often choosing programmes in institutions in the country of their studied language.