International Relations with Foundation Year

International relations is the study of how states, international organisations, and other global actors interact, cooperate, and conflict in the pursuit of their interests and values. It is a field that takes the widest possible view, examining questions of war and peace, diplomacy, trade, human rights, environmental governance, migration, and the shifting distribution of global power. At a time when international cooperation faces significant pressures and the global order is in flux, the ability to understand and analyse these dynamics has never been more important.

At the University of Portsmouth, this four-year programme includes a foundation year that offers a structured and supported introduction to the social sciences and the academic skills needed for degree-level study. The foundation year is particularly suited to students who are entering university from non-traditional routes or who want a careful preparation before engaging with the main programme. From the first year of the main degree onwards, you will study international relations systematically, engaging with the major theoretical traditions, examining the history of the international system, and developing deep understanding of contemporary global issues.

You will learn to analyse foreign policy, international institutions, security, development, and global governance through multiple lenses, and to construct well-evidenced arguments about complex international problems.

This full-time programme includes a sandwich year, a year abroad, and a work placement, making it one of the most experientially rich international relations programmes available. The year abroad gives you direct exposure to a different national and international environment, while the placement provides professional experience in a relevant setting. Graduates go on to careers in diplomacy, the foreign service, international organisations, government, journalism, non-governmental organisations, development agencies, international business, and policy research.

The combination of theoretical grounding, international experience, and professional practice prepares you comprehensively for careers that engage with the world beyond the UK.