International Relations
International relations is the study of how states, international organisations, and non-state actors interact across borders and how those interactions shape global order. It asks why wars start, how international institutions sustain or fail to sustain peace, what drives global inequality, and how the international community responds to crises ranging from climate change to nuclear proliferation. The discipline draws on history, political science, economics, and philosophy, and it sits at the intersection of rigorous academic inquiry and some of the most pressing practical challenges of our time.
Aberstwyth University is home to the world's first Department of International Politics, founded more than a century ago, and this four-year full-time degree with an integrated foundation year carries the intellectual weight of that tradition. The foundation year provides the grounding in academic skills and subject knowledge needed to engage fully with the main programme. You will explore competing theoretical frameworks for understanding world politics, from realism and liberalism to postcolonial and critical perspectives, and you will apply them to contemporary issues including nuclear instability, climate governance, global inequality, and the weakening of multilateral institutions.
The programme invites you not only to understand the world but to think about how it might be shaped differently. The typical entry tariff is 104 points.
International relations graduates enter a broad range of careers in diplomacy, the civil service, international organisations, NGOs, journalism, development, policy research, and global business. The analytical and communication skills developed through the degree are valued across the public, private, and third sectors. Postgraduate study in international relations, security studies, international law, public policy, or development studies is a natural continuation for those wishing to deepen their specialism or pursue careers in research or senior policymaking.