Politics and International Relations
Politics and international relations is a degree that prepares you to understand how the world works: how governments function, how political conflicts emerge and are resolved, how international institutions are built and when they succeed or fail, and how the ideas we hold about rights, justice and democracy shape both domestic politics and global affairs. It is a discipline of enormous contemporary relevance, addressing the questions that appear daily in the news in the most rigorous and analytical way available.
At Goldsmiths, University of London, this four-year full-time programme includes an integrated foundation year, which provides a supported and accessible entry into degree-level study in politics and international relations. The foundation year builds the academic skills and political knowledge needed before you progress to the main degree, making the programme appropriate for students who want a more gradual transition into university-level work in these disciplines.
The programme's approach is described as distinctive, combining the study of politics and international relations to give you broad knowledge and experience of both disciplines. You will study political theory, comparative government, international relations theory, global security, development, the politics of the European Union and major issues in contemporary world affairs. The programme develops your analytical and argumentative capabilities, your research and writing skills and your ability to engage critically with complex political evidence and events.
Graduates go into careers in the civil service, foreign affairs, journalism, international organisations, NGOs, public affairs, policy research, law, management consultancy and education. The combination of political and international knowledge is valued across many sectors where understanding of governance, institutions and global dynamics is important. Some go on to postgraduate study in politics, international relations, public policy or related fields.