Politics and International Studies

Politics and international studies is a degree that takes the most fundamental questions about how human societies are governed and how they interact with each other as its subject matter. Why do states go to war? How do democracies remain stable or collapse?

What drives international cooperation on issues like climate change, trade, and human rights? How does power work at the national and global level, and who benefits? These questions are not only intellectually fascinating but directly relevant to the most pressing challenges of the contemporary world.

At the University of Warwick you will study across three years on a full-time programme, with a sandwich year that provides professional experience, a year abroad for international study, and work placement embedded throughout. Warwick's politics and international studies department is one of the strongest in the UK, with research and teaching that spans political theory, comparative politics, international relations, security studies, and political economy. You will develop skills in theoretical analysis and in both qualitative and quantitative research methods, learning to gather evidence, test arguments, and communicate findings in writing and oral presentation.

The combination of academic rigour and practical professional development, through the sandwich year and placement, means you graduate with both analytical depth and the professional awareness that employers in politics-related fields value.

Graduates of politics and international studies enter careers across a remarkable range. The civil service, foreign and diplomatic services, international organisations, think tanks, and NGOs are all common employers for those drawn to policy and governance. Journalism, public affairs, and political communications suit graduates whose strengths are in research, writing, and persuasion.

Finance, management consultancy, and law are further directions for those who want to apply their analytical training in commercial contexts. Postgraduate study in politics, international relations, public policy, law, or area studies is a well-established route for those who wish to specialise or pursue research and academic careers.