Politics with International Relations

Politics with international relations is a degree that develops your understanding of how political systems work at both the domestic and international level, equipping you to analyse the forces that shape public life from the floor of a national parliament to the negotiating table of an international organisation. Politics examines constitutions, parties, elections, public policy, and the theoretical frameworks that help us make sense of how power operates within states. International relations extends that analysis outward, asking how states interact with each other and with non-state actors in a world of uncertain alliances, shifting power balances, and shared global challenges.

At the University of Winchester, this three-year, full-time degree gives you the theoretical tools needed to analyse global politics and the knowledge of specific cases and regions to apply those tools effectively. You will engage with the major traditions of international relations theory, including realism, liberalism, constructivism, and critical approaches, and you will learn to apply them to contemporary political affairs. The degree develops strong skills in research, analytical writing, and argument, and it encourages you to think critically about the forces shaping the world you will graduate into.

Graduates in politics and international relations work in the civil service, government, think tanks, NGOs, journalism, international development, advocacy, public affairs, and the private sector. The analytical and communicative skills you develop are valued across any sector where understanding complex social and political phenomena matters. Many graduates go on to postgraduate study in political science, international relations, public policy, or law, building the specialist expertise needed for research or senior professional careers.