Program Overview

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Economics, Politics and International Relations (with Foundation Year)

Overview

From fully fledged battles to economic sanctions… what’s changed? Over the last hundred years, the world of politics and international relations has evolved rapidly. In the past, war was the first response to conflict, but now economic sanctions are front and centre when it comes to political tactics that are being used to respond to conflict and influence political behaviour.

Political and economic events are closely linked, so it’s essential that we look at them side by side. Our BA Economics, Politics and International Relations with Foundation Year is designed to do exactly that. You’ll look beyond the headlines and explore the forces shaping today’s world.

Understanding how to link theory and practice is key. We’ll explore the economic factors shaping the relationships between national governments and examine the issues that are central to the lives of people around the world.

The way you learn will be as diverse as the subjects you study, one day discussing competing theoretical frameworks, the next, problem-solving and practising policy recommendations.

Why Oxford Brookes University?

• Perfect preparation: Build essential study skills with an integrated foundation year. Gain academic confidence, improve critical thinking, and strengthen subject knowledge for your degree journey.
• Study abroad: Spend time in a different country to experience a different culture and broaden your perspective. Some universities make you choose between studying abroad or a placement. Here you can do both.
• Boost your employability: Join student-led societies focused on this area, listen to guest speakers and study abroad to make your CV shine.
• Customise the course: Shape your study with optional modules that allow you to explore a range of topics from international trade to ethics, power and world politics.
• Placement opportunity: We’ll help you find a placement that aligns with your ambitions. Past students have worked at The Walt Disney Company, Office National Statistics, IBM, John Lewis and more.
• Learn a language: Our university-wide language programme is available to full-time undergraduate and postgraduate students on many of our courses, and can be taken as a credit on some courses.

Course details

Course structure

Throughout the course, you’ll have opportunities to decide what direction to take with the flexibility to focus more on economics or on politics and international relations as you progress. You also have the opportunity to develop data handling skills. In your foundation year, you will study a foundation in business, building confidence and essential academic skills.

The first year of your degree gives you a strong foundation in economics, politics, and international relations, developing tools and skills for the future as a key part of your studies.

After your second year, you will have the opportunity to go on placement. This experience gives you the chance to work for a prestigious company such as The Walt Disney Company, IBM, John Lewis, among others, and add experience to your CV.

In your final year, you’ll choose more optional modules to continue to hone your expertise. You may choose to do a dissertation. Students have previously explored a range of areas via their dissertation, from the effect of corruption on Russian industry to climate change and consumption.

Learning and teaching

On this course your learning experience will be exciting and challenging. You will develop confidence and the necessary skills to take on the demands of graduate jobs in leading international organisations.

Our teaching methods include:

• lectures
• seminars
• workshops
• group projects
• presentations
• role plays
• analysis of numerical data
• discussions of topical material
• guest speakers.

You’ll also learn through e-learning activities such as:

• self-study quizzes
• diagnostic assessments
• computer-based simulations
• online discussion groups.

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Assessment

The majority of modules use a combination of both examinations and coursework for assessment. However some modules are assessed solely by coursework or by examination.

You will benefit from ongoing in-depth, specific feedback on your work.

Study modules

Teaching for this course takes place face-to-face. In your foundation year, you can expect around fourteen hours of contact time per week. In addition to this, you should also anticipate a workload of 1,200 hours per year. When you begin your degree programme, you can expect around nine hours of contact time per week. In addition to this, you should also anticipate a workload of 1,200 hours per year. Teaching usually takes place Monday to Friday, between 9.00am and 6.00pm.

Contact hours involve activities such as lectures, seminars, practicals, assessments, and academic advising sessions. These hours differ by year of study and typically increase significantly during placements or other types of work-based learning.

Foundation Year

Compulsory modules

• University Study Skills
• Culture and Communication
• Business Fundamentals
• Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
• Extended Research Essay
• Economics for Business

Optional modules

• Development Studies
• Ideas and Ideologies
• Global Issues
• English Law
• Tourism and Hospitality
• Maths and Statistics for University Study [Compulsory for Foundation in Business students who have not met the GCSE Maths entry requirements for their undergraduate programme]

Year 1

Compulsory modules

• Microeconomics I
• Macroeconomics I
• Quantitative Methods for Economics & Finance
• Political Socialisation and Ideology
• Politics in Comparative Perspective
• From Empire to States: the Origins on International Relations
• Global Challenges in International Relations

Year 2

Compulsory modules

• Microeconomics II
• Macroeconomics II
• Exploring and Enhancing Employability
• Researching Politics and International Relations
• Global Political Economy
• UK Politics

Optional modules

• Choose 2 Optional modules from those below:
  • International Labour Markets
  • Applied Econometrics
  • History of Economic Thought
  • International Trade
  • US Politics
  • Nations and Nationalism
  • Uncivil Society: Constituting Global Order

Optional Placement Year

Optional modules

• Placement

Final Year

Compulsory modules

• Perspectives on Global Challenges
• The Environment, Sustainability and Social Justice

Optional modules

• Choose 5 Optional Modules from those below:
  • Environmental Economics
  • Economic Growth
  • Behavioural Economics
  • Economics, Politics and International Relations Dissertation
  • Advanced Applied Econometrics
  • Conflict and Peacebuilding
  • Terrorism and Counter Terrorism
  • Global Development
  • Human Rights and Global Politics

Careers

You’ll be ready to work in prestigious companies around the world with roles in management, journalism, financial crime advisory, to working for organisations like the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, NGOs, the third sector and much more. You could also decide to progress your studies to postgraduate level. How you use your degree is up to you.

Throughout your degree, we’ll help you prepare for your future. We have a module completely focused on employability in the second year of your degree where you’ll develop your CV, learn interview skills and explore assessment centres in order to prepare you for the graduate market.

You’ll be the perfect match for roles in:

• the diplomatic service
• management
• teaching
• publishing
• journalism
• local government
• law
• trade unions.

Entry requirements

Wherever possible we make our conditional offers using the UCAS Tariff. The combination of A-level grades listed here would be just one way of achieving the UCAS Tariff points for this course.

Standard offer

• UCAS Tariff Points: 48
• A Level: DD
• IB Points: 24
• BTEC: PPP or MP

Contextual offer

What is a contextual offer?

• UCAS Tariff Points:
• A Level:
• IB Points:
• BTEC:

Further offer details

Applications are also welcomed for consideration from applicants with European qualifications, international qualifications or recognised foundation courses. For advice on eligibility please contact Admissions.

Specific entry requirements

• GCSE: Mathematics (grade C/4 or above)

Please also see the University's general entry requirements.

English language requirements

Please see the University's standard English language requirements.

Pathways courses for international and EU students

If you do not meet the entry requirements for this degree, or if you would like more preparation before you start, you can take an international foundation course. Once you enrol, you will have a guaranteed pathway to this degree if you pass your foundation course with the required grades.

If you only need to meet the language requirements, you can take our pre-sessional English course. You will develop key language and study skills for academic success and you will not need to take an external language test to progress to your degree.

English requirements for visas

If you need a student visa to enter the UK you will need to meet the UK Visas and Immigration minimum language requirements as well as the University's requirements. Find out more about English language requirements.

Credit transfer

Many of our courses consider applications for entry part-way through the course for students who have credit from previous learning or relevant professional experience.

Find out more about transferring to Brookes. If you'd like to talk through your options, please contact our Admissions team.

Tuition fees

2025 / 26

• Home (UK) full time: £5,760 (Foundation); £9,535 (Degree)
• Home (UK) part time: £720 per single module (Foundation); £1,190 per single module (Degree)
• International full time: £17,100

2026 / 27

• Home (UK) full time: £5,760 (Foundation); £9,535 (Degree)*
• Home (UK) part time: £720 per single module (Foundation); £1,190 per single module (Degree)*
• International full time: £19,700

*Tuition fee level for . Tuition fees for home undergraduate students in will be confirmed by the Government later in 2025 and will be updated on our website as soon as the information becomes available.

Please note, tuition fees for Home students may increase in subsequent years both for new and continuing students in line with an inflationary amount determined by government. Oxford Brookes University intends to maintain its fees for new and returning Home students at the maximum permitted level.

For further information please see our tuition fees FAQs.

Tuition fees for International students may increase in subsequent years both for new and continuing students.

The following factors will be taken into account by the University when it is setting the annual fees: inflationary measures such as the retail price indices, projected increases in University costs, changes in the level of funding received from Government sources, admissions statistics and access considerations including the availability of student support.

Funding your studies

Financial support and scholarships

Featured funding opportunities available for this course.

• Oxford Brookes Bursary for Continuing Students
• Undergraduate maintenance loans for part-time UK students
• Undergraduate maintenance loans for full-time UK students
• Undergraduate tuition fee loans for UK students
• Oxford Brookes Bursary for New Students

All financial support and scholarships

View all funding opportunities for this course