Program Overview

International Relations and Politics

Overview

The Joint Honours Programme in International Relations and Politics will provide you with an in-depth, interdisciplinary understanding of contemporary politics, international affairs and conflict situations in their political, historical, cultural, economic and legal dimensions. Dedicated modules will introduce you to core concepts and debates in International Relations and the study of conflict, as well as European integration. You will acquire familiarity with the experiences of differing national polities and societies, facilitating the development of cross-national comparisons.

Course Structure

The programme is divided into three years, with the following structure:

• Year 1: Core modules introduce students to central themes in the study of politics and international relations, including political ideas, comparative politics, and European integration.
• Year 2: Students take core modules in approaches to political research and theories of international relations, with optional modules covering various aspects of politics, including country-specific modules, conflict studies, security, terrorism, and environmental politics.
• Year 3: Students choose from a range of specialist modules, with the option to undertake a placement or write a dissertation on a topic of their choice.

Modules

• Introduction to Politics
• World Politics
• Contemporary Europe
• Comparative Politics
• Perspectives on Politics
• International Relations
• Studying Politics
• British Politics in crisis?
• Northern Ireland: Past, Present and Future
• Peace and Conflict Studies
• The Politics of the Planetary Crisis: power, people and place
• Identity Politics in Diverse Societies
• International Organisations
• Democracy, Ethics & Economics
• The Politics of Deeply Divided Societies
• Modern Political Thought
• Irish Politics
• American Politics
• Politics and Policy of the European Union
• Security and Terrorism
• US Foreign Policy
• Politics, Public Administration and Policy-Making
• Challenges to contemporary party politics
• National and Ethnic Minorities in European Politics
• Asylum and Migration in Global Politics
• Security and Technology
• Radical Hope: Inspiring Present-day Sustainability Transformations through an Examination of Our Past
• Short Placement
• Global Pol. Econ. of Energy
• Political Parties and Elections in Northern Ireland
• Politics of the Global Economy
• Gender and Politics
• Contemporary Critical Theory
• Long Placement
• Middle Eastern Politics
• Dissertation (Politics and International Studies)
• War and Visual Culture and Surveillance
• European Cultural Identities
• Earth, Energy, Ethics and Economy: The Politics of Unsustainability
• Contemporary Political Philosophy

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the programme, students will:

• Appreciate the ways in which the academic study of politics differs from political commentary.
• Acquire an understanding of the different ways that empirical researchers study political behaviour, institutions, and policies.
• Understand the complexity of politics.
• Become familiar with the variety of approaches adopted in the empirical study of politics.
• Develop intellectual skills, including managing and prioritizing knowledge, analytical thinking, and critical and independent thinking.
• Develop professional and career development skills, including communication skills, teamwork, diversity, self-reflexivity, and time management.
• Develop organizational skills, including efficient and effective work practice, clear organization of information, and organization and communication.

Assessment

Assessment methods include:

• Coursework (100% for most modules)
• Examination (0% for most modules)
• Practical (10% for some modules)

Credits

Each module is worth 20 credits, with the exception of the dissertation, which is worth 40 credits.

Teaching Period

Modules are taught over 12 weeks, with the exception of the dissertation, which is taught over 24 weeks.

Pre-requisite

Some modules have pre-requisites, which are specified in the module descriptions.

Core/Optional

Modules are either core or optional, with core modules being compulsory and optional modules being elective.

Admission Requirements

• ABB A-level grades or equivalent
• GCSE English Language grade C/4 or equivalent
• No specific subject requirements

Tuition Fees

• Northern Ireland (NI) students: £4,855
• Republic of Ireland (ROI) students: £4,855
• England, Scotland, or Wales (GB) students: £9,535
• EU Other students: £20,800
• International students: £20,800

Scholarships

Scholarships are available for international students.

Career Prospects

Graduates from this programme are well regarded by local, national, and international employers and can pursue careers in the public, private, and voluntary sectors. Career opportunities include:

• Government and civil service
• Research
• Mediation and negotiation
• Public affairs and public relations
• Media, journalism, and communications
• Advocacy
• Marketing
• Teaching

Research Opportunities

The School of History, Anthropology, Philosophy and Politics offers research opportunities in various areas, including:

• Democracy Unit
• Centre for Gender in Politics
• Centre for Public History
• The Senator George J Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice
• Institute of Cognition and Culture
• Institute of Irish Studies

Student Experience

The programme offers a range of opportunities for students to engage with practitioners and academics in the field, including:

• Internships
• Placements
• Guest lectures
• Workshops
• Conferences

Student Testimonials

• "I chose Queen's because the wide choice of modules essentially allows me to build my own degree. I enjoy the way we are taught through lectures and tutorials where we are given an overview of a topic, able to research more for ourselves, and then debate with our peers in tutorial sessions."
• "When I came to visit Queen's, the facilities, the city, and the feel of the place were far above any of the other universities I'd visited. I chose this particular course as it looked interesting, and covered a variety of topics."