Program Overview

BA (Hons) International Relations

The BA (Hons) International Relations course offers students the opportunity to explore how countries, international organisations, and non-state actors interact on the global stage. This course is all about using theories and models to explain and understand global power and why the world is the way it is and how we can change it.

Course Overview

BA (Hons) International Relations is part of the School of History, Politics and Philosophy at Manchester Met. The course is rooted in critical, emancipatory, and transformative contemporary approaches rather than more traditional approaches to engage with a diverse range of perspectives in its exploration of global politics. The staff at Manchester Metropolitan University are leading researchers in the most critical angles on this field, and the university is located in one of the most radical cities in the UK, with a wealth of placement opportunities and political activity.

Features and Benefits

• The course is rooted in critical, emancipatory, and transformative contemporary approaches rather than more traditional approaches to engage with a diverse range of perspectives in its exploration of global politics.
• The course explores the legacies of colonialism and imperialism on contemporary international affairs and integrates peripheral and marginal voices on questions of conflict, crisis and political change.
• Students will be taught by research-active staff who have expertise in areas including critical international relations, security studies, global politics and digital politics.
• The course content is directly informed by the research specialisms of the teaching team.
• Students can spend their third year on placement with an employer or studying abroad, enhancing their employability prospects through a proven ability to succeed in a professional or foreign setting.
• The course includes practical skills training, including advanced analytical approaches which are sought after by employers.

Accreditations, Awards and Endorsements

• The university has received an overall gold status in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF), meaning it's rated as an outstanding university for its student experience.
• 96.3% of students were positive about teaching staff being good at explaining things, according to the National Student Survey 2025 (NSS).

Year 1

Year 1 gives a core grounding to students who may not have studied International Relations before, whilst extending the knowledge and skills of those who have already engaged with linked subjects at A-Level, such as history, politics, sociology, philosophy and human geography.

• Core modules:
  • Global Transformation: Insecurity and Change in the Contemporary World
  • Global Chronicles: the Making of the International Order
  • International Governance - Challenges and Conflict
  • Changing Nature

Year 2

The second year offers optional modules to allow students to pursue their interests, whilst developing the core grounding built up in Year 1.

• Core modules:
  • Fit for the Future
  • International Relations Theory
  • Applied Research Methods for Politics and International Relations
• Option modules:
  • The Power of Protest and Popular Culture
  • Social and Public Policy
  • Critical Perspectives on War and Security
  • Global Political Thought
  • Gender, Race and Sexuality
  • Comparative and Regional Politics

Year 3

In the third year, students engage with the latest research in International Relations, with the opportunity to take part in this work. The third year also places focus on preparing students for what comes next.

• Core modules:
  • International Relations Independent Project
  • Global Political Order and Disorder
• Option modules:
  • Information and Security
  • Public and Social Policy Analysis
  • Postcolonial Perspectives: Decolonising Narratives
  • The Politics of Climate Change and Sustainability
  • EU In Turmoil
  • Critical Political Thought
  • Transatlantic Foreign Policy

Study and Assessment

• Study:
  • Year 1: 30% lectures, seminars or similar; 70% independent study
  • Year 2: 30% lectures, seminars or similar; 70% independent study
  • Year 3: 25% lectures, seminars or similar; 75% independent study
• Assessment:
  • Year 1: 100% coursework
  • Year 2: 100% coursework
  • Year 3: 100% coursework

Entry Requirements

• Typical offer: 104-112 UCAS tariff points
• IELTS score: 6.0 overall with no component below 5.5, taken within two years of course start date
• UK students:
  • Level 3 qualifications: 104-112 UCAS tariff points
  • Level 2 qualifications: GCSE grade C/4 in English Language or equivalent
• International students:
  • IB Diploma: Pass overall with a minimum overall score of 26 or minimum 104 UCAS Tariff points from three Higher Level subjects
  • IELTS: 6.0 overall with no component below 5.5, taken within two years of course start date

Fees and Funding

Tuition fees for the 2026/27 academic year are still being finalised for all courses.

Careers Support and Prospects

• Employed or in further study: 88.7% of UK-domiciled, full-time, first degree graduates are employed or in further study 15 months after graduation.
• The university offers careers support and prospects, including a Careers Service, Future Me, and Rise.
• Most international relations graduates go straight into employment and/or further study, with previous graduates going into a variety of careers in the fast-track civil service, the armed forces intelligence corps, publishing, recruitment, journalism, media, charities, academic research and company management.