International Relations

Explore the driving forces of relationships between countries and cultures in the 21st century close to where the G7 leaders met in 2021. Unpick all aspects of international relations from law to economics, diplomacy and governance to help you build your own critical thinking skills to navigate some of the major issues facing society. Combine theory and practice so you can better understand the decision-making that drives change. Hone your skills by representing Plymouth at the model UN.

• Work closely with engaging and experienced staff from across the politics and international relations group.

• Explore the evolution of the international system. Debate contemporary worldwide issues, current affairs and major political events. Ask the difficult questions about environmental crises, war, or development in the global south.

• Travel the world through our international student exchange programme. From the Czech Republic and Poland, to Canada and the USA, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to gain insights into international relations worldwide.

• Be inspired by teaching rooted in research. Work closely with staff that are leading experts in their fields; areas of expertise include popular protest in the Middle East, NATO and security studies, the politics of China, global environmental politics and the politics of the European Union.

• Integrate innovative modules from across the School of Society and Culture, focussing your degree on areas that interest you and making your degree your own.

• Build practical skills to take into your future through varied and innovative assessments.

In your first year, you will investigate daily headlines and topical news, discovering the international systems and political and economic ideas that shape our contemporary world. You’ll explore the evolution of politics, current affairs, climate crises and major political events in historical and regional contexts. By the end of year one you will be equipped with the skills and knowledge to help you thrive in your degree programme, having gained vital research techniques and analysed the relationship between international relations and the social sciences via innovative and engaging forms of assessment.

In year two immerse yourself in the issues that you care about in the world and use your new found knowledge and skills to analyse global systems. Learn how to do foreign policy analysis and explore concepts of national and human security, identity and global political economy. You will explore contemporary debates and develop a critical mindset, evaluating evidence and scrutinising arguments to take your knowledge further in ways that you can apply in your future career. Or you can put your global mindset into practice, studying abroad with our international student exchange programme.

Undertake an optional placement year where you can build a number of key employability skills. Put theory onto practice, get a taste for your chosen career and expand upon your professional network.

In your third year, you’ll do comprehensive research on a topic of your choice with expert supervision that helps bring together the skills developed on your journey so far. You’ll deepen your knowledge of IR by studying a range of topics including NATO, understanding conspiracies and post-truth politics, the media, environmental politics, the EU, the politics of the USA, the Middle East or Africa. Make your degree your own, choosing modules from across our school that interest you the most. By the end of your final year, you will be making your mark, ready to be a part of the change.

The modules shown for this course or programme are those being studied by current students, or expected new modules. Modules are subject to change depending on year of entry and up to date information can be found on our website