Politics with International Relations

Ready to become a critical thinker and unlock global insights to help shape the world's future?

Course outline

Studying BSc (Hons) Politics with International Relations at Aston University will equip you with a profound understanding of global politics and international dynamics, fostering critical thinking and practical skills.

You will have the opportunity to explore major political topics going beyond the UK and Europe, covering Africa, Asia and North America. You will not only study the traditional subjects of the discipline, including security, political economy or democracy, but also have the chance to investigate exciting topics such as gender, religion, sports or technology.

You will delve into international politics, analysing the dynamic political, economic and social forces that shape policies, cause conflicts and facilitate cooperation. This exploration will deepen your understanding of complex global interactions and prepare you for informed decision-making in a rapidly evolving world.

You will be taught by research-active staff who are experts in their respective fields and who constantly update their teaching based on the newest research findings.

Opting for the placement year will provide you with invaluable real-world experience, boosting your employability. Whether you choose to work, teach or study abroad, you will benefit from Aston University’s extensive global connections with employers, schools and universities.

Key benefits

• Power up your future – Develop the skills employers around the globe look for. Gain an edge in a fast-changing world and thrive in your career with Aston Power Skills.

• Excellent prospects - Politics at Aston University was ranked 7th in the UK for ‘career prospects’ (Guardian, 2025), 10th in the UK for ‘graduate prospects – on track’ (Complete University Guide, 2025), and 12th in the UK for ‘graduate prospects’ (Times/Sunday Times Good University Guide, 2025).

• Safe in our hands - Ranked 4th in the UK (International Relations) and 7th in the UK (Politics) for ‘student-to-staff ratio’ (Guardian, 2025)

• More for less – Ranked 8th in the UK for ‘value added’ (Politics; Guardian, 2025)

• Earn more – Our graduates are among the highest paid in the country, earning on average £35,400 five years after graduating (Longitudinal Education Outcomes, 2024)

• Gold standard teaching – Aston University was awarded Gold – the highest possible rating for the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF, 2023)

Where can this degree take me?

The transferable skills that our politics and international relations programmes provide mean that our graduates are successful in finding employment in a wide range of roles such as:

• Research officer

• Senior economic analyst

• Account manager

• Sales manager

• Finance executive

• Data insight consultant

• Strategy analyst

• Marketing executive

• Business operations executive

• Project manager

• Teacher

• Financial analyst

• Area manager

• Policy officer

• Data protection officer

Our graduates have gone on to work at companies and public sector organisations such as the Civil Service, Airbus, Dell Technologies, Jaguar Land Rover, Highways England, BT, IBM, Aldi, West Midlands Police, PwC, HS2, Samsung, Sheffield City Council and Microsoft.