Politics and Social Policy with a Year Abroad

Our BA (Hons) Politics and Social Policy degree can open up a range of exciting career possibilities by helping you to develop transferable skills, which are highly valued by employers.

This four-year course explores questions about how the world should be run, and what values should shape global politics, as well as issues like human rights and equality.

You will have the chance to take an internship at the National Assembly for Wales, and the opportunity to spend a semester abroad – an exciting and valuable experience, which will further enhance your career prospects.

As part of this programme, you will spend a year abroad between your second and final year, broadening your skills and experience. Our partner institutions span the globe, with opportunities varying each year. If you wish to receive more information, please get in touch with us on study@swansea.ac.uk

Why Politics and Social Policy at Swansea?
Social Policy at Swansea is ranked:

• 1st in the UK for Student Satisfaction (Complete University Guide 2025)

• 7th in the UK for Student Voice (NSS 2024*)

Politics at Swansea is ranked:

• 4th in the UK for Student Satisfaction (Complete University Guide 2025)

• 8th in the UK for Academic Support (NSS 2024**)

You will have the competitive option of undertaking an internship module with the National Assembly for Wales, working closely with Assembly Ministers.
You can also have a semester abroad, studying in Hong Kong, Singapore, the USA or Canada, further enhancing your student experience and career prospects.

*Based on the average positivity score across questions 22 to 25 in the NSS 2024 when ranked against universities featured in the Times Good University Guide
*Based on the average positivity score across questions 15 to 16 in the NSS 2024 when ranked against universities featured in the Times Good University Guide

In Year 1, you will typically study areas including: Introducing Social Policy; Politics and the People; Introduction to Politics; An Introduction to American History and Politics; The History of Social Policy; The Politics and Philosophy of Social Policy.

In Year 2, you will typically study areas including: The State and Political Institutions; Devolution, Policy Making and Social Change; Poverty and Social Justice; British Politics and Public Policy; Contemporary Moral Controversies; The History of Political Thought; The Colour Line: Race and Racism in World Politics; Health Policy; Housing Policy, Homes and Homelessness; and Investigating Gender.

As part of this programme, you will spend a year abroad between your second and final year, broadening your skills and experience. Our partner institutions span the globe, with opportunities varying each year. If you wish to receive more information, please get in touch with us on study@swansea.ac.uk.

In Year 4, you will typically study areas including: Study Abroad Placement; Principles of Social Policy; Principles of Social Policy; Social Movements, Social Policy and Social Change; Probation and Community Justice: Policy, Practice and Partnerships; Race and Nation; Senedd Cymru/The Welsh Parliament. You will complete a dissertation in your final year.

We are proud to provide an outstanding educational experience, using the most effective learning and teaching approaches, carefully tailored to suit the specific needs of your course. Apart from a small number of online-only courses, most of our courses consist of in-person, on-campus teaching, enabling full engagement with your lecturers and fellow students.

Practical skills sessions, lab work seminars, and workshops predominantly take place in person, allowing for group working and demonstrations. We also operate virtual labs and Simulated Learning Environments which will facilitate greater access to training opportunities in the future. However, our approach also includes the use of some online learning to support and enhance traditional face-to-face teaching.

Online learning may take place ‘live’ using software such as Zoom, allowing you to interact with the lecturer and other students and to ask questions. Lecture recordings also allow for more flexibility to revisit material, to revise for assessments and to enhance learning outside of the classroom. Some modules have extra resources in Canvas, such as videos, slides and quizzes enabling further flexible study.

This course may offer some modules taught through the medium of Welsh or bilingually for students who consider themselves to be fluent Welsh speakers. For more details on the provision available see the Welsh Provision expander below.