politics-joint-img-01 ir-and-pol

Politics (Joint Honours) BA (Hons)

In an ever-changing political landscape, this course develops your understanding of political events and processes that shape our world, from local to global arenas. You can pair this knowledge with either History, Economics, International Relations or Journalism to create a tailored course that broadens your expertise.

Overview

Senior Lecturer in Politics, Dr Clodagh Harrington, talks about the wide range of opportunities Politics BA (Hons) students can get involved with.

Our expert lecturers will help you develop a range of skills sought by employers – from communication and team working to independent research and critical analysis. You will gain an in-depth knowledge of current political issues, and have opportunities to gain work experience, meet practitioners and travel overseas. 

You will also benefit from a strong academic and theoretical background through modules such as British Government and Politics, which examines the structures and processes of politics at all tiers, from local government through to the EU. Underpinning the module is the nature of political and governmental interaction between the citizen and the state and the factors which influence that relationship or generate pressure for change.

Key features

  • Innovative teaching approaches linking theory and practice such as simulations, engagement with House of Commons committees and the DMU Policy Commission.
  • The only university in the UK to hold both Congress to Campus and European Parliament to Campus with former members of US Congress and former Members of European Parliament to enhance your study experience.
  • Our DMU Works careers programme can help you get work-ready through placement opportunities with local, national and global companies previous students have secured placements at Rolls Royce, GlaxoSmithKline, Heathrow Airport and the House of Commons.
  • DMU is recognised as a Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence as a result of research and teaching excellence in European studies.
  • Join our lively Politics Society with topical debates and well-known guest speakers which have included David Blunkett and Alastair Campbell in previous years.
  • Enjoy an international experience with DMU Global, trips have included Hong Kong, Berlin, Brussels, Washington and New York. Previous students went to Germany and analysed the impact of the cold war on Berlin and considered how politics has affected the economy.

Scholarships

DMU offers a range of undergraduate and postgraduate scholarships and bursaries to help you realise your academic ambitions.

International student scholarships

Find out about available international scholarships or visit our fees and funding page for more information.


More courses like this:

Politics BA (Hons)

News stories/case studies

Gavin gets political opportunities after voting 'yes' to DMU

Former Politics student returns to DMU to teach International Relations

Students show their passion for politics

Student research in spotlight for 2019 poster competition

  • UK
  • EU/International

Institution code: D26

UCAS course codes: 
Politics and History LV21
Politics and Economics LL12 
Politics and International Relations L245
Politics and Journalism LPF5

Duration: Three years full-time, four years with a placement.

Fees and funding: 

2024/25 tuition fees for UK students: £9,250

Find out more about additional costs and optional extras associated with this course.

Contact us: For more information complete our online enquiry form or call us on +44 (0)116 2 50 60 70.

Institution code: D26

UCAS course codes: 
Politics and History LV21
Politics and Economics LL12 
Politics and International Relations L245
Politics and Journalism LPF5

Duration: Three years full-time, four years with a placement.

Fees and funding:

2024/25 tuition fees for international students: £15,750.

Find out more about available funding for international students.

Find out more about additional costs and optional extras associated with this course.

 

 

Contact us: For more information complete our online enquiry form or call us on +44 (0)116 2 50 60 70.

Entry criteria

Entry criteria

  • A typical offer is:

    Politics and History (LV21) – 112 UCAS points
    Politics and Economics (LL12) – 112 UCAS points
    Politics and International Relations (L245) – 112 UCAS points
    Politics and Journalism (LPF5) – 104 UCAS points

    You need to study at least two subjects at A-level or equivalent (eg BTEC**)

  • International Baccalaureate: 28 + points
  • All students must have at least five GCSEs grades A–C including English Language and Maths.
  • Pass Access with 30 Level 3 credits at Merit (or equivalent)

    English (Language or Literature) and Maths GCSE required as separate qualifications at grade C

    We will normally require students to have had a break from full time education before undertaking the Access course

** Further information about BTEC equivalencies

Mature students

We welcome applications from mature students with non-standard qualifications and recognise all other equivalent and international qualifications.

English language

If English is not your first language, an IELTS core of 6.0 (including a minimum of 5.5 in each component) or equivalent is normally required.

UCAS tariff information

Students applying for courses starting in September will be made offers based on the latest UCAS Tariff.

Contextual offer 

To make sure you get fair and equal access to higher education, when looking at your application, we consider more than just your grades. So if you are eligible, you may receive a contextual offer. Find our more about contextual offers.

 

Structure and assessment

 

Course modules

Teaching and assessment

Teaching contact hours

 

Year 1

  • Introduction to Politics
  • British Government and Politics

Year 2

  • Political Theory

Plus options from the following:

  • Politics of the European Union*
  • Unity and Diversity in Contemporary America*
  • Government and Business
  • Corruption and its Avoidance
  • Comparative Local Government*

Year 3

  • Dissertation

Plus options from the following:

  • American Presidency
  • Power, Politics and Morality
  • Politics of Nationalism
  • Managing the Environment
  • Health Politics and Policy
  • Globalisation and Democracy

Teaching and assessment

You will be taught by a team whose work has achieved top scores in quality assessment exercises and by individuals who have National Teaching Fellow Status in recognition of their outstanding teaching. We are also active researchers and share our current work with you.

We use a variety of formats in our classes. In the first two years you attend weekly hour-long lectures and seminars in which you discuss the issues raised in lectures. In the third year teaching is in a two-hour workshop format where you often get to decide on the topics that are debated.

Throughout the course you will read around the areas being covered using course books and you must keep yourself up-to-date with developments in current affairs.

You are assessed through assignments, essays, exams, class presentations, seminar contributions, your portfolio and your dissertation. You will also be challenged through simulation games, problem-solving exercises, online collaborative projects and policy papers.

For more information on the Economics, History, Journalism and International Relations Joint Honours contact hours, please visit the course webpage’s. 

Teaching contact hours

This is a full-time course. Each module is worth 30 credits. It is expected that student will spend a total of 300 hours of study for each module. You should be prepared to devote approximately 10 contact hours a week to your studies and additional independent hours of study in order to succeed. Teaching is through a mix of lectures, tutorials, seminars and lab sessions and the breakdown of these activity types is shown in each module description.

Other: In addition, each module provides a two-hour surgery each week for individual consultation with the lecturer. You will also have timetabled meetings with your personal tutor and careers and/or subject meetings scheduled throughout the year.

Self-directed study: In order to prepare for, and assimilate, the work in lectures and seminars you will be expected to use our on-line resources, participate in flipped or virtual classroom discussions on our virtual learning environment (VLE) and engage in personal study and revision for approximately 25 hours per week.

For more information on the Economics, History, International Relations and Journalism Joint Honours contact hours, please visit the course web page’s. 

Facilities and features

Hugh Aston Building

You will have access to our purpose-built Hugh Aston Building, equipped with lecture theatres and classrooms, break-out spaces for group work, quiet study zones for individual work and IT labs. Wherever possible, students will be given home access to specialist software.

You’ll also have access to the building’s new £5.5 million extension called The Yard, which provides more than 22,000 square metres of extra space. This is designed to facilitate your learning experience with large and airy breakout spaces, a new Student Advice Centre, and a balcony on the top floor. The Yard also features more comfortable classrooms and self-study spaces, allowing you to carry out independent study as well as group work.

Library and learning zones

On campus, the main Kimberlin Library offers a space where you can work, study and access a vast range of print materials, with computer stations, laptops, plasma screens and assistive technology also available. 

As well as providing a physical space in which to work, we offer online tools to support your studies, and our extensive online collection of resources accessible from our Library website, e-books, specialised databases and electronic journals and films which can be remotely accessed from anywhere you choose. 

We will support you to confidently use a huge range of learning technologies, including the Virtual Learning Environment, Collaborate Ultra, DMU Replay, MS Teams, Turnitin and more. Alongside this, you can access LinkedIn Learning and learn how to use Microsoft 365, and study support software such as mind mapping and note-taking through our new Digital Student Skills Hub. 

The library staff offer additional support to students, including help with academic writing, research strategies, literature searching, reference management and assistive technology. There is also a ‘Just Ask’ service for help and advice, live LibChat, online workshops, tutorials and drop-ins available from our Learning Services, and weekly library live chat sessions that give you the chance to ask the library teams for help.

More flexible ways to learn

We offer an equitable and inclusive approach to learning and teaching for all our students. Known as the Universal Design for Learning (UDL), our teaching approach has been recognised as sector leading. UDL means we offer a wide variety of support, facilities and technology to all students, including those with disabilities and specific learning differences.

Just one of the ways we do this is by using ‘DMU Replay’ – a technology providing all students with anytime access to audio and/or visual material of lectures. This means students can revise taught material in a way that suits them best, whether it's replaying a recording of a class or adapting written material shared in class using specialist software.

Opportunities and careers

Find the people who will open doors for you

DMU's award-winning careers service provides guaranteed work experience opportunities DMU Careers Team
dmu-global-img-01

DMU Global

Our innovative international experience programme DMU Global aims to enrich your studies and expand your cultural horizons, helping you to become a global graduate, equipped to meet the needs of employers across the world.

Through DMU Global, we offer a wide range of opportunities including on-campus and UK-based activities, overseas study, internships, faculty-led field trips and volunteering, as well as Erasmus+ and international exchanges.

International Relations and Politics students have travelled to New York to pitch community project ideas at the United Nations headquarters, visited Brussels to learn about politics in the European Union, and went to the regional parliament in Berlin, and attended an international conference in Cyprus with the Model UN society

While overseas DMU Global opportunities are not currently possible, DMU will continue to review government advice and if travel is permitted, we hope to offer a small number of extra-curricular opportunities in the summer of 2021.

bal-placements-img

Placements

During this course you will have the option to complete a paid placement year, an invaluable opportunity to put the skills developed during your degree into practice. This insight into the professional world will build on your knowledge in a real-world setting, preparing you to progress onto your chosen career. 

Our careers programme DMU Works can help to hone your professional skills with mock interviews and practice aptitude tests, and an assigned personal tutor will support you throughout your placement. 

Previous students have taken up placements in the private, public and not-for-profit sectors, including some international posts, with leading companies such as Rolls Royce, GlaxoSmithKline, Heathrow Airport and the House of Commons. 

International Relations and Politics student Gavin McMinn has completed a placement year as a Democratic and Electoral Services Officer at Bracknell Forest Council. During his time there, Gavin was able to work on the snap general election of December 2019. Gavin said: “It was a pretty exciting opportunity for a politics student to get directly involved with an election. As part of my role, I helped with the candidate nomination documents and processing through voter registration. 

“On the night itself, I was part of the core team during the count, working until 3am to see in the results. It was an incredible experience, and not what you necessarily expect from a placement year.” You can read more about Gavin’s placement experience.

 

bal-graduate-careers-img

Graduate careers

This Degree will empower you to apply academic theory to real-life situations. Our lecturers will equip you with the skills sought by employers - you will graduate with well-developed research and communication skills as well as a good knowledge of political issues and institutions. 

Graduates from this course have progressed to careers in the private and public sectors in positions such as Campaign Manager for Labour, Deputy Social Media Editor for the Independent, a graduate position on IBM’s sought-after HR Leadership Development Programme and a place on a Local Government trainee scheme.

Take your next steps

More from DMU