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Birkbeck, University of London · Undergraduate
BA (Hons) Global Politics & Int. Relations with Found. Year Bachelor's degree at Birkbeck, University of London
BA (Hons) Global Politics & Int. Relations with Found. Year at BUL. You'll engage with core theory and research methods, develop applied practical skills, and pursue specialist options tailored to your interests, culminating in an independent project.
BA (Hons)
Award
–
Years
Part-time
Study mode
80%
in work/study (15m)
About this course
This BA Global Politics and International Relations allows you to examine global political changes and state relations at the heart of concerns about international politics today. From the provider’s course page.
BA (Hons) Global Politics & Int. Relations with Found. Year is a Bachelor's degree (BA (Hons)) at BUL, based in Birkbeck College. It is studied part-time; duration varies by route.
For Social sciences graduates from this provider, 80% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 60% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £38,500. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)
For the typical curriculum, specialisations, career paths and graduate earnings for Politics & International Relations, see the sections below.
Course evidence score
The arithmetic mean of the official measures available for this course: NSS satisfaction, graduate activity and continuation.
7.8
/ 10
Strong
3 of 3 official measures
Student satisfaction
What students say in the National Student Survey
Strong79
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Graduate outcomes
In work or further study 15 months after graduating
Excellent80
Limited evidence Published sample: 25; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2021-23. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 80% (2021-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Continuation
Students who continue past their first year
Strong75
Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2022-23. Continuation 75% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Curriculum & modules
Real modules published for this course, grouped only where the source gives a year, stage or level.
Year 1 3 modules
- Foundations of Social and Political ScienceCompulsory
- Introduction to Global PoliticsCompulsory
- Transformations in Modern Politics: Democracy, Conflict and GlobalisationCompulsory
Level 4 11 modules
- Comparative GovernmentOptional
- Chinese 1Optional
- French 3Optional
- French 4Optional
- German 3Optional
- German 4Optional
- Italian 3Optional
- Italian 4Optional
- Japanese 1Optional
- Japanese 2Optional
- Japanese 3Optional
Level 5 5 modules
- Governing by NumbersCompulsory
- Contemporary British PoliticsOptional
- Digital PoliticsOptional
- Food, Politics, and the CityOptional
- The Holocaust's Shadow: Germany and the Jews, 1871 to the presentOptional
Year 2 1 modules
- International Relations and Foreign PolicyCompulsory
Year 3 2 modules
- Doing Political and Social ResearchCompulsory
- War and Modern SocietyCompulsory
Level 6 5 modules
- Dissertation - Politics and International RelationsOptional
- Parliamentary StudiesOptional
- Research Applications in Social SciencesOptional
- Field Trip to DakarOptional
- Social and Political TheoryOptional
Foundation Year 9 modules
- Breaking Boundaries of KnowledgeCore
- Crossing BordersCore
- Fundamentals of StudyCore
- French 1Optional
- French 2Optional
- German 1Optional
- German 2Optional
- Italian 1Optional
- Italian 2Optional
Source: provider course page. Modules can change; required/optional status, credits, descriptions and assessment are shown only when explicitly published.
Course in depth
What this course covers, who it suits and where it leads.
What you'll study
This BA allows you to examine global political changes and state relations at the heart of concerns about international politics today. You'll usually begin with foundations in political science, international relations theory and research skills, then move into comparative politics, international security and research methods in your second year. As you progress, you'll typically specialise in areas such as global governance, human rights, political theory, comparative politics, international security or public policy. Your final year usually culminates in a supervised dissertation or independent project on a political question of your choice, alongside contemporary political theory. Throughout, you'll develop skills in critical reading, evidence evaluation and political analysis.
Who it's for
You're drawn to understanding how states, institutions and movements interact across borders. You think critically about geopolitics, diplomacy and international governance, and want to test those ideas rigorously. You may have professional experience or other priorities alongside study: this part-time structure lets you develop expertise without abandoning them. You work well with theory grounded in real-world cases, and you're ready to undertake independent research. Entry typically requires A-levels or equivalent.
Careers & job market
Across Politics and International Relations nationally, 85% of graduates are in work or further study within 15 months. Starting salaries range from £24,000 to £32,000; after five years, £27,200 to £38,400. Around 60% of working graduates enter highly skilled roles. These are national figures; your own outcomes depend on your background, location, sector and choice of specialism. The university is recognised as a UK degree-awarding body, so your qualification carries national standing.
University & format
This course is taught at Birkbeck, University of London, a public university established in 1823. It is studied part-time and taught in English. The course leads to a BA (Hons) degree, which is recognised as a UK degree-awarding body and nationally recognised. Birkbeck received a Bronze rating for teaching quality in the Office for Students' TEF 2023.
Student satisfaction
How students on this course answered the National Student Survey, by theme.
Share of students responding positively.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Applicant information
The next application dates for this course, followed by facts the provider publishes.
2027 entry deadlineApply directly to the provider
Part-time application dates vary by provider. UCAS dates
Open daysBook open days
See and book current events. Dates can fill or change.
2026 entryLive availability check
Opened 2 July 2026; last choice 19 October 2026. Check vacancies now. A cached page never claims a place is still available.
Entry & how to get in
Most entrants held A-levels or equivalent85% of accepted students came in with A-levels or equivalent (entrants over recent years).
Entry requirements are set by the universityGrades, subjects and contextual offers vary. Check BUL's official course page for the current offer.
Who gets in
What recently admitted students actually held, official admissions data, not a stated requirement.
Qualifications held on entry
| Qualification | Share |
|---|---|
| A-levels or equivalent | 85% |
| No / unknown prior qualifications | 5% |
| Other | 5% |
Entry & your chances
An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.
Offer-based entry
Entry is set by the university and based on your offer. Use your predicted grades to see how you compare, then check the university's stated requirements.
How to apply
Undergraduate applications go through UCAS. Here’s what matters for this course, the right deadline, the grades to aim for, and the steps in order.
Apply byApply directly to the providerfor this course
UCAS codeL291quote this on your application
- 1Register on UCAS Hub
Create your UCAS application and add this course (code L291). One application covers up to five choices.
- 2Write your personal statement
A single statement covers all your choices, so keep it broad enough for similar courses while showing genuine interest in this subject.
- 3Submit by Apply directly to the provider
Part-time application dates vary by provider. Source: UCAS 2027 dates.
- 4Reply to your offers
When decisions are in, pick a firm (first) choice and an insurance (back-up) choice with slightly lower grades.
- 5Results day & confirmation
On results day (mid-August) your place is confirmed if you meet the offer. Just missed? Talk to the university, or find a place through Clearing.
💡 Many universities make a contextual (reduced-grade) offer, for example based on your school’s results, time in care, or where you live. Ask BUL whether you’re eligible before you apply; it can lower the grades you need.
Fees & funding
What this course costs and how UK student finance covers it.
Tuition per year
Homeup to £9,790 / yr
International£18,500 / yr
Provider fee page (England 2026/27 cap where not stated).
Check fees at BUL →For students who normally live in England
illustrative Maintenance Loan per year
Check providertuition used per year, no published course home fee, total not estimated
total borrowing, course length not published
2026/27 Student Finance England figures. Maintenance support is means-tested and this two-point view is not an entitlement calculator. The course total uses its published length and home fee where both are available; a missing full-time fee uses the clearly labelled England-cap scenario, while part-time fees and unknown lengths are never guessed. Use the official calculator. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland use separate systems: SAAS, Student Finance Wales, and Student Finance NI.
Starting on or after 1 January 2027?
The Lifelong Learning Entitlement is a separate system. A new learner’s tuition entitlement is currently stated as £39,160 (about 480 credits at 2026/27 fee levels), subject to prior study and eligibility. Check the official LLE guide.
Paying for it
- Tuition Fee Loan: can cover eligible tuition up to the applicable limit and is paid straight to the provider.
- Maintenance Loan: up to £10,830/yr away from home outside London (England, 2026/27), means-tested on household income.
- Repayment: 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below it; written off after 40 years.
- Earn alongside: most students work part-time in term, part-time roles on the StudySmarter job board.
England figures shown; Scotland, Wales & NI run their own schemes, check gov.uk.
Funding matched to this course
All BUL funding →Scholarships & bursaries you could qualify for
Named awards published by the university. Compare the eligibility and application route before budgeting for one.
Amounts, exclusions and deadlines can change. An award is not guaranteed unless the university confirms it.
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Career quizApplication walkthroughSalary & CV check
Careers & earnings
What Politics & International Relations graduates actually earn, from real outcome data, 15 months, 3 years and 5 years after graduating.
Graduate earnings: this course
| When | Median | Typical range | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 months after | £38,500 | £32,000 – £47,000 | 25 |
| 3 years after | £33,500 | £23,000 – £41,000 | 85 |
| 5 years after | £36,000 | £26,000 – £45,500 | 80 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Limited evidence. Published sample: 25; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2021-23.
Graduate outcomes, 15 months on: this course
80%
in work or further study 15 months on
60%
in highly skilled work or study
75%
continue past their first year
65%
find their work meaningful
70%
say work fits their future plans
- 1Graduate roleFirst role after the degree · 0–2 yrs
- 2Specialist / PractitionerWorking in politics & international relations · 2–5 yrs
- 3Senior / LeadLeading work and people · 5–10 yrs
- 4Head of / ExpertSenior leadership or deep expertise · 10+ yrs
How pay grows: this course vs Politics & International Relations nationally
Starting (15 months) HESA GO
£38,500
£24,000 – £32,000After 3 years LEO
£33,500
£21,675 – £30,600After 5 years LEO
£36,000
£27,200 – £38,400national rangethis course’s medianaxis £20,000 – £40,000
National figures for Politics & International Relations graduates, HESA Graduate Outcomes (15 months) and the Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) dataset (3 & 5 years). These are national, not university-specific; actual pay varies by employer, region, role and experience. Different cohorts, so the bars are not one group over time.
Work out your pay
Headline figures hide a lot. Calculate realistic take-home pay for this field by role, region and experience, then check your CV before you apply.
What happened to 100 students?
Choose an outcome to translate the published percentage into a simple 100-person view. Each dot represents one percentage point, not an individual tracked student.
80 of 100
were in work or further study
15 months after graduation
75% working5% working and studying0% in further study60% in highly skilled work or study
Source: Discover Uni, using Graduate Outcomes and continuation data. Cohorts: 2021-23. Limited evidence. Published sample: 25; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2021-23. Each tab is a separate published measure; categories can overlap and should not be added together.
Value compared with similar courses
How this course’s 5-year median earnings compare with Politics & International Relations courses at the same study level.
This course £36,000Peer median £32,000Middle 50% £29,000–£36,000
71st percentile
Compared with 690 courses with compatible official earnings data. This is a course-value comparison, not a quality ranking.
Birkbeck University of LondonBA (Hons) Global Politics and International Relations£36,000Birkbeck University of LondonBA (Hons) Global Politics and Language (French, German, Italian, Japanese, Spanish)£36,000Birkbeck University of LondonBA (Hons) Politics and Language (French, German, Italian, Japanese, Spanish)£36,000Birkbeck University of LondonBA (Hons) Politics£36,000
UK occupations graduates enter
Published graduate destinations, joined conservatively to UK SOC 2020, ONS pay and Skills England demand.
- Managers, directors and senior officialsSOC 2020 1 · 20% of published destinations · ASHE median £51,733
- Business, Research and Administrative ProfessionalsSOC 2020 243 · 15% of published destinations · ASHE median £48,746
- Administrative occupationsSOC 2020 41 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £27,006
- Elementary occupationsSOC 2020 9 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £19,087
- Business and Financial Project Management ProfessionalsDiscover Uni category · 10% of published destinations
Discover Uni JOBLIST/JOBTYPE; ONS ASHE 2025 provisional, all employee jobs; Skills England Occupations in Demand 2025. SOC is shown only for an exact normalised label match; demand is shown only at exact four-digit SOC. Published sample: 25; response rate: 55%. Pay describes the occupation across workers, not a guaranteed graduate salary.
Job market & outlook
How Politics & International Relations graduates fare in the labour market, and how AI is reshaping the work.
85%
in work or further study 15 months after graduating, across Politics & International Relations courses nationally.
Graduate Outcomes60%
of working graduates are in highly skilled work or further study.
highly skilled90%
of students continue past their first year (still enrolled or completed).
continuationHow AI is changing the work
AI doesn't replace the profession, it shifts it: routine tasks get automated, while judgement, working with people and using AI well become more valuable.
What AI takes off your plate
- Routine information gathering
- First-draft writing and summaries
- Standard analysis and admin
- Repetitive processing tasks
More human than ever
- Judgement and original thinking
- Working with and leading people
- Owning and sense-checking AI output
- Ethics and accountability
The strongest graduates pair subject depth with the ability to use AI tools critically.
Roles & employers
Where Politics & International Relations graduates typically go, indicative destinations from graduate career data. Each role links to live openings on the StudySmarter job board.
Roles graduates go into
Where they work
- Government & civil service (FCDO)
- Think tanks
- NGOs
- Public-affairs agencies
Jobs after this course
Current roles from the StudySmarter job board that suit Politics & International Relations graduates.
Head of History & PoliticsProspero TeachingExaminer - GCE A Level Politics (2017 specification).PearsonA Level PoliticsBURNLEY COLLEGESocial & Audience Engagement Producer (Politics & World News)SkyHead of the School of Area Studies Sociology History Politics and LiteratureUniversity of PortsmouthHead of History and politicsCV-LibraryLive from the StudySmarter job board · as of 2026-08-01.See all matching jobs
Is this course right for you?
The essentials UK applicants ask about: finance, outcomes, entry and quality.
💷
Student finance
For comparison, the standard full-time England tuition cap is up to £9,790 per year in 2026/27; the actual fee varies by course and provider. If you normally live in England, eligible students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan, plus a Maintenance Loan for living costs. Under Plan 5 you repay 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below that, and the balance is written off after 40 years.
📈
Where graduates go
80% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, with a median salary of £38,500. See the full breakdown in Careers & earnings above.
⭐
Official-data snapshot
Averaging the official measures published for it, this course scores 7.8 out of 10: NSS 78.6% · in work or study 80% · continued 75%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
Birkbeck College
All students7,720
International12%
Aged 25+66.6%
Social sciences across the UK
Students275,900
Aged 25+37%
HESA student record 2024/25. Counts are rounded.
Local crime-data context
A neutral snapshot around the published teaching location.
Around Birkbeck College - Bloomsbury Campus
14,111 street-level reports returned within roughly one mile across 2026-04 to 2026-06.
Theft From The Person 3001Other Theft 2876Violent Crime 1994Anti Social Behaviour 1989Shoplifting 1625
Police.uk street-level API. Approximate locations, not confined to campus. England, Wales and Northern Ireland; not Scotland.
Is Politics & International Relations right for you?
Tick what applies to you and see how good a fit it is.
International students
What applying to BUL from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is £18,500 / year for this course (from the provider’s fee page). You’re not eligible for UK Tuition Fee or Maintenance Loans, so plan for fees plus living costs upfront.
English language
Most UK undergraduate courses ask for around IELTS 6.0–6.5 (no band below 5.5–6.0), or an accepted equivalent. If you’re just short, most universities run a pre-sessional English course that counts towards the requirement.
Student visa
You’ll usually need a Student visa (Student Route). After you accept an offer the university issues a CAS; you then show funds for fees plus about £1,023–£1,334/month living costs and pay the Immigration Health Surcharge for NHS access.
Scholarships & funding
Many universities offer international/global scholarships (often £2,000–£6,000/yr), check BUL’s funding pages.
Living costs
Budget roughly £1,100–£1,400/month outside London and £1,400–£1,800/month in London for rent, food and travel; the figure also matters for your visa.
Working while you study
A Student visa usually allows up to 20 hours/week in term time and full-time in holidays, useful alongside study, though not something to rely on for fees.
Visa rules and fees change. Always confirm the current requirements with BUL and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at BUL
BA (Hons) Global Politics and International RelationsBA (Hons) · BULBA (Hons) Global Politics and International Relations with Foundation YearBA (Hons) · BULBA (Hons) Global Politics and International RelationsBA (Hons) · BULBA (Hons) Global Politics and Language (French, German, Italian, Japanese, Spanish)BA (Hons) · BULPolitics & International Relations at other universities
BA (Hons) Drama and Theatre / International RelationsAberystwyth UniversityBA (Hons) Hanes / Cysylltiadau RhyngwladolAberystwyth UniversityBA (Hons) International Relations (with integrated year in Industry)Aberystwyth UniversityBA (Hons) International Relations (with integrated year studying abroad)Aberystwyth UniversityCommon questions
What are the entry requirements?
Set by BUL. Most accepted students held A-levels or equivalent. Check the university's course page for the exact offer.
What do graduates go on to do?
For Social sciences graduates from this provider, 80% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 60% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £38,500. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)
What will it cost me?
For comparison, the standard full-time England tuition cap is up to £9,790 per year in 2026/27; the actual fee varies by course and provider. If you normally live in England, eligible students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan, plus a Maintenance Loan for living costs. Under Plan 5 you repay 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below that, and the balance is written off after 40 years. See Fees & funding on this page to work out your numbers.
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