BA (Hons) Political Science · RAIULBachelor's degree · 4 years
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Richmond, The American International University in London · Undergraduate

BA (Hons) Political Science Bachelor's degree at Richmond, The American International University in London

BA (Hons) Political Science at RAIUL. You'll study political theory, research methods, and applied practice through core modules, specialist options and an independent project.

BA (Hons)
Award
4
Years
Full-time
Study mode
75%
continuation

About this course

Discover the ideas that shape global politics with our BA Degree in Political Science. Study in London and earn two degrees (US & UK). Enquire now From the provider’s course page.

BA (Hons) Political Science is a Bachelor's degree (BA (Hons)) at RAIUL, based in Chiswick Park. It runs 4 years, studied full-time.

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.

7.5
/ 10
2 of 3 official measures
Student satisfaction
What students say in the National Student Survey
Strong76

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)

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 (LEVEL 3) 6 modules
  • Fundamentals of English for Academic Writing and OracyCore
    Module details

    This course is designed to enable students to communicate effectively at university level. Students will be provided with input from a range of texts and audio from cross-cultural materials and practice fundamental research and writing and oracy skills. Students will become more familiar with the academic environment and its conventions through spoken and written production. With exposure to a range of academic texts, talks and digital skills, students will appreciate the role of academic integr

  • Tools for ChangeCore
    Module details

    In this course, students will be introduced to a range of foundational skills to aid in their progression and success at the University and allow them to begin the process of becoming collaborative and independent learners. These skills will be introduced through investigations of social and/or environmental issues in the local area, using group work and report writing. Students will be introduced to, and use, a range of digital platforms as aids to effective communication through professional a

  • Fundamentals of Research and WritingCore
    Module details

    This course concentrates on developing the students' ability to read and think critically, and to read, understand and analyse texts from a range of genres. How do you successfully negotiate a path through a sea of information and then write it up? Using essential information literacy skills to help with guided research, this course develops the ability to produce effective and appropriate academic writing across the curriculum.

  • Fundamentals of Mathematics and StatisticsCore
    Module details

    This course is designed to be a foundation in mathematics and statistics that will provide students with the necessary knowledge for courses in probability and statistics, mathematics, and data analysis. The course will cover content from solving linear, quadratic, exponential and logarithmic equations, co-ordinate geometry analysis, function analysis, sequences and series to applied topics such as measures of central tendencies and measures of spread of data calculations with outliers, represen

  • Fundamentals of SociologyCore
    Module details

    This course provides the foundations of studying societies in a global context. It explores a range of sociological approaches from the micro-level of social identities and interactions to the macro-level of structures and processes. It introduces key theoretical frameworks to consider ways in which societies are maintained and changed, and how central social institutions like family, school, work, and media reinforce and challenge the status quo. Students will learn elements of social research

  • London CulturesCore
    Module details

    This survey of London's history from the 17th century to the present foregrounds social and cultural history to help students engage with the metropolis as a catalyst for creativity, highlighting its evolving communities and global interconnectedness. Focusing on the lived experience of Londoners, students will examine how they shaped their city and forged new forms of expression related to identities of gender, race, social class and sexuality. Key areas of focus may include popular entertainme

Year 2 (LEVEL 4) 7 modules
  • Introduction to International RelationsCore
    Module details

    This course introduces students to both the study of International Relations (IR) and key issues in contemporary global politics. Conflict, cooperation, and power are unpacked and addressed while the course introduces and reflects on the fundamental approaches, concepts, and theories used in the discipline. Issues to which these are applied then include migration, the relationship between humans and the environment, terrorism, security, and disinformation. Throughout, different actors, instituti

  • Rich World, Poor WorldCore
    Module details

    Rich World, Poor World provides students with an introduction to development studies, seeking to explain both the existence of and persistence of a Poor World in the context of the international order. The course addresses numerous issues as they affect the Poor World, and studies relations both within and between Poor World and Rich World. Theories of development are reflected upon along with the legacies of colonialism, and a range of other social, political and economic themes in development

  • Modern Political ThoughtCore
    Module details

    This course provides students with an introduction to modern political thought as it developed in the Western World. It critically examines concepts at the core of political life, including freedom, equality, power, difference, and the state. The origins of political ideologies are discovered and explored through the study of major authoritarian, liberal, radical and conservative political thinkers from the C15th onwards, such as Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Burke, Wollstonecraft, Marx,

  • Academic Research and WritingRequired
    Module details

    This course is designed to develop students' critical research and writing skills to be effective in the academic and professional world. It focuses on principles of good scholarship and academic practice that will be required throughout university study and in a future professional work environment. These skills are enhanced throughout the course. Upon completion of this course, successful students will become confident in using available resources to produce well-researched writing that demons

  • The Global Cold WarRequired
    Module details

    This course introduces students to the major events and themes of the Cold War, demonstrating how it shaped the modern world system. In addition to providing students with a foundational understanding of the major themes and events of the Cold War, this course explores the interpretive controversies surrounding them. Students are encouraged to engage with the changing historiography of the multifaceted, multi-polar Cold War from a variety of challenging perspectives, with particular emphasis giv

  • Introduction to Economics and FinanceRequired
    Module details

    This module provides students with an introduction to various economic and financial concepts, demonstrating how these can be applied to better comprehend the world around them. It enhances students' understanding of the external factors that influence businesses, as well as financial aspects that are significant within a business context. It starts with an understanding of economic thought and development, and it expands on modern economic and financial issues the firms face. It is a solid foun

  • Probability and StatisticsRequired

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

You'll study how political systems, institutions and ideologies work globally, starting with foundations in political science and international relations theory. The course typically moves from introductory modules on power, institutions and major IR schools of thought through to specialist options and independent research. You'll usually develop skills in critical reading, evidence evaluation and political analysis from the outset. In your second year, you'll typically explore comparative politics, examining democracies and autocracies across countries, alongside international security and research methods. Later, you'll usually choose from specialisations such as global governance, human rights, political theory and public policy, culminating in a supervised dissertation on a political question of your choice.

Who it's for

You're drawn to understanding how power, governance and ideology shape the world. You think critically about political systems and international affairs, and you're comfortable engaging with competing ideas. You may be planning a career in policy, diplomacy, public service or advocacy, or you want the analytical foundation to move into law, journalism or business. This course will feel like rigorous intellectual investigation; you'll develop research skills and learn to construct arguments grounded in evidence.

Careers & job market

Across Politics & International Relations nationally, 85% of graduates are in work or further study within 15 months, with 60% in highly skilled roles or pursuing additional qualifications. Graduate earnings data shows starting salaries of £24,000–£32,000, rising to £27,200–£38,400 after five years. These are national figures from Graduate Outcomes surveys; your own trajectory will depend on your choices, experience and the labour market at the time you graduate.

University & format

This BA (Hons) Political Science is delivered at Richmond, The American International University in London, a private university based in Chiswick Park. The course is four years long, taught full-time in English. Upon completion, you earn two recognised degrees, one from the UK and one from the United States. The university is a recognised UK degree-awarding body, and your degree is nationally recognised. It achieved Bronze in the Office for Students' Teaching Excellence Framework 2023.

Student satisfaction

How students on this course answered the National Student Survey, by theme.

The teaching on my course
85%
Learning opportunities
82%
Assessment and feedback
78%
Academic Support
85%
Organisation and management
65%
Learning resources
67%
Student voice
70%

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.

Application timelineWhat happens next
  1. 2027 entryCompleted applications can be submitted

    Your application needs a reference before you can send it.

  2. 2026 entryFinal date for 2026 applications

    Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.

  3. 2026 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice

    Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.

  4. 2027 entryEqual-consideration deadline

    18:00 UK time for most undergraduate courses.

Show 5 later dates
  1. 2027 entryUCAS Extra opens

    Applicants who used all five choices and hold no offer may be able to add another choice.

  2. 2027 entryLast day applications go directly to providers

    Applications received after 18:00 UK time are entered into Clearing.

  3. 2027 entryClearing opens

    Eligible applicants can see vacancies and release themselves into Clearing.

  4. 2027 entryFinal date for 2027 applications

    Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.

  5. 2027 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice

    Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.

Entry & how to get in

Typical offer (from the provider)The university’s course page lists a typical A-level offer of BBC. Always check the provider for the current offer and subject requirements.
Most entrants held A-levels or equivalent30% of accepted students came in with A-levels or equivalent (entrants over recent years).
Typical UCAS tariff: Less than 48 pointsThe most common UCAS tariff band among accepted students. This is what entrants had, not a stated requirement.
Entry requirements are set by the universityGrades, subjects and contextual offers vary. Check RAIUL's official course page for the current offer.

Who gets in

What recently admitted students actually held, official admissions data, not a stated requirement.

UCAS tariff of entrants

Grades are the A-level equivalent of each points band. Tap a band to check your own chances below.

Qualifications held on entry

QualificationShare
Other50%
A-levels or equivalent30%
another higher-education qualification20%

Entry & your chances

An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.

Accessible entry

Accepted students came in with a broad spread of qualifications and UCAS points. If you're worried about grades, this course has historically taken a wide range, and contextual offers may apply.

Will you get in? Plot your grades

Pick your predicted A-levels and watch your UCAS points land on the real spread of students admitted to this course.

Each bar is the share of admitted students in that UCAS-points band (lower → higher). Grades show the A-level equivalent.

Add your grades to see where you land

Your points will drop onto the distribution above, with an honest above / within / below read.

Based on the official admitted-student tariff distribution. Many universities make contextual (reduced-grade) offers, so a result below the range doesn’t rule you out.

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 by13 January 2027, 18:00 UK timefor this course
Typical gradesEEEA-level equivalent admitted students held
  1. 1
    Register on UCAS Hub

    Create your UCAS application and add this course. One application covers up to five choices.

  2. 2
    Write 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.

  3. 3
    Submit by 13 January 2027, 18:00 UK time

    UCAS equal-consideration deadline for most undergraduate courses. Source: UCAS 2027 dates.

  4. 4
    Reply to your offers

    When decisions are in, pick a firm (first) choice and an insurance (back-up) choice with slightly lower grades.

  5. 5
    Results 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 RAIUL 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

Home£9,250 / yr
International£17,500 / yr

Provider fee page (England 2026/27 cap where not stated).

Check fees at RAIUL →

For students who normally live in England

illustrative Maintenance Loan per year
£9,250tuition used per year, published course home fee
illustrative borrowing over 4 years

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

Scholarships & bursaries you could qualify for

All RAIUL funding →
No verified named award is shown for this provider yet.

That does not mean no funding exists. Check the university directory for current amounts, eligibility and application dates.

We only display a named award when its provider source identifies the award and who it is for.

StudyKit · free

Still deciding what to study?

StudyKit brings course choice, applications and funding together in one place, with a personal AI assistant. Find what really fits you and start your UCAS application step by step.

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 outcomes, 15 months on: this course

75%
continue past their first year
  1. 1Graduate roleFirst role after the degree · 0–2 yrs
  2. 2Specialist / PractitionerWorking in politics & international relations · 2–5 yrs
  3. 3Senior / LeadLeading work and people · 5–10 yrs
  4. 4Head of / ExpertSenior leadership or deep expertise · 10+ yrs

How pay grows: this course vs Politics & International Relations nationally

Starting (15 months) HESA GO
£24,000 – £32,000
After 3 years LEO
£21,675 – £30,600
After 5 years LEO
£27,200 – £38,400
national rangeaxis £20,500 – £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.

75 of 100

continued or completed

continued into the next year or completed their qualification

Source: Discover Uni, using Graduate Outcomes and continuation data. Cohorts: 2022-23. Published threshold met. Sample size is not included in this snapshot. Each tab is a separate published measure; categories can overlap and should not be added together.

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 Outcomes
60%
of working graduates are in highly skilled work or further study.
highly skilled
90%
of students continue past their first year (still enrolled or completed).
continuation

How 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.

Where they work

  • Government & civil service (FCDO)
  • Think tanks
  • NGOs
  • Public-affairs agencies

Is this course right for you?

The essentials UK applicants ask about: finance, outcomes, entry and quality.

💷

Student finance

Published home tuition is £9,250/year for this course. 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.

🎯

Your entry chances

Use the UCAS points calculator above to see how your predicted grades compare with admitted students, and whether a contextual offer could apply.

Official-data snapshot

Averaging the official measures published for it, this course scores 7.5 out of 10: NSS 76% · continued 75%.

Who studies here and in this subject?

Provider- and UK subject-level context.

Richmond, The American International University in London

All students1,165
International87.1%
Aged 25+16.3%

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 Chiswick Park

1,670 street-level reports returned within roughly one mile across 2026-04 to 2026-06.

Anti Social Behaviour 408Violent Crime 367Vehicle Crime 242Shoplifting 182Other Theft 141

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 RAIUL from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.

Tuition fees

International tuition is £17,500 / 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 RAIUL’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 RAIUL and gov.uk before you apply.

Common questions

Entry is historically accessible, accepted students came in with a broad spread of qualifications. The most common tariff band among recent entrants was Less than 48 UCAS points. Use the calculator on this page to see where your predicted grades would put you; many universities also make lower contextual offers.
Set by RAIUL. Most accepted students held A-levels or equivalent. Check the university's course page for the exact offer.
See the career and earnings data for Politics & International Relations below (national Graduate Outcomes / LEO figures).
The published home tuition is £9,250 per year for this course. 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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