BA (Hons) American Studies and Politics Bachelor's degree at Swansea University
BA (Hons) American Studies and Politics at Swansea University. Rather than treating American politics and culture as isolated subjects, the degree weaves together historical context, political theory, and contemporary analysis to help you understand how the United States influences global affairs.
About this course
Explore the ideas shaping our world with a BA in American Studies and Politics. From the provider’s course page.
BA (Hons) American Studies and Politics is a Bachelor's degree (BA (Hons)) at Swansea University. It runs 4 years, studied full-time.
For Politics graduates from this provider, 90% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 45% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £26,000. (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.
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)
Limited evidence Published sample: 15; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2022-23. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 90% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2022-23. Continuation 89% (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 8 modules
- Locating American StudiesCompulsory20 credits
- Politics and the PeopleCompulsory20 credits
- Interpreting Politics: The Faces and Uses of PowerCompulsory20 credits
- Who Sings America? Literature and Culture of the United StatesCompulsory20 credits
- Forging a Nation: US History and PoliticsCompulsory20 credits
- Disinformation, Ideology, and Bias: Researching and examining political data20 credits
- The Colour Line: Race and Racism in World Politics20 credits
- Freedom Justice and Equality: Key Debates in Political Philosophy20 credits
Year 2 25 modules
- The State and Political InstitutionsCompulsory20 credits
- The History of Political ThoughtCompulsory20 credits
- Disunited Kingdom? Class, Race, Gender and Social Division in Twentieth-Century BritainOptional20 credits
- Philosophy of the EnlightenmentOptional20 credits
- Anarchy and Order: Theories in International RelationsOptional20 credits
- Global Justice and Human Rights in the Age of GlobalisationOptional20 credits
- Investigating GenderOptional20 credits
- Devolution, Policy Making and Social ChangeOptional20 credits
- Poverty and Social JusticeOptional20 credits
- The Global First World WarOptional20 credits
- A Matter of Life and Death: Exploring Existential PhilosophyOptional20 credits
- Contemporary Moral ControversiesOptional20 credits
- International SecurityOptional20 credits
- Global Summit SimulationOptional20 credits
- Contemporary Wars and ConflictsOptional20 credits
- British Politics and Public PolicyOptional20 credits
- The Global South in International Relations: Diplomacy, Development, and ResistanceOptional20 credits
- America in a Nutshell: A History of Pennsylvania from William Penn to Donald Trump, 1631-2016Optional20 credits
- The Making of Transatlantic AmericaOptional20 credits
- Race and Ethnicity: American PerspectivesOptional20 credits
- America in Crisis: From the Tet Offensive to TrumpOptional20 credits
- Re-Thinking the South: Southern Culture and History, 1865-1955Optional20 credits
- American Word / American ImageOptional20 credits
- The Story of America on Film and Television, 1607-1867Optional20 credits
- Stori America Ar Ffilm a Theledu, 1607-1867Optional20 credits
Year 3 3 modules
- Researching Politics 1Compulsory20 credits
- American Studies DissertationCompulsory40 credits
- DissertationCompulsory40 credits
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 course invites you to explore the ideas shaping American politics and global affairs through the lens of politics and international relations. You'll usually begin with foundations in political science, international relations theory and critical research skills, before moving into focused study of how power operates across institutions, democracies and nations. In your second year, a course like this typically introduces comparative politics and international security, examining elections, institutions and emerging threats from terrorism to cyber challenges. By year three, you'll choose from specialist options such as global governance, human rights, political theory or public policy, culminating in an independent research project on a political question of your choice. Throughout, you'll develop skills in analysing evidence, evaluating competing arguments and communicating political analysis clearly.
Who it's for
This course suits you if you're curious about how political systems work and eager to question the narratives you encounter. You'll thrive if you enjoy close reading, sustained argument, and grappling with complex ideas across history, politics, and culture. The degree demands strong writing skills and intellectual stamina, expect essays, seminar discussions, and independent research to form the backbone of your study. If you're drawn to understanding power, ideology, and social change, and you want to develop genuine expertise rather than memorise facts, this is a natural fit. You should be prepared for the rigour of a four-year Honours programme.
Careers & job market
Across Politics & International Relations courses nationally, 85% of graduates are in work or further study within 15 months of graduation. Of those working, 60% are in highly skilled roles or undertaking further study. National graduate earnings data for this field show starting salaries of £24,000–£32,000 at 15 months; after five years, graduates earn between £27,200 and £38,400. These figures reflect the broad range of careers available, from policy work and the civil service to journalism, education, and non-governmental organisations.
University & format
This BA (Hons) is studied full-time over 4 years at Swansea University, a public university founded in 1920 and located in Swansea. Teaching is delivered in English. The degree is awarded by Swansea University, a recognised UK degree-awarding body whose qualifications are nationally recognised. The university also offers bursaries and scholarships. Check its funding pages for details.
Student satisfaction
How students on this course answered the National Student Survey, by theme.
Share of students responding positively. Overall student satisfaction: 87%.
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 entryCompleted applications can be submitted
Your application needs a reference before you can send it.
- 2026 entryFinal date for 2026 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2026 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
- 2027 entryEqual-consideration deadline
18:00 UK time for most undergraduate courses.
Show 5 later dates
- 2027 entryUCAS Extra opens
Applicants who used all five choices and hold no offer may be able to add another choice.
- 2027 entryLast day applications go directly to providers
Applications received after 18:00 UK time are entered into Clearing.
- 2027 entryClearing opens
Eligible applicants can see vacancies and release themselves into Clearing.
- 2027 entryFinal date for 2027 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2027 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
Provider-published requirement; check the linked course page before applying.
Year in industry. Availability, selection and pay can vary.
See and book current events. Dates can fill or change.
Entry & how to get in
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
| Qualification | Share |
|---|---|
| A-levels or equivalent | 95% |
Entry & your chances
An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.
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.
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.
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.
- 1Register on UCAS Hub
Create your UCAS application and add this course (code LT27). 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 13 January 2027, 18:00 UK time
UCAS equal-consideration deadline for most undergraduate courses. 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.
Fees & funding
What this course costs and how UK student finance covers it.
Tuition per year
Provider fee page. Set under Wales's student-finance system; the provider's page is authoritative.
Check fees at Swansea University →If you normally live in Wales
2026/27 total maintenance support from Student Finance Wales. How much of it is grant and how much is loan depends on household income; the total does not. If you normally live elsewhere, use your home funding body.
Check your entitlement with Student Finance Wales →Paying for it
- Tuition Fee Loan: paid directly to the university by Student Finance Wales.
- Maintenance support: a mix of grant and loan from Student Finance Wales, weighted to household income.
- Repayment: only above the income threshold, and written off at the end of the plan term.
- Earn alongside: most students work part-time in term, part-time roles on the StudySmarter job board.
Wales runs its own system through Student Finance Wales; check studentfinancewales.co.uk for current rates.
Scholarships & bursaries you could qualify for
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.
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.
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 | £26,000 | £23,000 – £30,000 | 15 |
| 3 years after | £23,000 | £18,500 – £29,000 | 130 |
| 5 years after | £31,000 | £25,000 – £38,500 | 135 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Limited evidence. Published sample: 15; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2022-23.
Graduate outcomes, 15 months on: this course
- 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
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.
were in work or further study
15 months after graduation
Source: Discover Uni, using Graduate Outcomes and continuation data. Cohorts: 2022-23. Limited evidence. Published sample: 15; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2022-23. 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.
Compared with 690 courses with compatible official earnings data. This is a course-value comparison, not a quality ranking.
UK occupations graduates enter
Published graduate destinations, joined conservatively to UK SOC 2020, ONS pay and Skills England demand.
- Business and public service associate professionalsSOC 2020 35 · 15% of published destinations · ASHE median £38,760
- Administrative occupationsSOC 2020 41 · 15% of published destinations · ASHE median £27,006
- Elementary occupationsSOC 2020 9 · 15% of published destinations · ASHE median £19,087
- Managers, directors and senior officialsSOC 2020 1 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £51,733
- Secretarial and related occupationsDiscover Uni category · 10% of published destinations
- Media ProfessionalsSOC 2020 249 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £40,895
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: 45; response rate: 75%. Pay describes the occupation across workers, not a guaranteed graduate salary.
Is BA (Hons) American Studies and Politics worth it?
Weigh it carefully. On these figures graduates of BA (Hons) American Studies and Politics earn close to non-graduate pay, so on cost alone the course is slow to pay off.
Cumulative earnings vs. going straight to work at 18, counting tuition and 4 years of wages given up while studying. The line clears zero around year 24.5. This is a simplified gross-earnings comparison, not a forecast of cash loan repayments.
Model: this course’s own median graduate earnings (Graduate Outcomes / LEO) above the £24,000 non-graduate baseline (ONS), net of £9,790/yr over 4 years (published course home fee). Eligible England-domiciled students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan; repayments are 9% only on income above the threshold, with anything left written off after 40 years. That makes the cash flow different from conventional commercial debt. Opportunity cost assumes £18,000 gross earnings forgone in each study year; figures are nominal and exclude tax, living costs, investment returns and loan interest. A simplified estimate. Earnings and actual fees vary by graduate, provider, fee status and UK nation.
Job market & outlook
How Politics & International Relations graduates fare in the labour market, and how AI is reshaping the work.
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.
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-LibraryIs this course right for you?
The essentials UK applicants ask about: finance, outcomes, entry and quality.
Student finance
Published home tuition is £9,790/year for this course. If you normally live in Wales, Student Finance Wales can pay an eligible Tuition Fee Loan directly to the university, and maintenance support is a mix of grant and loan weighted to household income. You repay only above the income threshold.
Where graduates go
90% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, with a median salary of £26,000. See the full breakdown in Careers & earnings above.
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 8.9 out of 10: NSS 89% · in work or study 90% · continued 89%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
Swansea University
Social sciences across the UK
HESA student record 2024/25. Counts are rounded.
Local crime-data context
A neutral snapshot around the published teaching location.
Around Swansea University - Singleton Campus
370 street-level reports returned within roughly one mile across 2026-04 to 2026-06.
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 Swansea University from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is £19,300 / 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 Swansea University’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 Swansea University and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at Swansea University
Politics & 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
How competitive is entry?
What are the entry requirements?
What do graduates go on to do?
What will it cost me?
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