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UWE Bristol · Undergraduate
BA (Hons) Politics and International Relations Bachelor's degree at UWE Bristol
BA (Hons) Politics and International Relations at UWE Bristol is accredited by the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) and recognised as a nationally valid UK degree.
BA (Hons)
Award
–
Years
Part-time
Study mode
85%
in work/study (15m)
About this course
BA(Hons) Politics and International Relations (with Foundation Year) equips you with the real-world skills demanded by today's most forward-thinking employers. From the provider’s course page.
BA (Hons) Politics and International Relations is a Bachelor's degree (BA (Hons)) at UWE Bristol, based in University of the West of England. It is studied part-time; duration varies by route.
For Social sciences graduates from this provider, 85% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 55% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £27,000. (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.
6.0
/ 10
2 of 3 official measures
Graduate outcomes
In work or further study 15 months after graduating
Excellent85
Limited evidence Published sample: 15; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2021-23. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 85% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Continuation
Students who continue past their first year
Fair35
Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2021-23. Continuation 35% (2021-23; 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 zero 4 modules
- Essentials of Academic PracticeCompulsory
- Exploring the Social World and the Problems of CrimeCompulsory
- From Plato to NATOCompulsory
- Psychology, Policing and SocietyCompulsory
Year one 4 modules
- Critical Thinking and Political TheoryCore
- International RelationsCore
- Politics of Crisis and ChangeCore
- Politics, States and ResistanceCore
Year two 7 modules
- Governing SocietyCore
- Interrogating the International PoliticalCore
- Innovation, Leadership and CommunicationCore
Module details
This module is accredited by the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM).
- Atrocities in Global PoliticsOptional
- Foreign PolicyOptional
- Gender in PoliticsOptional
- Global Political EconomyOptional
Final year 9 modules
- Advanced Debates in International RelationsCore
- Advanced Debates in PoliticsCore
- Dissertation ProjectOptional
- Global GovernanceOptional
- Justice in Global PoliticsOptional
- Climate and SocietyOptional
- Decolonisation in Theory and PracticeOptional
- Parliamentary StudiesOptional
Module details
Approved by the Houses of Parliament and co-taught by university tutors and Parliament officials. This module provides detailed knowledge of Parliament's workings and includes visits to Westminster.
- Terrorism: History, Myths and PolicyOptional
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 equips you with real-world skills for understanding power, conflict and global governance. You'll usually begin with foundations in political systems, institutions and international relations theory, learning how to read critically and analyse evidence. In Year 2, a course like this normally moves to comparative politics and international security, examining democracies and autocracies, conflicts and new threats, alongside research methods you'll use throughout. Year 3 typically offers specialist options such as global governance, human rights, political theory and public policy, culminating in a supervised independent project on a political question you choose.
Who it's for
This course suits students seeking part-time study in politics and international relations. Most entrants hold another higher-education qualification; 90% of accepted students came in with prior higher-education experience. The part-time structure allows you to balance study with work or other commitments whilst developing knowledge across political theory, research practice and specialist areas of interest.
Careers & job market
Across Politics and International Relations courses nationally, 85% of graduates are in work or further study within 15 months of graduating. Of those working, 60% are in highly skilled roles or pursuing further study. National graduate earnings data shows starting salaries of £24,000–£32,000 at 15 months post-graduation, rising to £27,200–£38,400 after five years. Check the university's funding pages for information on bursaries and scholarships.
University & format
BA (Hons) Politics and International Relations is taught part-time at UWE Bristol, a public university founded in 1970 and located in the West of England. The course is delivered in English and is accredited by the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM). As a recognised UK degree-awarding body, your degree is nationally recognised. UWE Bristol holds a Silver award for teaching quality under the Office for Students' TEF 2023 scheme.
Applicant information
The next application dates for this course, followed by facts the provider publishes.
Published entry48 tariff points typical offer
Provider-published requirement; check the linked course page before applying.
2027 entry deadlineApply directly to the provider
Part-time application dates vary by provider. UCAS dates
Contextual offersPublished by this provider
The provider publishes contextual-offer information. Eligibility and any reduced offer are applicant-specific.
PlacementPublished placement option
Placement year. Availability, selection and pay can vary.
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
Typical offer (from the provider)The university’s course page lists a typical A-level offer of 48 tariff points. Always check the provider for the current offer and subject requirements.
Most entrants held another higher-education qualification90% of accepted students came in with another higher-education qualification (entrants over recent years).
Professionally accreditedAccredited by the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM)
Entry requirements are set by the universityGrades, subjects and contextual offers vary. Check UWE Bristol'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 |
|---|---|
| another higher-education qualification | 90% |
| a previous degree | 5% |
| A-levels or equivalent | 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
- 1Register on UCAS Hub
Create your UCAS application and add this course. 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 UWE Bristol 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
Internationalset by the university
Standard capped home fee at English providers (2026/27); Scotland, Wales & NI differ.
Check fees at UWE Bristol →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 UWE Bristol 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 | £27,000 | £23,000 – £32,000 | 15 |
| 3 years after | £23,000 | £18,500 – £28,000 | 25 |
| 5 years after | £27,500 | £22,500 – £36,000 | 25 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Limited evidence. Published sample: 15; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2021-23.
Graduate outcomes, 15 months on: this course
85%
in work or further study 15 months on
55%
in highly skilled work or study
35%
continue past their first year
70%
find their work meaningful
65%
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
£27,000
£24,000 – £32,000After 3 years LEO
£23,000
£21,675 – £30,600After 5 years LEO
£27,500
£27,200 – £38,400national rangethis course’s medianaxis £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.
85 of 100
were in work or further study
15 months after graduation
75% working5% working and studying5% in further study55% in highly skilled work or study
Source: Discover Uni, using Graduate Outcomes and continuation data. Cohorts: 2022-23. Limited evidence. Published sample: 15; 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 £27,500Peer median £32,000Middle 50% £29,000–£36,000
17th percentile
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.
- Sales occupationsSOC 2020 71 · 15% of published destinations · ASHE median £15,975
- Managers, directors and senior officialsSOC 2020 1 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £51,733
- Teaching and Childcare Support OccupationDiscover Uni category · 10% of published destinations
- Information Technology ProfessionalsSOC 2020 213 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £55,357
- Nursing ProfessionalsSOC 2020 223 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £37,597
- Elementary occupationsSOC 2020 9 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £19,087
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
85% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, with a median salary of £27,000. See the full breakdown in Careers & earnings above.
⭐
Official-data snapshot
Averaging the official measures published for it, this course scores 6.0 out of 10: in work or study 85% · continued 35%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
University of the West of England, Bristol
All students36,380
International24.8%
Aged 25+34.8%
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 University of the West of England
547 street-level reports returned within roughly one mile across 2026-04 to 2026-06.
Violent Crime 188Anti Social Behaviour 89Shoplifting 50Other Theft 43Criminal Damage Arson 37
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 UWE Bristol from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is set per course by UWE Bristol; international fees are typically £12,000–£30,000/year for classroom subjects and higher for lab/clinical ones. 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 UWE Bristol’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 UWE Bristol and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at UWE Bristol
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
What are the entry requirements?
Set by UWE Bristol. Most accepted students held another higher-education qualification. Check the university's course page for the exact offer.
What do graduates go on to do?
For Social sciences graduates from this provider, 85% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 55% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £27,000. (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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