Politics

Politics as an academic discipline gives you the conceptual and methodological tools to analyse political events, phenomena and systems with rigour and precision. It asks how power is organised and legitimised, how political institutions work, how ideologies shape collective decisions and how states relate to one another in the international system. These are not abstract questions; they determine the conditions of everyday life for billions of people, and understanding them well is the first step towards engaging with them effectively.

At the University of Leeds, this three-year full-time programme provides a solid grounding in the core areas of political studies, including political theory, comparative politics, international politics and British politics, while also giving you access to a wide range of specialist modules. You can explore topics including the media and democratic politics, gender, race and culture, the far right, British political parties, human rights, foreign policy, contemporary political theory, national identity, African politics, US politics and the politics of China. This breadth ensures that you can follow your particular interests and develop genuine expertise in the areas of the discipline that matter most to you.

A placement year and year abroad are built in, and work placement opportunities are integrated throughout the programme.

Politics graduates are valued across a wide range of careers. The civil service, local government, political parties, think-tanks, international organisations, NGOs, journalism, law, the financial sector and the charitable sector all draw on the analytical, research and communication skills that politics degrees develop. Many graduates go on to postgraduate study in politics, international relations, public policy, law or a related social science, where the methodological foundations and substantive knowledge of their undergraduate degree provide an excellent platform for advanced work.