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International Politics and Sociology

Entry requirements


A level

B,B,B

A Level General Studies, Critical Thinking and Citizenship Studies are not accepted.

Access to HE Diploma

D:27,M:18

A typical offer for an Access applicant would be: Pass 60 credits overall including at least 45 at Level 3, with no less than 27 Level 3 credits at distinction and all remaining Levels 3 credits no lower than merit.

GCSE/National 4/National 5

A minimum of grade 4/C in each of English language and mathematics.

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

30

including a minimum of 5 in each of three Higher Level subjects (no specific subjects required). A minimum of 5 in SL Mathematics and English will be required.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

DDM

Check with department for acceptable subjects.

UCAS Tariff

120

120 UCAS tariff points from combination of acceptable level 3 qualifications (eg. BTEC diploma and BTEC extended certificate) equivalent to three full A Levels.

About this course


This course has alternative study modes. Contact the university to find out how the information below might vary.

Course option

3years

Full-time | 2024

Other options

4 years | Full-time including placement abroad | 2024

Subjects

International politics

Sociology

This degree offers a broad understanding of these two complementary subjects, with a special focus on how the local and the global relate to each other.

You will study topics such as culture, identity, class, international political theory, and the global political economy.

You will learn about how specific actors and institutions emerge, how ideas shape global politics, and how social dynamics affect us all. You will explore the organisation of contemporary societies and the structures that define our everyday lives.

You will benefit from the degree in the following ways:
- Develop transferable skills in the analysis, interpretation and production of social data, including sought-after data literacy and quantitative skills

- Gain knowledge and expertise for a future career in politics, policy making, the civil service or government

- Become a critical thinker with an in-depth understanding of the complex interplay of local and global forces

- Benefit from our central location in a global city, close to national political institutions and organisations, and with access to a wide range of internship opportunities

- Boost your employability with an optional placement year.

Modules

Year 1
Core Modules:
Myths and Mysteries in World Politics
International Relations Theories
Studying Politics
Introduction to Political and Economic Data Analysis
Culture, the Body and Digital Society
Social (Justice) Research: Qualitative Approaches
Thinking Sociologically
Sociology in Action

Year 2
Core Modules:
Advanced Theories of Global Politics
Contemporary Social Theory
Sociology Core Elective Modules:
Qualitative Methods of Analysing Social Research data
Quantitative Analysis of Social Research Data
International Politics Core Elective Modules:
Security Studies: Conceptual Approaches
Security Studies: Contemporary and Emerging Issues
Foreign Policy Analysis: Theories and Issues
Foreign Policy Analysis: Instruments and Practice
Religion and Politics in the Age of Global Change
Transnational Social Movements
Practical Politics
Sociology Elective Modules:
Understanding Social Change
Digital Changes and Challenges
Sociology of Race and Racism
News and Society
Other International Politics and History Elective Modules (up to 30 credits)
International Politics and History Elective Modules:
States and Markets in the Era of Globalization
Comparative Political Economy
Advanced Topics in Comparative Politics
Politics of the USA
Comparative Asian Politics
Analysing Political and Economic Data in the Real World
Advanced Principles of Economics: Financial Markets and Corporate Systems
Political Risk Analysis
Political Psychology: Reason & Emotion in Politics
Theories of International Political Economy
Authoritarianism and Democracy in the 21stCentury
The Global Political Economy of Development
Fifty Shades of Red –Russia in the Twentieth Century
The American Century: The United States in the Twentieth Century
Cultures of Benevolence: Philanthropy and Civil Society from 1601 to the Present
The Making of Modern Japan
Slavery, Colonialism and Revolution in the Caribbean
Micro-Placements

Year 3
Core Module:
Final Year Dissertation Project
International Politics Elective Modules:
Advanced Topics in International Political Economy
Global Governance
American Foreign Policy
Political Change in Europe
Governance of the Global Economy
Global Money and Finance
Global Ethics: Power and Principle in World Politics
The Theory and Practice of Conflict and Peace
Political Economy of Global Inequality
Ethnicity and Nationalism: Global Perspectives
Geopolitical Macroeconomy
The Multinational Corporation: Governance, Politics and Ethics
Sexuality and Gender in World Politics
Digital Politics
Global Health Policy
History Elective Modules:
History Radicals and Reformers: Left-Wing Politics and Activism in
Britain and the World since 1945
Revolution: Rebels and Riots in Modern History
Comparative Empires in the Modern Era
Genocide and the Holocaust in History and Memory
Disruptive Divas. Riot Grrrls and Bad Sistas: A History of
Women in Popular Music
Sociology Elective Modules:
Policing
Emotions, Identity and Relationships
Poverty: What Counts?
Political Communication
Culture, Racisms and Resistance
Poverty: What Counts?
Journalism Elective Modules:
Reporting Conflict
Reporting Business
Elective Modules:
Micro-placements
Industry Placements
Integrated Professional Training

Modules are subject to change.

Assessment methods

Assessment is by coursework (assessed essays and assignments), and final year project.

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

England
£9,250
per year
EU
£20,860
per year
International
£20,860
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni


Course locations:

City, University of London

City, University of London

Department:

Department of Sociology and Criminology

Read full university profile

What students say


We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

78%
International politics
53%
Sociology

How do students rate their degree experience?

The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Politics

Teaching and learning

79%
Staff make the subject interesting
83%
Staff are good at explaining things
83%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
68%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

77%
Library resources
85%
IT resources
83%
Course specific equipment and facilities
66%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

73%
UK students
27%
International students
46%
Male students
54%
Female students
82%
2:1 or above
10%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

C
B
C

Sociology

Teaching and learning

61%
Staff make the subject interesting
73%
Staff are good at explaining things
69%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
55%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

74%
Library resources
85%
IT resources
86%
Course specific equipment and facilities
47%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

82%
UK students
18%
International students
12%
Male students
88%
Female students
71%
2:1 or above
7%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

B
B
C

After graduation


The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Politics

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

£21,000
med
Average annual salary
92%
low
Employed or in further education
52%
med
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

11%
Sales, marketing and related associate professionals
11%
Media professionals
8%
Business, finance and related associate professionals

The numbers of people taking politics degrees fell sharply last year and we'll keep an eye on this one - it can't really be because of graduates getting poor outcomes as politics grads do about as well as graduates on average. Most politics or international relations graduates don't actually go into politics - although many do, as activists, fundraisers and researchers. Jobs in local and central government are also important. Other popular jobs include marketing and PR, youth and community work, finance roles, HR and academic research (you usually need a postgraduate degree to get into research). Because so many graduates get jobs in the civil service, a lot of graduates find themselves in London after graduating. Politics is a very popular postgraduate subject, and so about one in five politics graduates go on to take another course - usually a one-year Masters - after they finish their degrees.

Sociology

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

£21,000
high
Average annual salary
81%
low
Employed or in further education
50%
med
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

26%
Sales assistants and retail cashiers
15%
Childcare and related personal services
11%
Business, research and administrative professionals

We have quite a lot of sociology graduates, although numbers fell last year. But graduates still do pretty well. Most sociology graduates go straight into work when they complete their degrees, and a lot of graduates go into jobs in social professions such as recruitment, education, community and youth work, and housing. An important option for a sociology graduate is social work - and we're short of people willing to take this challenging but rewarding career. Sociology is a flexible degree and you can find graduates from the subject in pretty much every reasonable job — obviously, you don't find many doctors or engineers, but you do find them in finance, the media, healthcare, marketing and even IT. Sociology graduates taking further study often branch out into other qualifications, like teaching, law, psychology, HR and even maths, so don’t think a sociology degree restricts you to just one set of options.

What about your long term prospects?

Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.

Politics

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£24k

£24k

£29k

£29k

£36k

£36k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

Sociology

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£18k

£18k

£26k

£26k

£34k

£34k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

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This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):

We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the TEF.

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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

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Post-six month graduation stats:

This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.

It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.

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Graduate field commentary:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?

Have a question about this info? Learn more here