International Relations and Diplomacy (Joint Honours)
UCAS Code: J4IR
Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) or Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BA/BSc (H)
Entry requirements
Access to HE Diploma
Pass Access to HE Diploma with 60 credits with 45 at Level 3. Must include passes in compulsory L3 subjects
GCSE/National 4/National 5
GCSE Maths and English Grade C/Grade 4 (or above) or equivalent qualification
UCAS Tariff
For joint honours degree entry you will need to choose two subjects. The UCAS Points required for entry will depend on the subjects you choose to combine. The subject with the higher entry requirements will determine your offer. A good application/performance will be taken into account if you do not meet the criteria / offer. Subject Specific requirements for International Relations and Diplomacy: At least a C in any Social Science subjects such as History, Citizenship, Sociology or Politics at A Level (or equivalent qualification). Your offer will be based on your predicted grades from your core A2s (full A levels), BTEC Diploma or equivalent L3 qualifications including any specific subjects for your chosen combination. We will accept up to 16 points towards the total from level 3 qualifications such as AS (where those AS levels are not taken on to A2 level), the Extended Project, or Music qualifications. We usually consider an A Level in General Studies as a supplementary qualification.
About this course
**International Relations and Diplomacy (Joint Honours)**
**International Relations and Diplomacy is a stimulating and challenging subject. Study it as part of a Joint Honours degree and you will open up a world of opportunity, including the chance of work-based learning overseas. You will graduate with vital skills in arbitration, conflict resolution and diplomatic practice.**
**Two subjects, one degree**
A Joint Honours degree adds variety and interest to your studies. Studying International Relations and Diplomacy Joint Honours helps you to keep your career options open and marks you out as a versatile graduate with a broad portfolio of skills. You can combine International Relations and Diplomacy Joint Honours with a wide range of subjects at Derby – the full list can be found in the subject options below. Please ensure you add the second subject you wish to combine with International Relations and Diplomacy in the further details section when adding your choice in apply.
**Why choose this course?**
International Relations and Diplomacy Joint Honours broadens your horizons and prepares you for a successful career within diplomatic communities. You will gain fascinating perspectives on current affairs and the complex relations between countries.
**Is this course for you?**
Joint Honours gives you the chance to cover two subjects in one degree. This type of degree will broaden your skill set and enhance your career prospects..
**How you will learn**
We emphasise interdisciplinary work that allows you to see the connections between International Relations, Politics and other disciplines. Along with analytical and critical skills, you will gain abilities in research, report writing and debate.
**Opportunities and experiences**
Study visits to embassies, the Foreign Office, the United Nations Office and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research in Geneva will be key to your experience. There are internship opportunities with international organisations and guest lectures from professionals working in the field.
**Careers and employability**
A Joint Honours degree featuring International Relations and Diplomacy stands you in good stead for careers in embassies, international development organisations and transnational corporations as well as teaching, political analysis, media, the civil service and the uniformed services.
**Did you know? We also offer this course:**
- As a single honours degree
Tuition fees
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The Uni
University of Derby
Joint Honours

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See your living costsWhat 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.
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
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
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.
Top job areas of graduates
What do graduate employment figures really tell you?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.
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
International relations
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£16k
£18k
£21k
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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Teaching Excellence Framework (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).
We calculate a mean rating of all responses to indicate whether this is high, medium or low compared to the same subject area at other universities.
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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).
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?
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