BA Politics and International Relations
SOAS University of London
Key Information
Campus location
London, United Kingdom
Languages
English
Study format
On-Campus
Duration
3 years
Pace
Full time
Tuition fees
GBP 9,250 / per year *
Application deadline
Request info
Earliest start date
Request info
* full-time fees per academic year: UK £9,250; Overseas £20,350
Introduction
Mode of Attendance: Full-time
The joint BA programme in Politics & International Relations offers students the ability to combine our two disciplinary streams throughout their training, giving them a broad base of knowledge from which to analyse politics within and amongst countries. Students will choose from the options available to both joint degree programmes and will take a compulsory course in Political Analysis in the first year.
At the end of the course, students will have developed a uniquely insightful and rounded approach to understanding political questions and current affairs across the world. The degree structure offers deep engagement with regional and international politics in Asia, Africa and the Middle East, as well as problem-driven engagements with war, development, international organisations, state power, social movements, the global economy and other aspects of political life.
Teaching on the degree programme is tailored towards improving students’ understanding of the subjects, writing and presentation abilities and developing their skills as independent and critical thinkers. Whilst more introductory courses often consist of larger lectures followed up by smaller group seminars, more advanced and specialised courses encourage more student responsibility and leadership over the material.
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Admissions
Curriculum
Structure
Year 1
Core Module
Students will take the following core modules (60 credits total):
- Introduction to International Relations
- Introduction to Political Analysis
Guided Options
Students will take TWO of these two guided option modules (60 credits total):
- Introduction to Comparative Politics
- Introduction to Global History
- Introduction to Political Theory
- Introduction to Political Economy
Year 2
Students will take at least 15 credits from each Year 2 list. The remaining credits can be taken from any list, including up to 30 credits from the approved Open Option lists (Language Open Options | Non-language Open Options).
Politics Disciplinary Options
- Politics of development
- Political Parties and Elections
- Concepts in Political Theory
- Politics of Nationalism
- Performance and Politics
International Relations Disciplinary Options
- Politics of the World Economy
- Postcolonial theory
- Religion and World Politics
- War and the International 1
- International Institutions and World Politics
Politics Regional Options
- Government and politics of China
- Government and politics of South Asia
- Government and politics of the Middle East
- Government and Politics of Island Southeast Asia
- Government and Politics of Mainland Southeast Asia
- The state and politics in Africa
- African Political Thought
International Relations Regional Options
- International Relations of Africa
- International Relations of the Middle East
- International Relations of South Asia
- Globalising East Asia
- South Asian Political Thought
Year 3
Students will take at least 30 credits from both List A and List B (60 credits total).
Remaining credits taken from either list, including up to 30 credits from the approved Open Option lists (Language Open Options | Non-language Open Options).
List A
- Politics of Gender
- Conflict, Rights and Justice
- Politics of Nationalism
- Politics of the "Miracle" Economies
- Republicanism, empire and revolution
- Elections, Gender and Social Movements in Taiwan
List B
- Decolonising World Politics
- Key Debates on Neoliberalism
- Globalisation and global governance
- Going Global: An Introduction to International Migration
- Identity in International Relations
- Environment and Climate Crisis
- Taiwan's International and Cross-Strait Relations
- Palestine/Israel and the International
- Final Year Project in International Relations
- Final Year Project in Politics
Learn a language as part of this programme
Degree programmes at SOAS - including this one - can include language courses in more than forty African and Asian languages. It is SOAS students’ command of an African or Asian language which sets SOAS apart from other universities.
Important notice
The information on the programme page reflects the intended programme structure against the given academic session.
English Language Requirements
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