Politics and international relations is a fast-changing, broad-based discipline, allowing you to engage with the key issues of today. We give you a strong foundation in the subject with a specific focus on the global aspects of contemporary world politics. On this programme you also develop valuable quantitative research skills which are in high demand by employers.
The School of Politics and International Relations is an exciting
place to study - you receive high-quality teaching informed by
cutting-edge research on a range of political issues, such as
ethno-political conflict, human rights, feminism, social theories of
justice, divided societies, and US and European politics.
Adding a quantitative research minor to your programme opens your mind to new ways of
thinking. Starting with no assumed statistical
knowledge, you graduate with an advanced package of practical
quantitative skills alongside subject-specific knowledge in politics and
international relations.
The BA Politics and International Relations with Quantitative Research is carefully designed to take you from a basic level, with no assumed prior knowledge of quantitative methods, to a complete package of practical quantitative skills, all while gaining a thorough grounding in politics and international relations.
In the first year, you complete introductory quantitative modules, which teach you the methodological and technical foundations that you will build on in later years. You learn to think like a quantitative researcher, developing a critical eye for statistics and data analysis, both in academic research and the world around you.
In the second year, you move on to more advanced quantitative techniques, building on the foundations you have learnt in Stage 1, to develop an advanced skillset in quantitative methods that is extremely rare in graduates from non-mathematical disciplines.
In your final year you choose either a dissertation with a quantitative research focus or (providing you achieve the required academic standard by the end of Stage 2) a placement module where you can put your skills into practice.
Workplace experience is highly valued by employers, and the placements offered through Kent see students completing meaningful, applied quantitative analysis for businesses and organisations across a range of sectors, giving you the opportunity to add concrete workplace achievements to your CV.
Politics and International Relations wit Quantitative Research student Nicole talks about her course at Kent.
Facilities and resources to support the study of Politics and International Relations include:
The Q-Step centre boasts a team of world-class quantitative researchers, and innovative technology-based teaching methods. Our Placement Officer provides one-to-one support in arranging your placement if you choose this option in Stage 3. Please see www.kent.ac.uk/qstep for more information.
At Kent, there are many student societies related to your studies, for example:
You are also encouraged to get involved in the programme of events and activities run by the School of Politics and International Relations, which focuses on bridging the gap between academic study and real-life politics. Our Public Speaker Programme features prominent academics and practitioners, who are invited to speak on current issues.
Please also see our general entry requirements.
BBB
The School is committed to widening participation and has a long and successful tradition of admitting mature students. We welcome applications from students on accredited Access courses.
Distinction, Distinction, Merit
34 points overall or 15 points at HL
Pass all components of the University of Kent International Foundation Programme with a 60% overall average including 60% in the Politics module if taken, and 60% in LZ013 Maths & Stats (1 & 2) if you do not hold GCSE Maths at 6/B or equivalent.
International students should visit our International Student website for further specific information. International fee-paying students who require a Student visa cannot study part-time due to visa restrictions.
Please see our English language entry requirements web page.
If you need to improve your English language standard as a condition of your offer, you can attend one of our pre-sessional courses in English for Academic Purposes before starting your degree programme. You attend these courses before starting your degree programme.
Duration: 3 years full-time, 6 years part-time
The BA in Politics and International Relations with Quantitative Research is composed of compulsory and optional modules. You may also be able to take ‘wild’ modules from other programmes so you can customise your programme and explore other subjects that interest you.
The modules below are indicative of those offered on this programme. This list is based on the current curriculum and may change year to year in response to new curriculum developments and innovation.
The 2021/22 annual tuition fees for this programme are:
For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.
For students continuing on this programme, fees will increase year on year by no more than RPI + 3% in each academic year of study except where regulated.*
The University will assess your fee status as part of the application process. If you are uncertain about your fee status you may wish to seek advice from UKCISA before applying.
There are no compulsory additional costs associated with this course. All textbooks are available from the library, although some students prefer to purchase their own.
Find out more about accommodation and living costs, plus general additional costs that you may pay when studying at Kent.
We have a range of subject-specific awards and scholarships for academic, sporting and musical achievement.
Search scholarshipsKent offers generous financial support schemes to assist eligible undergraduate students during their studies. See our funding page for more details.
You may be eligible for government finance to help pay for the costs of studying. See the Government's student finance website.
Scholarships are available for excellence in academic performance, sport and music and are awarded on merit. For further information on the range of awards available and to make an application see our scholarships website.
At Kent we recognise, encourage and reward excellence. We have created the Kent Scholarship for Academic Excellence.
The scholarship will be awarded to any applicant who achieves a minimum of A*AA over three A levels, or the equivalent qualifications (including BTEC and IB) as specified on our scholarships pages.
The main teaching methods for Politics and International Relations modules are lectures, seminars, working groups, PC laboratory sessions and individual discussions with your personal tutor or module teachers. Assessment is through continuous feedback, written examinations, assessed essays and oral presentations.
For Quantitative Research modules, in addition to learning through lectures, seminars, workshops, project supervision and statistics classes, students can carry out hands-on research in the ‘field’ through placements and field trips. Most modules are assessed by examination and coursework in equal measure.
For a student studying full time, each academic year of the programme will comprise 1200 learning hours which include both direct contact hours and private study hours. The precise breakdown of hours will be subject dependent and will vary according to modules. Please refer to the individual module details under Course Structure.
Methods of assessment will vary according to subject specialism and individual modules. Please refer to the individual module details under Course Structure.
This programme aims to:
You gain knowledge and understanding of:
You develop the following intellectual skills:
On graduating in this programme students will be able to:
Graduates in this programme will be able to:
In The Guardian University Guide 2020, over 91% of final-year Politics students were satisfied with the overall quality of their course.
Over 90% of final-year Politics students were satisfied with the quality of teaching on their course in The Guardian University Guide 2020.
Of Politics graduates who responded to the most recent national survey of graduate destinations, over 95% were in work or further study within six months (DLHE, 2017).
Our politics and international relations graduates have been extremely successful in finding employment and, in an increasingly competitive job market, graduates with quantitative skills are in high demand by all employers from across the public, private and third sectors.
Recent graduates have gone on to develop careers in areas including:
The School of Politics and International Relations runs an Employability Programme, focused on providing you with the skills you need when looking for a job. This includes workshops on a range of topics, for example summer internships, networking, and careers in diplomacy and the civil service.
Students also have access to a weekly Employability Newsletter, featuring jobs for graduates, as well as internship and volunteering opportunities.
The University has a friendly Careers and Employability Service, which can give you advice on how to:
There are opportunities to apply your newfound skills in quantitative analysis in professional settings through placements and applied research modules. We have links to placements across many sectors, including government (national and local), think tanks and charities, cultural organisations and the private sector.
On this programme you gain and develop advanced quantitative research skills through modules that offer specialist training in cutting-edge techniques, as well as training in how to understand, explain and critique data in diverse real-world settings.
To help you appeal to employers, you also learn key transferable skills that are essential for all graduates. These include the ability to:
You can gain extra skills by signing up for one of our Kent Extra activities, such as learning a language or volunteering.
This course page is for the 2021/22 academic year. Please visit the current online prospectus for a list of undergraduate courses we offer.
T: +44 (0)1227 768896
T: +44 (0)1227 823254
E: internationalstudent@kent.ac.uk
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