Politics and International Relations
with a Year in Continental Europe
Make a difference; reshape the world and your future in it.
Make a difference; reshape the world and your future in it.
Politics is everywhere. It’s exciting, but also frustrating, messy and complex. This is your time to make a difference. Bring your determination to us and we will give you the skills and confidence to make a change.
Make sense of the complex world of politics and international relations. Whether it’s climate change, the rise of tyrannical leaders, gender politics, or the misuse of artificial intelligence and big data, you will understand today’s political problems and gain the skills to pursue a career that can solve them.
You also benefit from the expertise of staff who have advised governments and conducted conflict mediation exercises. You'll deepen your understanding and develop solutions to a range of issues, such as the impact of the pandemic on politics and political polarisation.
Experience a different culture, gain a new academic perspective, establish international contacts, and enhance your employability with a year abroad at one of our partner universities in either the Czech Republic, Finland, Norway, Poland, or Turkey.
Our graduates have worked in the Office for National Statistics, the British Council, and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
Join a close-knit learning community with fantastic student support to help you achieve your full potential.
As your interests grow, add a year abroad, a year in industry, or a year in journalism, data analytics, computing or a language.
Shape your degree outside of the classroom through our Politics and IR Society and Kent Model UN.
BBB
Distinction, Distinction, Merit
120 tariff points - typically H5, H6, H6 or equivalent
Pass the University of Kent International Foundation Programme.
The University will consider applicants holding T level qualifications in subjects closely aligned to the course.
Obtain Access to HE Diploma with 45 Credits at level 3 with 24 credits at Distinction and 21 credits at Merit.
The following modules are what students typically study, but this may change year to year in response to new developments and innovations.
I also really liked the course... you have introductory modules, which was helpful for me because I didn’t study politics at school.Nadia Bhatti, Politics and International Relations BA
Going abroad as part of your degree is an amazing experience and a chance to develop personally, academically and professionally. You experience a different culture, gain a new academic perspective, establish international contacts and enhance your employability.
You are expected to adhere to any academic progression requirements in Stages 1 and 2 to proceed to the year abroad. If the requirement is not met, you will be transferred to the equivalent three-year programme. The year abroad is assessed on a pass/fail basis and will not count towards your final degree classification.
For further information, please see Go Abroad.
Our main teaching methods 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 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.
Methods of assessment will vary according to subject specialism and individual modules.
Please refer to the individual module details under Course Structure.
For course aims and learning outcomes please see the course specification.
Our graduates look to make a difference in the organisations they join. From our vibrant and growing alumni network, recent graduates have gone on to develop careers in areas including:
The 2025-26 annual tuition fees for UK undergraduate courses have not yet been set by the Department for Education.
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.
Fees for undergraduate students are £1,850.
Fees for undergraduate students are £1,385.
Students studying abroad for less than one academic year will pay full fees according to their fee status.
You will require regular access to a desktop computer/laptop with an internet connection to use the University of Kent’s online resources and systems. Please see information about the minimum computer requirements for study.
Find out more about accommodation and living costs, plus general additional costs that you may pay when studying at Kent.
Kent offers generous financial support schemes to assist eligible undergraduate students during their studies. See our funding page for more details.
We have a range of subject-specific awards and scholarships for academic, sporting and musical achievement.
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Kent has risen 11 places in THE’s REF 2021 ranking, confirming us as a leading research university.
An unmissable part of your student experience.