Politics | York St John University

Course summary

Go beyond the sound and fury of the daily headlines to explore the connections between power, principle and policy in modern politics.

Studying Politics means confronting issues with contemporary relevance and practical implications, discussing who and what has the power to dictate how we exist in society. On this degree you will consider, debate and respond to some of the most pressing issues of our time, covering topics from climate change to international state security.

On our Politics course you will address some of today's biggest political questions from local, national and global perspectives, and will gain a thorough understanding of the institutions and processes which drive modern states. This will include an investigation of the domestic government and politics of the UK, along with a wider global focus.

Some of the topics you will explore include:

How new communication technologies are changing the way we interact with politics
How democracies and authoritarian regimes function, thrive and fall in the 21st century
How states interact with each other, and the changing role of the state
How states respond to collective dilemmas such as inequality, threats to national security and climate change
You will learn to explain the historical drivers of social change and analyse the current political landscape. This will mean you are prepared to understand and respond to the challenges that will shape our political future.

We do everything we can to help you graduate into a great career, and you will study a specialist Work Related Learning module in your second year. This could involve:

Designing campaign materials
Analysing a current City of York Council policy proposal
Contributing to the Students’ Union elections
This degree will provide you with valuable skills which you can carry forward into a career either in politics or in many other exciting sectors.

Modules

https://www.yorksj.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/politics-and-international-relations/politics-ba-hons/

This course is available in Clearing. If you have submitted an application, you can add this course. If you haven’t sent us an application yet, you can do this until 24th September 2026.

Ways to study this course

Campuses

York St John University

Study options

BA (Hons) • Full-time • 3 Years

Start dates

21 September 2026

Apply by
14 January

This is the equal consideration deadline. You can still apply after this date, but your application may not receive guaranteed consideration.

Application codes

Course code:: L200
Institution code:: Y75
Campus name:: York St John University
Campus Code:: A
Points of Entry:: Year 1, 2, 3

York St John University has participated in the Teaching Excellence Framework. These ratings were awarded in 2023, for four years.

See why these ratings were awarded
What does this TEF outcome mean?

How to apply

Apply by
14 January

This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.

Application codes

Course code:: L200
Institution code:: Y75
Campus name:: York St John University
Campus Code:: A

Points of entry

The following entry points are available for this course:

Year 1
Year 2
Year 3

Entry requirements for advanced entry (i.e. into Year 2 and beyond)

For Second Year entry, applicants must have completed the first year of Higher Education in a similar subject with a total of 120 credits.
For Third Year entry, applicants must have completed the first and second year of Higher Education in a similar subject with a total of 240 credits.

Applicants will need to submit a transcript of their completed study, and offers will be subject to a mapping exercise of modules to ensure an appropriate alignment of course content.
Please be aware that transfer applications are subject to availablity of space on the selected academic year of your chosen course.
For more information on the transfer process, please see https://www.yorksj.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/apply/transferring-to-york-st-john-university/.

If transferring to the final year of a course containing a placement or study abroad year, you must have also completed a placement or study abroad year prior to starting the course.

Entry requirements

UCAS Tariff
104 points

GCSE/National 4/National 5

3 GCSEs at grade C/4 (or equivalent) including English Language.

Find out more about qualification requirements for this course.

Contextual admissions

Universities and colleges consider more than grades when assessing applications and may make offers based on a range of criteria. Learn more about contextual offers.

For all UK applicants, we look at six factors:
• Where you live
• Your school or college
• Age
• Disability
• First in family to study in HE
• Time in care
These six factors create a point score, which is then taken into account, along with standard criteria. The points don’t influence whether an offer is made but can influence the type of offer made, resulting in reduced or unconditional offers.
Full information is on our website, including scheme adaptations for individual courses.

Learn more on the York St John University website

Historical entry grades data

This section shows the range of grades that students who received offers were previously accepted on to this course with (learn more).

It is designed to support your research but does not guarantee whether you will or won't get a place.

Admissions teams consider various factors, including interviews, subject requirements, and entrance tests. Check all course entry requirements for eligibility.

Not enough data available

We are unable to show previous accepted grades for this course. This could be because the course is new, it's a postgraduate course, there isn't enough historical data, or the provider has opted out of sharing their entry grades data for this course - learn more.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

Per year tuition fees

Location	Fee	Year

Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website.

Additional fee information

Fees for our foundation years may vary, please see the relevant foundation year at https://www.yorksj.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/foundation-years/ for current foundation year fees.

For courses with an optional Placement Year, during the Placement Year your fees will be reduced to 20% of the annual fee value.

Course fees can rise from year to year, Please see our terms and conditions for further information:
https://www.yorksj.ac.uk/media/content-assets/admissions/documents/Student-Terms-and-Conditions-26-27.pdf