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Politics and International Relations

  • Bachelor of Arts (with Honours)
  • 3 Years
  • Full-Time
  • 27 September 2027
  • Undergraduate
Main Site
More about University of Sheffield

Course options

2026-20272027-2028
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Course summary

Study international relations and politics and you'll learn how to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. How can world leaders unite to combat climate change? Can we truly reach world peace? Will we ever achieve gender justice? You will explore these questions and many more topics in this exciting and flexible degree course.

Understand how the world works and learn how it can work more effectively. This course will give you a complete overview of the study of international relations and politics and introduce you to a whole range of exciting topics.

You will be introduced to key areas of the international relations and politics discipline - so whether you have studied politics and international relations before or not, everyone will start with the fundamentals.

You’ll choose from a variety of optional modules, so that you can structure your degree to align with the topics that interest you the most.

As you progress through your degree, you’ll apply what you’ve learned to real life political issues and develop your own research interests and skills.

Our staff are experts in their field so no matter what topic you want to specialise in, there’ll be someone who can guide you in your research. Their current research covers topics such as: Chinese politics, British politics, race, political ethics, climate change, war and the political economy, all of which feed into the modules that you will be studying.

Why study this course?

  • Top 10 in the UK for international relations - The Guardian University Guide 2025

  • Top 10 in the UK for politics - The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025

  • Get more out of your degree - You’ll have the opportunity to study abroad, undertake a placement year or even take part in politics-related trips. In the past, our students have visited G20, the Houses of Parliament and UNFCCC COPs.

  • Prepare for an exciting career - Get bespoke support from our faculty employability team to find work experience, attend careers events and CV writing workshops to get you ready for your future career, or sign up to our politics mentoring scheme.

Ways to study this course

Campuses

  • Main Site

Study options

  • Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) • Full-Time • 3 Years

Start dates

  • 27 September 2027

Apply by
13 January 2027

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:
L201
Institution code:
S18
Campus name:
Main Site
Points of Entry:
Year 1

University of Sheffield 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
13 January 2027

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:
L201
Institution code:
S18
Campus name:
Main Site

Points of entry

The following entry points are available for this course:

  • Year 1

Entry requirements

Typical qualification requirements

A level
AAB

UCAS Tariff
Not accepted

Scottish Higher
AAAAB

Access to HE Diploma
Distinction: 36 Merit: 9

Award of Access to HE Diploma in either Law, Business Management, Humanities or Social Sciences, with 45 credits at Level 3, including 36 at Distinction and 9 at Merit

GCSE/National 4/National 5

GCSE Maths grade 4/C

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
DD

+ A at A Level

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
33-34

34; 33, with B in the Extended Essay

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
DDD

in a relevant subject

Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)
H2H2H2H2H2H3

To find out if you're eligible for additional consideration or an alternative offer, visit: ww.sheffield.ac.uk/undergraduate/apply/access-sheffield https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/undergraduate

English language requirements

You must demonstrate that your English is good enough for you to successfully complete your course. For this course we require: GCSE English Language at grade 4/C; IELTS grade of 6.5 with a minimum of 6.0 in each component; or an alternative acceptable English language qualificationhttps://www.sheffield.ac.uk/undergraduate/apply/english-language

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.

The entry grades data only represents a proportion of our cohort. We accept a broad range of qualifications on our degrees and we're committed to ensuring all students with the potential to succeed at Sheffield are informed and feel encouraged to apply. If you meet one or more of our Access Sheffield criteria, we may be able to give your application additional consideration when we receive it and when exam results are released.

Learn more on the University of Sheffield website

International entry requirements

null https://sheffield.ac.uk/undergraduate/apply/international-qualifications

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

No fee information has been provided for this course

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

Tuition fees for 2027 entry have not been confirmed. Please use 2026-27 information as a guide.

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