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Politics (Including Year Abroad)

  • Bachelor of Arts (with Honours)
  • 4 Years
  • Full-Time
  • October 2027
  • Undergraduate
Colchester Campus
More about University of Essex

Course options

2026-20272027-2028
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Course summary

Why should we obey the law? Why don’t democratic countries go to war with each other? Why don’t young people vote? Why do oil-rich countries have worse human rights records? These are the kinds of questions addressed in our BA Politics course, which provides a thorough training in all major areas of political science, and is based in the top politics department in the country.

Always seeking political cause and effect, our course casts light on aspects of life you might never ordinarily connect to politics and government. You investigate the scope of political science as a field of inquiry, and the methods used by political scientists, in order to explore questions concerning both what does occur in politics, and what should occur in politics.

You study topics including:

  • Concepts in political science: state, laws, wars and political parties

  • International relations

  • Democratic systems

  • Political power

  • Obligations, freedom, rights and equality

Politics at Essex is all about moving from opinions to evidence. You will quickly learn to ask – and how to answer – the “how do you know?” question. We train our students to be fearless and independent, to question everything and to draw on the broadest possible range of facts and ideas.

Modules

Course Modules

Many of our courses offer a choice of optional modules to tailor your learning experience. More information about these can be found on the University of Essex website.

Ways to study this course

Campuses

  • Colchester Campus

Study options

  • Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) • Full-Time • Placement (mandatory) • 4 Years

Start dates

  • October 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:
E70
Campus name:
Colchester Campus
Points of Entry:
Year 1, 2

University of Essex 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:
E70
Campus name:
Colchester Campus

Points of entry

The following entry points are available for this course:

  • Year 1
  • Year 2

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Entry requirements

Typical qualification requirements

A level
BBB

Offers will be made in the range of BBB to BBC
or 120-112 UCAS tariff points from a minimum of the equivalent of 2 full A-levels

T Level
D

We consider T-levels on a case-by-case basis, depending on subject studied. The offer for most courses is Distinction overall. Depending on the course applied for there may be additional requirements, which may include a specific grade in the Core.

UCAS Tariff
112-120

Offers will be made from a minimum of the equivalent of 2 full A-levels.

Access to HE Diploma
Distinction: 6 Merit: 39

We can only accept QAA approved Access to HE Diplomas

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
29-30

"Or three Higher Level certificates with 555-554.
We are happy to consider a combination of separate IB Diploma Programmes at both Higher and Standard Level. Exact offer levels will vary depending on the range of subjects being taken at higher and standar"

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

Offers will be made in the range of DDM to DMM
or 120-112 UCAS tariff points from a minimum of the equivalent of 2 full A-levels

Entry requirements for students studying BTEC qualifications are dependent on subjects studied. Advice can be provided on an individual basis.

https://www.essex.ac.uk/undergraduate/applying-to-essex

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.

We are committed to ensuring that all students with the merit and potential to benefit from an Essex education are supported to do so. We make Contextual Offers, of up to two A-level grades (or equivalent) below our standard conditional offer, to applicants from underrepresented groups residing in the UK.

Learn more on the University of Essex 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

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

Our tuition fees for this course will be confirmed soon.

Related courses

At University of Essex

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