International Relations

This is a Connected Degree

Portsmouth is the only University in the UK with the flexibility to choose when to do an optional paid placement or self-employed year. Either take a placement in your third year, or finish your studies first and complete a placement in your fourth year. You can decide if and when to take a placement after you've started your course.

Overview

Examine the major issues affecting the world. Discover why nation states rise and fall. Take a closer look at the factors behind international conflict, and learn the role state leaders, NGOs, civil society and activists play in solving these problems.

On this BA (Hons) International Relations degree, you'll explore topics like global migration and the rise of populist politics. You’ll learn the skills required to play your part in improving equality and enacting positive change.

And after graduation, you’ll be ready for careers in local and national government, security, tech, intelligence, and with international charities and institutions like the UN.

Course highlights

• Learn from staff at our Centre for European and International Studies Research (CEISR), whose research directly impacts government policy

• Create policy briefing papers offering recommendations to practitioners on major recent international issues, such as the Ukraine Crisis, the 'MeToo' movement, the rise of terrorist organisations and the Arab Revolutions

• Attend events and talks led by people working in NGOs, local, national and international government, and journalism

• Go on field trips to locations such as the Houses of Parliament

• Take part in a simulated ‘academic conference’, where you’ll present a paper that will be discussed with your peers

• Have the chance to study abroad at one of our partner institutions – including Science Po Strasbourg (France), Maastricht University (Netherlands), Université libre de Bruxelles (Belgium) and University of Szeged (Hungary)

Optional pathways

• On this course, you can study history or international development alongside your international relations degree

Worried about your grades?
If you're not sure you meet the entry requirements, or need some help to get uni-ready, then we offer this course with a foundation year to bring you up to speed. When you successfully finish, you'll get a guaranteed place on this course.

Careers and opportunities

Graduates from this degree have gone on to careers in the following sectors:

• local and central government

• embassies

• non-governmental organisations (NGOs)

• security services

• international organisations, like the United Nations (UN)

• international charities like War Child, Amnesty International or the Red Cross

• policy research and think tanks

• media and international business consultancy

• political risk analysis

• public relations

• voluntary organisations

• management

• banking and financial services

• tourism

What jobs can you do with an International Relations degree?

Recent graduates have gone on to roles including:

• director of Language Studies for an international school

• political researcher, Houses of Parliament

• assistant to Member of Parliament

• civil servant, the Cabinet Office

• senior policy advisor, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

• communications officer, House of Commons

• local government administrator, Government of Jersey

• public affairs consultant

• bilingual consultant

• multilingual project coordinator

• translator

• social researcher

• information officer

• conference producer

After you leave the University, you can get help, advice and support for up to 5 years from our Careers and Employability service as you advance in your career.