Metadata
Title
Politics
Category
undergraduate
UUID
472dbc281e554c4b82fdb9dc375d38a9
Source URL
https://www.qmul.ac.uk/undergraduate/coursefinder/courses/2026/politics/
Parent URL
https://www.qmul.ac.uk/undergraduate/coursefinder/courses/2026/
Crawl Time
2026-03-18T03:53:34+00:00
Rendered Raw Markdown

Politics

Source: https://www.qmul.ac.uk/undergraduate/coursefinder/courses/2026/politics/ Parent: https://www.qmul.ac.uk/undergraduate/coursefinder/courses/2026/

Thank you for considering an application

To apply you’ll need to:

  1. Make note of the Queen Mary institution code: Q50
  2. Make note of your chosen course UCAS code:

#### Politics

Apply on UCAS

Have further questions? How to apply | Entry requirements

Politics

Entry Year: 2026

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2 study options

Politics BA (Hons)

Key information

Degree : BA (Hons)

Duration : 3 years

Start : September 2026

UCAS code : L202

Institution code : Q50

Typical A-Level offer : Grades ABB at A-Level.\ Full entry requirements (including contextual admissions)

Home fees : £9,535

Overseas fees
:   £26,950\
    [Funding information](#funding)\
    [Paying your fees](https://www.qmul.ac.uk/undergraduate/feesandfunding/payment/)

Politics with Year Abroad BA (Hons)

Key information

Degree : BA (Hons)

Duration : 4 years

Start : September 2026

UCAS code : L20Y

Institution code : Q50

Typical A-Level offer : Grades ABB at A-Level.\ Full entry requirements (including contextual admissions)

Home fees : £9,535

Overseas fees
:   £26,950\
    [Funding information](#funding)\
    [Paying your fees](https://www.qmul.ac.uk/undergraduate/feesandfunding/payment/)

Year abroad cost

Finances for studying abroad on exchange

View details

Politics

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Overview

Explore theory and modern political thought to analyse the issues that dominate the news and your social media feeds.

It feels as if we’re at a crucial point in time, facing big issues like terrorism, immigration and economic inequality. Rising discontent with democracy also sets to challenge the foundations of politics in states around the world. There’s never been a more important time to study these subjects.

You'll explore government, political thought, and empirical and theoretical approaches to international relations. You can even immerse yourself in the world of politics by studying abroad, completing work placements and taking part in simulation activities.

Our regional expertise encompasses North and South America, Europe, Africa, Russia, South Asia and Southeast Asia. You’ll be taught by academics specialising in everything from feminist, postcolonial and sociological theoretical approaches to applied topics like foreign policy.

Pick from optional modules

Enjoy the freedom to shape your study. Perhaps you want to take a closer look at race and racism in world politics. Or maybe you want to examine the intricacies of the European Union, You can also pick modules from other departments, covering subjects such as English, history, geography and languages.

The world desperately needs not only answers but new ways of analysing the most important global questions. And this applies not only to the government but also employers in the private and non-profit sectors.

Structure

You can complete your Politics degree in three or four years. If you choose to do a year abroad this will take place in Year 3 and Year 3 modules will instead be studied in Year 4.

Year 1

Compulsory:

Choose from:

Please note that all modules are subject to change.

Year 2

Compulsory (45 credits):

•    Modern Political Thought I (15)\ •    Modern Political Thought II (15)\ •    Introduction to Social Science Methodologies (15)

Choose one from:

•    Qualitative Methods for Social Science Research (15)\ •    Quantitative Methods for Social Science Research (15)\ •    Unsettling Methods: Creativity in/for Social Science Research (15)

Choose at least 30 credits from:

•    British Politics (30)\ •    Comparative Politics (30)\ •    Modernity: Theories of the State, Economy and Society (30)\ •    The UK and the EU (15)\ •    US Politics (15)

Choose up to 30 credits from department modules like:

•    Colonialism, Capitalism and Development (15)\ •    Foreign Policy Analysis (15)\ •    Gender and Feminisms in World Politics (30)\ •    Global Theory (30)\ •    International Relations Theory (30)\ •    Politics of International Law (15)\ •    Power in Global Governance (15)\ •    Social Theory (30)\ •    The International Politics of Security (15)\ •    The International Politics of the Developing World (15)\ •    War in World Politics (15)

Please note that all modules are subject to change.

Year 3

Compulsory:

Choose additional 75 credits from department modules like:

Please note that all modules are subject to change.

Each year you may also choose some modules from outside the Department of Politics and International Relations.

Study options

Apply for this degree with any of the following options. Take care to use the correct UCAS code - it may not be possible to change your selection later.

Year abroad

Go global and study abroad as part of your degree – apply for our Politics BA with a Year Abroad. Queen Mary has links with universities in Europe, North America, Asia and Australia (partnerships vary for each degree programme).

Find out more about study abroad opportunities at Queen Mary

Testimonial

“Coming to London from a rural area, I was excited by the opportunities on offer. There’s no better city to study in, and at Queen Mary, there's a fantastic sense of community you don't get in other places. The choice of modules on my course is so unique to Queen Mary. I study what I'm passionate about, and my grades reflect that passion. As for future employability, Queen Mary has a fantastic Careers team. I've taken part in a consultancy project, launched my own business and experienced leadership roles through my involvement in societies.”

Teaching

Teaching and learning

You’ll receive approximately eight to 12 hours of weekly contact time, in the form of formal lectures and small group seminars. The seminars are designed to generate informed discussion around set topics and may involve student presentations, group exercises and role-play as well as open discussion.

You’ll complete a further 20 hours of independent study per week.

Assessment

Students are assessed by a combination of coursework and exams. A few modules are assessed by coursework only.

Resources and facilities

The Department offers excellent on-campus resources to aid your studies, including:

Entry requirements

Politics - BA (Hons)
A-Level Grades ABB at A-Level.
IB International Baccalaureate Diploma with a minimum of 32 points overall, including 6,5,5 from three Higher Level subjects.
BTEC See our detailed subject and grade requirements
Access HE We consider applications from students with the Access to Higher Education Diploma. The minimum academic requirement is to achieve 60 credits overall, with 45 credits at Level 3, of which 15 credits must be at Distinction and 15 credits at Merit or higher. Applications are considered on a case by case basis. Due to the high volume of applications, we do not make offers of study purely on the basis of meeting grade requirements.
GCSE Minimum five GCSE passes including English and Maths at grade C or 4.
EPQ Alternative offers may be made to applicants taking the Extended Project Qualification. For further information please visit: qmul.ac.uk/undergraduate/entry/epq
Contextualised admissions Our standard contextual offer: BBC at A-Level. Our enhanced contextual offer: BCC at A-Level. More information on our contextual offer criteria can be found on our contextualised admissions page. Please note that General Studies and Critical Thinking are excluded from any A-Level offer and cannot be considered.

Politics with Year Abroad - BA (Hons)
A-Level Grades ABB at A-Level.
IB International Baccalaureate Diploma with a minimum of 32 points overall, including 6,5,5 from three Higher Level subjects.
BTEC See our detailed subject and grade requirements
Access HE We consider applications from students with the Access to Higher Education Diploma. The minimum academic requirement is to achieve 60 credits overall, with 45 credits at Level 3, of which 15 credits must be at Distinction and 15 credits at Merit or higher. Applications are considered on a case by case basis. Due to the high volume of applications, we do not make offers of study purely on the basis of meeting grade requirements.
GCSE Minimum five GCSE passes including English and Maths at grade C or 4.
EPQ Alternative offers may be made to applicants taking the Extended Project Qualification. For further information please visit: qmul.ac.uk/undergraduate/entry/epq
Contextualised admissions Our standard contextual offer: BBC at A-Level. Our enhanced contextual offer: BCC at A-Level. More information on our contextual offer criteria can be found on our contextualised admissions page. Please note that General Studies and Critical Thinking are excluded from any A-Level offer and cannot be considered.

Non-UK students

We accept a wide range of European and international qualifications in addition to A-levels, the International Baccalaureate and BTEC qualifications. Please visit International Admissions for full details.

If your qualifications are not accepted for direct entry onto this degree, consider applying for a foundation programme.

English language

Find out more about our English language entry requirements, including the types of test we accept and the scores needed for entry to the programme.

You may also be able to meet the English language requirement for your programme by joining a summer pre-sessional programme before starting your degree.

Further information

See our general undergraduate entry requirements.

Funding

Loans and grants

UK students accepted onto this course are eligible to apply for tuition fee and maintenance loans from Student Finance England or other government bodies.

Scholarships and bursaries

Queen Mary offers a generous package of scholarships and bursaries, which currently benefits around 50 per cent of our undergraduates.

Scholarships are available for home, EU and international students. Specific funding is also available for students from the local area. International students may be eligible for a fee reduction. We offer means-tested funding, as well as subject-specific funding for many degrees.

Find out what scholarships and bursaries are available to you.

Support from Queen Mary

We offer specialist support on all financial and welfare issues through our Advice and Counselling Service, which you can access as soon as you have applied for a place at Queen Mary.

Take a look at our Student Advice Guides which cover ways to finance your degree, including:

Careers

Our Politics graduates are highly employable, with invaluable political knowledge and research, analytical and communication skills that open doors to a huge variety of roles. They move into domestic and international careers both inside and outside the political sphere – predominantly in government, policy research, education, journalism, media and business.

Recent graduates from the Department of Politics and International Relations have been hired by:

Career support

While studying with the Department of Politics and International Relations you'll have access to bespoke career support every step of your degree, including one-to-one guidance, tailored workshops, and external speakers on topics such as careers in public affairs and working in parliament.

Our careers team can also offer:

Learn more about career support and development at Queen Mary.

Data for these courses

Politics - BA (Hons)

Politics with Year Abroad - BA (Hons)

The Discover Uni dataset (formerly Unistats)

About the School

School of Society and Environment

At Queen Mary’s School of Society and Environment, we explore the big questions shaping our world - past, present, and future. From medieval Europe to modern America, from global environmental change to the politics of the Middle East, our programmes blend rigorous scholarship with real-world impact.

Our academics are among the world’s leading researchers, and our departments consistently rank among the best in their fields (QS World University Rankings; Research Excellence Framework). Students also rate our teaching highly (National Student Survey), recognising our commitment to an engaging, high-quality learning experience.

Located in London, home to Parliament, political think tanks, cultural institutions and global businesses, we offer excellent opportunities to collaborate with local, national, and international partners. Here, you’ll apply your learning beyond the classroom, gain hands-on experience, and join a diverse, inclusive community that will challenge your perspective and equip you with the skills to make a difference.

You’ll also have access to the Mile End Institute, a major policy hub at Queen Mary that connects policymakers, academics, and local communities to address pressing national issues.

Contact us

Next steps

### Accommodation

### Why Queen Mary

### How to apply

### International Students