About this course
This BSc Politics degree will help you learn about political systems, political thinkers, democracy and the modern state. You’ll gain insight into issues such as modern migration, the role of the media, and the future of the European Union. This course can lead to jobs in politics, the civil service, think tanks, campaign organisations, business or journalism.
Discover how to get into politics as you:
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study political theory, global politics, public policy, and political analysis
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focus on topics of contemporary political importance, for example, globalisation, public policy, constitutional politics, security studies and migration
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choose from a wide array of topics through optional modules, including political topics relating to the UK, the EU or the US, and modules in criminology, economics or ethics
A BSC Politics degree from the University of Southampton will:
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develop your critical thinking skills
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hone your analytical capacity
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train you in a range of research skills that are highly valued by employers
You'll develop transferable skills such as:
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effective oral and written communication
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problem solving
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data analysis
This degree gives excellent training for a range of careers, including roles in:
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the civil service and international organisations
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NGOs, advocacy and lobby groups
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political campaigning
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journalism
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a broad range of business sectors
What's it like to study Politics at Southampton
Course location
This course is based at Highfield.
Awarding body
This qualification is awarded by the University of Southampton.
Download the programme specification
The programme specification sets out the learning outcomes of this course and details how the course is taught and assessed.
Entry requirements
For Academic year 202021
A-levels
ABB or if studying Politics, BBB
A-levels additional information
Offers typically exclude General Studies and Critical Thinking.
A-levels with Extended Project Qualification
If you are taking an EPQ in addition to 3 A levels, you will receive the following offer in addition to the standard A level offer:
BBB and grade A in the EPQ
A-levels contextual offer
We are committed to ensuring that all applicants with the potential to succeed, regardless of their background, are encouraged to apply to study with us. The additional information gained through contextual data allows us to recognise an applicant's potential to succeed in the context of their background and experience.
Applicants who are highlighted in this way will be made an offer which is lower than the typical offer for that programme, as follows:
BBB or if studying Politics, BBC
International Baccalaureate Diploma
Pass, with 32 points overall with 16 points at Higher Level
International Baccalaureate contextual offer
We are committed to ensuring that all learners with the potential to succeed, regardless of their background, are encouraged to apply to study with us. The additional information gained through contextual data allows us to recognise a learner’s potential to succeed in the context of their background and experience. Applicants who are highlighted in this way will be made an offer which is lower than the typical offer for that programme.
International Baccalaureate Career Programme (IBCP) statement
Offers will be made on the individual Diploma Course subject(s) and the career-related study qualification. The CP core will not form part of the offer. Where there is a subject pre-requisite(s), applicants will be required to study the subject(s) at Higher Level in the Diploma course subject and/or take a specified unit in the career-related study qualification. Applicants may also be asked to achieve a specific grade in those elements.
Please see the University of Southampton International Baccalaureate Career-Related Programme (IBCP) Statement for further information. Applicants are advised to contact their Faculty Admissions Office for more information.
BTEC
D in the BTEC Subsidiary Diploma plus AB from two A levels
DD in the BTEC Diploma plus B grade from one A-level
DDM in the BTEC Extended Diploma
BTEC additional information
There are no additional requirements
Access to HE Diploma
60 credits with a minimum of 45 credits at Level 3, of which 30 must be at Distinction and 15 credits at Merit
Access to HE additional information
There are no additional requirements
Irish Leaving Certificate
Irish Leaving Certificate (first awarded 2017)
H1 H2 H2 H2 H3 H3
Irish Leaving Certificate (first awarded 2016)
A1, A1, A1, A1, A2, A2
Irish certificate additional information
There are no additional requirements
Scottish Qualification
Offers will be based on exams being taken at the end of S6. Subjects taken and qualifications achieved in S5 will be reviewed. Careful consideration will be given to an individual’s academic achievement, taking in to account the context and circumstances of their pre-university education.
Please see the University of Southampton’s Curriculum for Excellence Scotland Statement (PDF) for further information. Applicants are advised to contact their Faculty Admissions Office for more information.
Cambridge Pre-U
D3 M2 M2 in three Principal subjects
Cambridge Pre-U additional information
Cambridge Pre-U's can be used in combination with other qualifications such as A Levels to achieve the equivalent of the typical offer
Welsh Baccalaureate
ABB from 3 A levels
or
AB from two A levels and B from the Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate Skills Challenge Certificate
Welsh Baccalaureate additional information
There are no additional requirements
Welsh Baccalaureate contextual offer
We are committed to ensuring that all learners with the potential to succeed, regardless of their background, are encouraged to apply to study with us. The additional information gained through contextual data allows us to recognise a learner’s potential to succeed in the context of their background and experience. Applicants who are highlighted in this way will be made an offer which is lower than the typical offer for that programme.
European Baccalaureate
76-78% overall
Other requirements
GCSE requirements
Applicants must hold GCSE English language (or GCSE English) (minimum grade 4/C) and mathematics (minimum grade 4/C)
Find the equivalent international qualifications for our entry requirements.
English language requirements
If English isn't your first language, you'll need to complete an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) to demonstrate your competence in English. You'll need all of the following scores as a minimum:
IELTS score requirements
- overall score
- 6.5
- reading
- 5.5
- writing
- 5.5
- speaking
- 5.5
- listening
- 5.5
We accept other English language tests. Find out which English language tests we accept.
You might meet our criteria in other ways if you do not have the qualifications we need. Find out more about:
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our Access to Southampton scheme for students living permanently in the UK (including residential summer school, application support and scholarship)
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skills you might have gained through work or other life experiences (otherwise known as recognition of prior learning)
Find out more about our Admissions Policy.
Got a question?
Please contact our enquiries team if you're not sure that you have the right experience or qualifications to get onto this course.
Email: enquiries@southampton.ac.uk
Tel: +44(0)23 8059 5000
Course structure
COVID-19: we've made some changes to the structure of the course for this academic year. Download the programme specification addendum in 'About this course' to learn more.
Following introductory modules in year 1, in year 2 you'll pursue an advanced study of democratic state systems and political theory. You'll also delve into research methods. This will give you the skills you need to support your study in other modules and to prepare you for the dissertation in year 3. You can choose optional modules in each year of the programme.
You’ll also be able to broaden your experience by selecting:
Along with these options, our Curriculum Innovation Programme allows you to take optional modules outside your core disciplines. You do not need to choose your modules when you apply. Your academic tutor will help you to customise your course.
Year 1 overview
You'll be introduced to political systems, analysing the differences between democracies, semi-democracies, and authoritarian regimes. This will be studied alongside important concepts within contemporary political theory.
You can choose from optional modules from politics or from related disciplines. For example, you can study micro-economics, ethics, or even get an introduction to mathematics for economics.
Year 2 overview
Year 2's compulsory module is research methods. You'll also be able to choose from a broad range of optional modules. These include Chinese politics, the future of Europe, ethics and social policy.
Year 3 overview
For your dissertation you’ll research a politics or international relations topic of your choice. This is an opportunity for you to demonstrate independent research, analysis and communication skills.
You'll also be able to choose from optional modules on topics as diverse as the study of prisons and punishment in society, ethical debates, or the future of the EU. The module 'Imagining European Futures' invites students to come up with bold, creative and innovative ideas about the desired shape of European integration, while showing students how to ground these ideas in a thoroughly researched empirical context.
Want more detail? See all the modules in the course.
Modules
For entry in Academic Year 2021-22
Year 1 modules
You must study the following modules in year 1:
Recent referenda on UK withdrawal from the European Union and Scottish withdrawal from the UK appear to have brought simmering tensions in politics on these islands to the fore - or perhaps even created a newly polarised politics. Moreover, while support ...
• Introduce students to the study of structures, actors and policy processes in international politics • Enable students to distinguish between competing explanations of international relations • Develop students’ ability to restate arguments and apply ...
This module introduces the basic concepts required for evaluating and designing research on political phenomena. Students will be equipped with the vocabulary and basic logical framework required to critically assess academic research, and to design their...
Students should gain a knowledge of how political ideas - such as freedom, equality, justice, or democracy - have been understood in different and incompatible ways, and how those different understandings have been the occasion for ideological or normativ...
The aims of this course are to: • Introduce you to quantitative methods used in the social sciences, including both descriptive statistics and elementary inferential statistics • Enable you to use these methods and to understand other people’s use of ...
This module provides an introduction to the study of politics and the key concepts and theoretical approaches in comparative politics. Pre-requisite for PAIR2031, PAIR2037, PAIR3039 and PAIR3046
You must also choose from the following modules in year 1:
The European integration project has achieved a point, at which fundamental questions concerning its near and long-term future need to be urgently addressed. Unfortunately, the current debates are often hindered by the loud and dominant voices of extremis...
This module examines some of the concrete political challenges of our time through the use of key texts chosen by staff members who work in the relevant fields. We will spend two weeks on each text, with two lectures giving a precis of the main arguments ...
Year 2 modules
You must study the following module in year 2:
To introduce the theoretical underpinnings of the democratic state; to outline theoretical and practical changes and challenges to the democratic state both today and in the future; to draw links between theoretical ideas about the democratic state and de...
You must also choose from the following modules in year 2:
For many people, the phrase “American political thought” either has an obvious meaning – some version of liberal democracy, surely – or it is a contradiction in terms – America has politics, but seems to exercise little thought. This module sets the recor...
The aim of this module is to familiarise you with several important, but competing, theories of justice. Such theories give guidance on important questions of distributive justice (who ought to get what, when and why?), and provide, to varying degrees, gr...
Most states claim to be democratic. This module looks at the theory of democracy, including foundational questions about political inclusion, participation, and equality. As a result, students will develop a greater understanding of what democracy require...
Have you ever considered what it takes to be a political leader? Have you ever wondered why political leaders make the decisions that they do? Have you ever thought about the types of dilemmas that leaders face every day as the seek to enact forms of demo...
This module involves the ethical evaluation of public policies. Note that it is not primarily concerned with how public policies are made and implemented, nor with non-ethical assessment of them, such as how effective they are in achieving their aims. The...
How can we understand the role of gender in political systems? Why is it important to acknowledge the intersections of gender with race, class, sexuality and disability? What can/should be done about male over-representation in legislatures worldwide? Why...
Equal opportunity In line with the University’s Equal Opportunities Policy, individuals are treated on their relevant merits and abilities and are given equal opportunities within the module, School and University. The aim of the policy is to ensure t...
An introduction to political thinking, focusing on major thinkers and themes and exploring how to engage in political theorising. Pre-requisite for PAIR3015
The framing of this module is that Machiavelli has seriously misled modern political thinking by permitting a wedge to be driven between morality and politics. Even if that was not Machiavelli’s intention, that has been the consequence of his ideas. Thus,...
This module introduces key theories and models in the study of public policy and seeks to encourage a critical appreciation of the main trends in contemporary public policy-making. It links policy theory with practical skills of analysis and advocacy.
This module will introduce students to the practice of qualitative research in politics and international relations. Students will learn and apply key skills involved in gathering and analysing qualitative data, and reflect on the strengths and limitation...
All over the world the ideal of democratic government has higher support than at almost any time in human history. Yet many citizens of democracies are very frustrated with the way the democracy they live in works. It is one thing to recognise the contemp...
This module builds upon the material learnt in the first year in STAT1003. It aims to increase your knowledge of social science research strategies and methods of collecting data (both quantitative and qualitative). It does this by covering the whole rese...
Year 3 modules
You must study the following module in year 3:
The researching and writing of an 8,000-word dissertation provides you with the opportunity to integrate and hone a variety of skills acquired and extended during your studies, and to significantly deepen your knowledge of a topic of your choice. In m...
You must also choose from the following modules in year 3:
For many people, the phrase “American political thought” either has an obvious meaning – some version of liberal democracy, surely – or it is a contradiction in terms – America has politics, but seems to exercise little thought. This module sets the recor...
The fact that children have human rights, i.e. children’s rights, and that these rights should underpin any decision, law and policy that is relevant to children, have been enshrined in international law instruments, like the UN Convention on the Rights o...
After briefly considering the relevance of the traditional Chinese world order to contemporary Chinese political life, the module then focuses on two core themes: (1) Chinese domestic politics; (2) China’s external relations. Units on Chinese politics wil...
Political parties are key actors in articulating popular demands and representing them in the policymaking process, mobilizing the masses and recruiting and socialising political elites. This course examines how parties perform these functions in Western ...
The aim of this module is to familiarise you with several important, but competing, theories of justice. Such theories give guidance on important questions of distributive justice (who ought to get what, when and why?), and provide, to varying degrees, gr...
For thinkers of the Global South, the experience of empire, of being subject to imperial rule in a variety of forms, serves as a key site for the development of political theory. This module addresses a range of the responses to empire that emerged within...
Most states claim to be democratic. This module looks at the theory of democracy, including foundational questions about political inclusion, participation, and equality. As a result, students will develop a greater understanding of what democracy require...
Less than a century ago democracy was a relatively rare form of government. Today it is typically seen as the only legitimate type of political regime. Indeed, the language of democracy has assumed such usage that even dictators employ supposedly democrat...
The module will reflect on who or what constitutions the "South" in internal relationships, to take a deep and critical look at the contested nature of development and to evaluate the development achievement, and to study in depth the mainstream economic ...
A sample of topics addressed in this module includes: a) theoretical approaches to the subject matter; b) the redefinition of the notions of sovereignty, borders, citizenship, and national identity; c) the role and mobilization of diasporas as transnation...
Have you ever considered what it takes to be a political leader? Have you ever wondered why political leaders make the decisions that they do? Have you ever thought about the types of dilemmas that leaders face every day as the seek to enact forms of demo...
This module involves the ethical evaluation of public policies. Note that it is not primarily concerned with how public policies are made and implemented, nor with non-ethical assessment of them, such as how effective they are in achieving their aims. The...
It is the first time in history that we can approach the problem of European security architecture in terms of governance, rather than hegemony or the balance of power. The proliferation of European and global institutions concerned with addressing differ...
How can we understand the role of gender in political systems? Why is it important to acknowledge the intersections of gender with race, class, sexuality and disability? What can/should be done about male over-representation in legislatures worldwide? Why...
The module will look at the main issues and trends, concepts and definitions on globalisation within the discipline of international relations.
This course introduces key theories and models in the study of political behaviour and political psychology and seeks to encourage students to develop a critical appreciation of how people develop their political beliefs and preferences, and how this affe...
This module introduces topics at the intersection between politics and economics. It exposes students to substantive issues in political economy, such as the comparative analysis of different electoral systems, distributive justice, the moral limits of ma...
Politics is often about conflict, but sometimes that conflict takes place within legislative bodies and other times in the streets. Most of what we study in political science courses focuses on conflict within the electoral framework, but this course asks...
The framing of this module is that Machiavelli has seriously misled modern political thinking by permitting a wedge to be driven between morality and politics. Even if that was not Machiavelli’s intention, that has been the consequence of his ideas. Thus,...
This module introduces key theories and models in the study of public policy and seeks to encourage a critical appreciation of the main trends in contemporary public policy-making. It links policy theory with practical skills of analysis and advocacy.
All over the world the ideal of democratic government has higher support than at almost any time in human history. Yet many citizens of democracies are very frustrated with the way the democracy they live in works. It is one thing to recognise the contemp...
This module focuses on the European Union (EU) as a system of public policy-making and aims to provide students with a working knowledge of the history of European integration, the main EU institutions, the EU policy process, main theoretical debates as w...
Learning and assessment
The learning activities for this course include the following:
- lectures
- classes and tutorials
- coursework
- individual and group projects
- independent learning (studying on your own)
Course time
How you'll spend your course time:
Year 1
Study time
Your scheduled learning, teaching and independent study for year 1:
How we'll assess you
- coursework, laboratory reports and essays
- dissertations
- essays
- group essays
- individual and group projects
- written exams
Your assessment breakdown
Year 1:
Year 2
Study time
Your scheduled learning, teaching and independent study for year 2:
How we'll assess you
- coursework, laboratory reports and essays
- dissertations
- essays
- group essays
- individual and group projects
- written exams
Your assessment breakdown
Year 2:
Year 3
Study time
Your scheduled learning, teaching and independent study for year 3:
How we'll assess you
- coursework, laboratory reports and essays
- dissertations
- essays
- group essays
- individual and group projects
- written exams
Your assessment breakdown
Year 3:
Academic support
You’ll be supported by a personal academic tutor and have access to a senior tutor.
Course leader
Kamil Zwolski is the course leader.
Careers
You’ll graduate with a wide range of transferable skills such as critical thinking, research and team working. Career skills are embedded at every stage of our courses and certain modules offer specific teaching in reasoning and communication.
Our politics graduates have secured roles as diverse as:
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management consultants
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business analysts
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social scientists
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researchers
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journalists
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civil servants
Our politics degrees are also a good foundation for further study at masters or PhD level.
The University’s Excel Internship Programme can help you find a paid work placement during the Easter or summer vacation.
Careers services at Southampton
We are a top 20 UK university for employability (QS Graduate Employability Rankings 2019). Our Careers and Employability Service will support you throughout your time as a student and for up to 5 years after graduation. This support includes:
work experience schemes
CV and interview skills and workshops
networking events
careers fairs attended by top employers
a wealth of volunteering opportunities
study abroad and summer school opportunities
We have a vibrant entrepreneurship culture and our dedicated start-up supporter, Futureworlds, is open to every student.
Work in industry
You can choose to spend a year in employment during this course.
Fees, costs and funding
Tuition fees
Fees for a year's study:
- UK students pay £9,250.
- EU and international students pay £18,520.
What your fees pay for
Your tuition fees pay for the full cost of tuition and all examinations.
Find out how to:
Accommodation and living costs, such as travel and food, are not included in your tuition fees. Explore:
Bursaries, scholarships and other funding
If you're a UK or EU student and your household income is under £25,000 a year, you may be able to get a University of Southampton bursary to help with your living costs. Find out about bursaries and other funding we offer at Southampton.
If you're a care leaver or estranged from your parents, you may be able to get a specific bursary.
Get in touch for advice about student money matters.
Scholarships and grants
You may be able to get a scholarship or grant that's linked to your chosen subject area.
We award scholarships and grants for travel, academic excellence, or to students from underrepresented backgrounds.
Support during your course
The Student Services Centre offers support and advice on money to students. You may be able to access our Student Support fund and other sources of financial support during your course.
Funding for EU and international students
Find out about funding you could get as an international student.
How to apply
When you apply use:
- UCAS course code: L200
- UCAS institution code: S27
What happens after you apply?
We will assess your application on the strength of your:
- predicted grades
- academic achievements
- personal statement
- academic reference
We aim to respond to you within 2 to 6 weeks with a decision about your application.
Equality and diversity
We treat and select everyone in line with our Equality and Diversity Statement.
Got a question?
Please contact our enquiries team if you're not sure that you have the right experience or qualifications to get onto this course.
Email: enquiries@southampton.ac.uk
Tel: +44(0)23 8059 5000
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