Course details
A Levels AAB Other entry requirementsUCAS code L210
Duration 3 years
Fees and additional costs Home/EU students International students
Related subjects Politics
Any questions?
Undergraduate Admissions
Department of Politics and International Relations
Telephone +44 (0)114 222 1641
Email politics-admissions@sheffield.ac.uk
Website sheffield.ac.uk/politics/undergraduate
Department of Politics and International Relations
UK top three for research
Research Excellence Framework 2014
UK top 10 for politics
The Complete University Guide 2020
The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2020
Course description
Teaching covers a range of topics, including international relations, governance and public policy, political theory and comparative politics.
The geographical areas covered include Europe (Central, Southern and Eastern Europe and the European Union), the Americas, Asia (South) and Africa.
In the first year, you'll take five core modules and one unrestricted module, including Introduction to Political Analysis, Comparing Modern Polities, British Politics, An Introduction to Western Political Thought and The Politics of Globalisation.
In the second and third years, you'll deepen your subject knowledge by taking further core and optional modules followed by a project module or a dissertation.
You can apply to spend your second year at a university in Europe, the USA, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore or Canada.
We also offer this course as a four-year degree with employment experience.
Financial help from the University - bursaries
If you're a UK student, you could be entitled to a University bursary. A bursary is the same as a grant - you don't have to pay it back.
Entry requirements
| Qualification | Grades |
|---|---|
| A Levels | AAB |
| A Levels + additional qualifications | ABB + B in a relevant EPQ; ABB + B in Core Maths |
| International Baccalaureate | 34 |
| BTEC | DDD. BTEC Public Services (Uniformed) not accepted |
| Cambridge Pre-U | D3 D3 M2 |
| Scottish Highers | AAAAB |
| Welsh Baccalaureate + 2 A Levels | B + AA |
| Access to HE | Entry requirements for mature students |
| Other qualifications |
Other UK qualifications
Other EU/international qualifications |
Other requirements
|
|
| If you have any questions about entry requirements, please contact the department | |
Modules - what you study and when
The modules listed below are examples from the last academic year. There may be some changes before you start your course. For the very latest module information, check with the department direct.
Department of Politics and International Relations website
First year
Core modules:
| Analysing Politics | |
| Introduction to Comparative Politics | |
| Introduction to Global Political Economy | |
| Introduction to Western Political Thought | |
Optional modules:
| British Politics | |
| Introduction to International Relations | |
Second year
Core modules:
| Political Analysis: Research Design and Data Analysis | |
| Political Theory in Practice | |
Optional modules:
Third year
Optional modules:
The content of our courses is reviewed annually to make sure it's up-to-date and relevant. Individual modules are occasionally updated or withdrawn. This is in response to discoveries through our world-leading research; funding changes; professional accreditation requirements; student or employer feedback; outcomes of reviews; and variations in staff or student numbers.
In the event of any change we'll consult and inform students in good time and take reasonable steps to minimise disruption.
Learning and assessment
These figures give an indication of how you'll learn and be assessed. They're a combined average of all the years of the course. The learning and assessment percentages could vary depending on the modules you choose.
| Learning | |
| Scheduled teaching | 10% |
| Independent study | 90% |
| Placement | 0% |
|
Assessment |
|
| Exams/tests | 25% |
| Coursework | 75% |
| Practical | 0% |
Department of Politics and International Relations
We are proud to be one of the UK's leading departments for research and teaching in politics and international relations.
We have over 50 specialists in the key areas of politics and international relations working at the cutting edge of the discipline on issues such as: Brexit, transgender politics, animal rights, environmentalism, populism and Middle East Politics. This research directly shapes and inspires what you're taught on all levels of our programmes.
- First department to pioneer the 'Parliamentary Studies' undergraduate module that's accredited and co-taught by the House of Commons.
- Our politics and international relations courses have been ranked 7th in the UK for 2020 - The Complete University Guide
What our graduates do
A politics degree from Sheffield can set you apart from everyone else. You'll have many opportunities across all levels of your course to add valuable work experience and transferable skills to your CV.
Our degree programmes are designed so you can tailor your course to your own interests and career aspirations. They also provide a foundation to go on to work in a wide range of professional, political and administrative organisations across the world, in local, national, and international government, the charitable sector, education, the media, public relations, research and the private sector.
Student profile
"The most exciting thing I've learnt about so far was where we did a module which compared the political systems of the UK, USA, France, Germany, Russia and Brazil."
Jonathan Guy
Department of Politics and International Relations
We have a range of options for studying abroad within Europe or further afield - including the USA, Canada, Australia and Hong Kong. In addition, on most of our degrees you can upgrade to a four year Degree with International Experience, during which you spend your third year abroad studying or working - or a combination of the two.
We also offer the Degree with Employment Experience option. This allows you to spend a year taking a work placement in government, a private company, an international organisation or a charity.
In your final year you can also choose to write a work-based learning dissertation, a piece of research that solves a real-world problem for an organisation.
Apply for this course
Make sure you've done everything you need to do before you apply:
How to apply >When you're ready to apply, see the UCAS website:
ucas.com >Contact us
Undergraduate Admissions
Department of Politics and International Relations
Telephone
+44 (0)114 222 1641
Email
politics-admissions@sheffield.ac.uk
Visit us
University open days
There are four open days every year, usually in June, July, September and October. You can talk to staff and students, tour the campus and see inside the accommodation.
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Applicant days
If you've received an offer to study with us, we'll invite you to one of our applicant days, which take place between November and April. These applicant days have a strong department focus and give you the chance to really explore student life here, even if you've visited us before.
Campus tours
Campus tours run regularly throughout the year, at 1pm every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
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