Overview

This programme at the University of Leeds equips students with the conceptual and methodological tools needed to critically analyse political events and phenomena. It provides a solid grounding across the core areas of political studies, including political theory, comparative politics, international politics, and British politics, while opening up space to pursue individual research interests.

What You'll Learn

• Foundational academic and research skills applied to the study of global political challenges

• Comparative approaches to political systems, alongside real-world case studies

• Political theory, British politics, and international politics

• Research design and methods used across politics, international development, and international relations

• Specialist topics such as the media and democratic politics, gender, race and culture, and the far right

• Advanced study of areas including human rights, political extremism, foreign policy, and the politics of nuclear weapons

• The relationship between national identity, culture, and political systems in specific regional and national contexts, such as Africa, the US, and China

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, students will be able to critically analyse political events using established theoretical and comparative frameworks. They will be able to design and carry out independent political research, applying appropriate methods to questions in politics, international development, or international relations. Students will also be equipped to engage confidently with specialist and contemporary political debates, and to complete an extended piece of individual research on a topic of their own choosing.