Our department is thriving and dynamic, yet friendly. We are noted for our excellence in teaching, our helpful and accessible staff and our wide range of optional modules in the final year.

Full entry requirements

Politics at Leicester

The Department of Politics and International Relations was rated first for student satisfaction in the 2010 National Student Survey. Students of politics ask important and fascinating questions about the contemporary world: Who wields power? How did they come by this power? Should we obey them? Graduates from Leicester have the capacity to think independently and critically, and go on to a wide range of exciting careers.

Why Study Politics and International Relations at Leicester?

National Student Survey Ranking: 1st with 96% of students satisfied with their course.
Places: 90
Applications: 973

We provide a wide range of courses across politics and international relations, allowing you to choose a course to suit your specific interests. Many of our courses are taught in conjunction with other departments within the University, meaning you benefit from a breadth of skills and knowledge.

Study in Depth

Our programmes are designed to give you a broad understanding of the major developments in the politics field, with the opportunity to specialise in the final year. Among the most popular of our optional modules in the Third Year are South African Politics, The Politics of Northern Ireland, American Foreign Policy since the Cold War and Parliamentary Politics. In addition, all students undertake a dissertation in the Final Year. Recent topics have included Devolution and National Identities in the UK; The Rise of China and The Meaning of Feminism.

Friendly Staff

The Department is highly responsive to your needs. We try to provide an environment in which students who encounter academic or personal difficulties can raise them and be assured of a sympathetic hearing. Our reputation as an approachable and friendly group of staff is important to us. We regularly seek your views and feedback via the Student-Staff Committee and incorporate suggested changes into the Department’s practice.

Travel Scholarship

The Department offers a travel scholarship each year, funded by the Elsie and Barnett Janner Charitable Trust, to enable a student to spend time in the summer vacation studying the politics of a foreign country. Recent winners have been to the United States, Iceland and Cambodia.

Teaching, Learning and Assessment

In the first two years, teaching is by a combination of lectures and small group seminars. You will have individual support from your tutors, and will be assessed through both written examination and assessed essay. In the final year, teaching is organised around seminars, often led by student presentations, and the scheme of assessment remains a combination of essay and exam.

Skills Gained

The Department helps to develop a range of transferable skills to help prepare you for your future career. You are encouraged to work on your communication skills, both orally and in writing, your ability to argue rationally and evaluate competing perspectives, as well as your presentational and IT skills.

Graduate/Career Opportunities

In recent years, Politics graduates have proceeded into a number of careers, including administration (public and private), the legal profession, teaching, personnel and financial services. Around a quarter of graduates undertake further training, often at Masters level.

Full entry requirements

Opportunities to Visit and Further Information

Choosing where and what to study at university is an important decision for you. You are very welcome to contacts us and find out more about our programmes.

Please contact:
Admissions Tutor - Dr Alex Waddan
0116 252 2702
Fax: 0116 252 5082
poladmiss@le.ac.uk
www.le.ac.uk/politics

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