International Relations
Swansea University
UCAS Code: L254 | Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)
Swansea University
UCAS Code: L254 | Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)
Entry requirements
A level
Access to HE Diploma
Access to Humanities Course
We recognise the EPQ as an excellent indicator of success. If you are predicted a grade B or above in the EPQ, you will receive an offer with a one grade reduction, to include your EPQ with a grade B.
GCSE/National 4/National 5
GCSEs: English/Welsh Language Grade C
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
International students will also require a score of 4 at Higher Level English Language or Literature, or 5 at Standard Level English Language or Literature.
Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)
UCAS Tariff
Swansea University accepts the Advanced Skills Baccalaureate Wales as fully equivalent to x1 A-Level.
Swansea University will accept the Welsh Baccalaureate - Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate as fully equivalent to one A-Level.
About this course
As technology, transport, and a complex international economy make our world smaller, the value of peaceful and cooperative relationships between nations is increasingly important.
International relations are a vital aspect of citizenship in a global society and our three-year BA International Relations degree is one of the most important degree programmes we offer.
This interesting area of study explores globalization and global institutions, development and human rights, International and regional politics, peace and conflict, political economy, security studies and strategic studies and you will learn how power, institutions and laws affect our day-to-day lives.
International Relations at Swansea is ranked:
• 4th in the UK for Teaching Satisfaction (Guardian University Guide 2025)
• Top 15 in the UK Overall (Guardian University Guide 2025)
• International relations at Swansea University is ranked in the Top 250 in the World (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025)
Based on our stunning Singleton Park campus, in parkland overlooking Swansea Bay on the edge of the Gower Peninsula, you will have the opportunity to:
• Study in one of the select departments in the UK to offer the British Parliamentary Studies modules where you will be taught by our specialist academic staff and members of parliament. You will also visit the House of Commons in London.
• Look behind the headlines to the key players in world politics, exploring important ideas and how can we solve conflict or achieve cooperation.
• Understand the patterns of behaviour between nations, their leaders and corporations, focusing on the interactions and inter-relationships between philosophical, political and economic thought.
International Relations is a flexible degree offering a wide-range of specialist modules that allow you to tailor your future career goals while developing your individual interests:
• You will be taught by innovative experts who have strong national and international links.
• You will have the competitive option in semester one (available for 20 students) of undertaking an internship module with the National Assembly for Wales, working closely with an AM for one day a week.
• You will be able to spend a semester abroad in Hong Kong, Singapore or the USA during the second year of your study to enhance your student experience and career prospects.
• In your final year you have the invaluable opportunity to opt for a place on the Welsh Assembly Placement Scheme
Our graduates are employed all around the world and enter careers including: Education, Government and politics, Humanitarian organisations, Business, Media and public relations plus Law and public services
Our students have also gained employment working for organisations such as: Westminster Forum Projects, Labour Party, Price Waterhouse Coopers
Modules
In Year 1, you will typically study areas including:
War and Peace in the Nuclear Age, Living Well and Doing Good - An Introduction to Ethics, Critical Reasoning, Political Philosophy
In Year 2, you will typically study areas including:
Anarchy and Order: Theories in International Relations, Globalisation, Global Justice and Human Rights, International Security, The Colour Line: Race and Racism in World Politics
In your final year you will complete an independent dissertation project or you have the competitive option of undertaking a work placement module with the Sennedd Cymru/ Welsh Parliament.
You will also complete a compulsory group work project plus optional modules chosen from a wide variety of subject areas including:
The Russian Civil War, Philosophy, Capitalism and Justice, Clear and Present Danger: America and Terrorism, Digital Futures, Global Environmental Politics, Africa in International Relations
Assessment methods
Throughout your undergraduate International Relations BA (Hons) degree, you will develop excellent research and analytical skills and learn to present your ideas effectively both verbally and in writing.
We offer a variety of assessment methods within our programmes. In addition to traditional examinations and essays, examples of alternative assessment include:
• Reading diary
• Literature/ article review
• Case study
• Critical review
For a full breakdown of course structure and assessment please visit our course page https://www.swansea.ac.uk/undergraduate/courses/social-sciences/politics-philosophy-international-relations/ba-international-relations/ or get in touch with us at study@swansea.ac.uk "
The Uni
Singleton Park Campus
Political and Cultural Studies
What students say
We've crunched the numbers to see if the overall teaching satisfaction score here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.
How do students rate their degree experience?
The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Politics
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
After graduation
The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Politics
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
The numbers of people taking politics degrees fell sharply last year and we'll keep an eye on this one - it can't really be because of graduates getting poor outcomes as politics grads do about as well as graduates on average. Most politics or international relations graduates don't actually go into politics - although many do, as activists, fundraisers and researchers. Jobs in local and central government are also important. Other popular jobs include marketing and PR, youth and community work, finance roles, HR and academic research (you usually need a postgraduate degree to get into research). Because so many graduates get jobs in the civil service, a lot of graduates find themselves in London after graduating. Politics is a very popular postgraduate subject, and so about one in five politics graduates go on to take another course - usually a one-year Masters - after they finish their degrees.
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
Politics
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£16k
£25k
£30k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).
This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.
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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.
You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.
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Post-six month graduation stats:
This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.
It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.
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Graduate field commentary:
The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show
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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?
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