BA

International Relations and Media

BA International Relations and Media Code 3P2L Attend an Open Day Attend an Open Day

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Key Facts

3P2L

  • UCAS Tariff

    120 - 96

  • Course duration

    3 years

Available for September start 2025

Further details on entry requirements

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Please note that this is a Welsh-medium course and that what follows is a translation of the Welsh course profile.

International Relations and Media at Aberystwyth University is a totally dynamic subject. It represents liveliness, energy and global developments that are rapidly changing. By choosing to study this degree at Aberystwyth University, you will join two outstanding departments that have a good name internationally - our Department of International Politics and our Department of Theatre, Film and Television Studies.

The Department of International Politics is home to the Institute of Welsh Politics. The combination of outstanding teaching and exciting research creates a unique and exceptional experience within a friendly environment. You will have opportunities to develop transferable skills which will increase your career opportunities, and we offer a Parliamentary Placement Scheme with the House of Commons and the Welsh Senedd. We also have exchange programmes for our students with European countries, Canada and Australia. We give our students the opportunity to take part in Crisis Games during exciting field trips. If you join our department, you will be located within a lively and cosmopolitan environment in the heart of the University campus.

The Media subjects will be taught in the Department of Theatre, Film and Television Studies. You will discuss the people who manage and own our media, how content is produced and what effect the media has on us, the audience. 

Course Overview

Why choose BA International Relations and Media at Aberystwyth University?

  • The International Politics and Media degree brings together two very exciting fields and you will be taught in two dynamic departments by staff who are active researchers at an international level.
  • In the International Politics modules, you will discuss the ideas that underpin our day to day lives, such as justice, freedom, power, community, equality and citizenship, and you will do so by studying a broad selection of countries and situations. You will also look in detail at the work and patterns of governments and, more importantly, at the results of that work and those patterns. You will learn about politicians and governments, but also about the other groups and movements that impact political life.
  • In the themes that relate to Media there will be a balance between critical and creative experience. You will study the principles and skills of every step of the production process, from the scripting to the editing, the contemporary methods of creating films and videos, alongside live multimedia work, work conditions and the contemporary challenges for the creative industries in Wales and beyond, as well as key developments in the history, theory and analysis of film and television.
  • The International Politics Department was established in 1919 at the end of the First World War, and this is the first university department of its kind. It continues to be one of the biggest departments of Politics and International Relations in Europe and has over 40 academic staff.
  • The Department runs a Placement Scheme with the House of Commons and Welsh Senedd. These placements provide extremely valuable work experience that will enhance students’ CVs and offer authentic experience of politics in real time. Students are placed with Members of Parliament in the House of Commons, Whitehall or with a member of the Welsh Senedd (Welsh Senedd, Cardiff) for a period of 4-6 weeks in the summer, which is a fantastic experience for any Politics student.
  • The Department of Theatre, Film and Television Studies is located in a modern building which has outstanding facilities and resources for practical work: three practice studios, each one with flexible technical resources; two large studios with  professional-standard equipment and digitial lighting rigs that are operated through ETC Congo and Strand Lighting operating panels, Soundcraft and PA Yahama equipment, Sanyo audio systems and Strand Lighting, two NXAMP, as well as  costume and wardrobe facilities.
  • The Department has strong connections with key partners in the industrtm such as the BBC, S4C, BAFTA Cymru, the Tribeca Film Festival (New York), Fiction Factory, Tinopolis, the International Edinburgh Film Festival, the National Library of Wales Screen and Sound Archive and Avid. These partners give you a wonderful opportunity to network and connect with the industry before graduating.
Our Staff

Lecturers in the Department of International Politics are all research active and qualified to PhD level, and most also have a PGCHE.

All academic staff at the Department of Theatre, Film and Television Studies are research active and/or involved in Knowledge Transfer projects and have either relevant academic qualifications at doctoral level or equivalent professional experience and expertise.

Modules September start - 2025

Please note: The modules listed below are those currently intended for delivery during the next academic year and may be subject to change. They are included here to give an indication of how the course is structured.

Core

Module Name Module Code Credit Value
Behind the Headlines * IP12620 20
Exploring the International 1: Central Concepts and Core Skills * IP12420 20

Options

Module Name Module Code Credit Value
Globalization and Global Development IP12520 20
Politics in the 21st Century IP12920 20
The Making of the Modern World: War Peace and Revolution since 1789 IP12820 20
War, Strategy and Intelligence IP10320 20

* Also available partially or entirely through the medium of Welsh

Careers

Career Prospects

Graduates of the department have been very successful in their careers. Some graduates have followed a career in:

  • the Civil Service (especially the Foreign Office, the Ministry of Defence and the Department for International Development)
  • international institutes (NATO, the European Union and the United Nations)
  • non-governmental bodies (International Amnesty, Oxfam)
  • political research with private companies as well as in Westminster, the Welsh Senedd and the European Senate
  • editing
  • floor management
  • camera work
  • designing and directing for film and television companies
  • freelance work across the scripting media
  • arts administration.

Others have followed careers in:

  • the armed forces
  • the Media (as a journalist or a presenter for radio or television)
  • education
  • marketing and international relations
  • advertising
  • planning and programming festivals.

Another popular choice is to stay in higher education.

Transferable Skills

Studying for a degree in International Relations and Media will equip you with a variety of transferable skills which will be valuable to employers. These include:

  • research and data analysis
  • creative thinking and effective problem solving
  • the ability to work independently
  • time management, including the ability to meet deadlines
  • being able to express ideas and communicate information in a clear and logical way, orally and in writing
  • self-motivation and self-reliance
  • teamwork - the ability to discuss concepts in groups, discussing a range of ideas and coming to an agreement
  • information technology skills
  • working effectively in a group - developing, rehearsing and producing media materials and live events in collaboration with others
  • using creative, imaginative and problem-solving skills in a range of situations
  • managing your time and using your skills effectively
  • listening to constructive criticism and making use of it
  • using a range of skills and IT resources
  • demonstrating entrepreneurship while developing cultural projects.

Year in Employment

The University runs a Year in Employment Scheme which offers an excellent opportunity for undergraduate students to take a year out between the second and third year of the course to work in an institution in the UK or abroad. The scheme gives students a valuable and beneficial experience both personally and professionally, and it could help you to stand out in a highly competitive work market.

The University Careers Service can offer you advice on considering your options and finding a suitable work placement.

GO Wales

Go Wales is run by the University Careers Service, which works with local businesses to offer paid work placements over a period of a few weeks for students. It gives you the opportunity to gain valuable work experience that will look good on your CV, thus making you more attractive to prospective employers.  

Teaching & Learning

The purpose of the first year modules is to give you a broad foundation of information while you prepare to study more intensely in your second and third year.

Here are some of the subjects that you will explore in your first year:

  • an introduction to Politics
  • creating film
  • ensemble collaboration
  • working in the Creative Industries'

You will also choose from a range of other modules that reflect chronological and thematic variety of international relations topics, which means that you can choose the subjects that are of interest to you.

Here are some of the subjects that you will study in your second and third year:

  • political theories
  • research strategies
  • dissertation
  • film production skills
  • creative document
  • television genres.

You will also choose from a variety of other modules, for example:

  • Capitalism and International Politics
  • European security in the 21st Century
  • Global Inequality and World Politics
  • People and Power: Understanding Today’s Comparative Politics
  • Nationalism in Theory and Practice
  • UK Politics Today: A Union Under Strain?
  • Women and Global Developments
  • Climate Change Politics
  • Fear, Cooperation and Trust in World Politics
  • Welsh Film and Media
  • Scripting Skills
  • Hollywood Films
  • Scriptwriting.

How will you be taught?

  • On this course you will be taught through a combination of lectures and seminars. In the lectures a subject will be presented and there will be discussions on key matters, and in seminars you will join a smaller group of students and take part in discussions in a more informal atmosphere. You will also analyse a subject in more depth. Seminars are a great way to test your own ideas and discuss your own experiences and, in addition, you will share your fellow students’ experiences and ideas.
  • Some modules in Part 2 (second and third year) use the seminar format only, which is a foretaste of Master degree studies, while others use imitation, role-play and new e-learning technologies.
  • Education of the highest standard doesn’t start or finish in the lecture or seminar room, and both departments offer a wide range of extra-curricular activities that develop important life skills and offer relevant work experience and other transferable skills.
  • All these activities give the opportunity to discover new hobbies, test new ideas and discover secret talents. All of this is part of a journey which prepares you for challenges in the future.
  • The Crisis Games play an important role in the life of the Department of International Politics and are held twice a year on residential courses. This was the first University Department in the UK to link learning in the classroom with real international politics complexities. Over the years, the Crisis Games have focused on the philanthropic emergencies in the Congo and Darfur, nuclear tests in North Korea, Saudi Arabia and the politics of the Middle East, the Northern Ireland peace process and the war between Russia and Georgia. During the Crisis Games, our students learn a lot about International Politics complexities, things that cannot be taught in lectures and seminars, especially the restrictions that political leaders face during emergencies. To most of our students, the Crises Games are the pinnacle of the course.
  • On the Media parts of the course, there will be plenty of opportunities to become part of performances and projects and our Arts Centre, situated on the campus, is a great resource.
  • Most of the modules are assessed through a combination of exams and essays but projects, presentations and book reviews are also used to assess students from time to time.

Your Personal Tutor

Your personal tutor will be allocated to you for the full duration of your degree course and the tutor will be able to help you with any problems or enquiries, whether academic or personal. You are more than welcome to contact your personal tutor at any time if you need any support.

Typical Entry Requirements

UCAS Tariff 120 - 96

A Levels BBB-CCC

GCSE requirements (minimum grade C/4):
English or Welsh

BTEC National Diploma:
DDM-MMM

International Baccalaureate:
30-26

European Baccalaureate:
75%-65% overall

English Language Requirements:
See our Undergraduate English Language Requirements for this course. Pre-sessional English Programmes are also available for students who do not meet our English Language Requirements.

Country Specific Entry Requirements:
International students whose qualification is not listed on this page, can check our Country Specific Entry Requirements for further information.

The University welcomes undergraduate applications from students studying the Access to Higher Education Diploma or T-level qualifications, provided that relevant subject content and learning outcomes are met. We are not able to accept Access to Higher Education Diplomas or T-levels as a general qualification for every undergraduate degree course.
Our inclusive admissions policy values breadth as well as depth of study. Applicants are selected on their own individual merits and offers can vary. If you would like to check the eligibility of your qualifications before submitting an application, please contact the Undergraduate Admissions Office for advice and guidance.

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