International Relations

Why study International Relations at Aberystwyth University?

• The aim of the International Relations degree is to study in depth the workings and patterns of the government, and most importantly, the results of those workings and patterns of these. It involves politicians and governments but also with groups and other movements such as international companies, trade unions, civil society groups and others that influences political life.
• This degree discusses the ideas that are the foundation of our daily lives, such as justice, freedom, power, community, equality and citizenship by studying a wide range of countries and situations.
• The Department of International Politics was founded in 1919 at the end of the First World War, and this is the first university department of its kind, and it continues to be one of the biggest political and international relations department in Europe, and has over 40 academic staff.
• The exciting and cosmopolitan learning environment welcomes students from all over the world and is a lively home to contemporary political discussions. The department has a long history of looking at the world and asking fundamental questions about a range of subject matters such as war, intelligence and security, global poverty, ethics and climate change; how the world has come to be how it is, and how that constantly changes. The combination of outstanding teaching and some of the most exciting research work in the field creates a unique and exceptional experience.
• The Department is famous for its pioneering research work and is acknowledged as the best in the United Kingdom for studying international politics. In the recent Research Excellence Framework (2014), the Department was named the best International Politics Department in Wales and the seventh best in the United Kingdom for research quality, with 69% of publications presented of a standard that is in the best Class in the world and Outstanding at an international level.
• The Department runs a Parliamentary Placement Scheme in the House of Commons and in the Welsh Senedd. These placements provide valuable work experience that can be included on students’ CVs and, in addition, offer real experience of politics while it happens. Students will be placed with Parliament Members in the House of Commons, Westminster 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 also has connections with a selection of universities in Europe, Australia and Canada, and this is a great chance for you to expand your academic and social horizons by spending some of your university experience abroad.
• Amongst the lively student societies that nurture a strong feeling of community within the Department is the Aberystwyth Welsh Political Society (AWPS). Meetings of the society are held twice or maybe three times a month, with the aim of listening to scholars and practitioners sharing their ideas and research through the medium of Welsh, holding lively discussions on a range of relevant subjects, and giving the opportunity to Welsh speaking students and staff of the Department and University as well as enthusiastic local individuals to share ideas and socialise.
• During these last two years, lectures have been given by Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas, Carwyn Jones, Lord Elystan Morgan, the True Honourable Dafydd Wigley, Glyn Davies AM and Lord John Morris, discussions about Argentina by Dr Lucy Taylor, on elections by Professor Roger Scully and about the experiences of political journalists in Wales by Betsan Powys. 

Our Staff

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

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 of 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 Parliament.

Others are working in:

• the armed forces
• the Media (as journalists or radio or television presenters)
• law
• education.

Another popular choice is to stay in higher education, and a good number of graduates choose to stay on to study for a Masters or PhD degree in the Department's renowned school for graduates.

Transferable Skills

Studying for a degree in Politics will equip you with a variety of transferable skills which are valued by employers. These include:

• research and data analysis
• thinking creatively and effective problem-solving
• the ability to work independently
• time management, including the ability to meet deadlines
• expressing ideas and communicating information in a clear and manageable way, in speech and writing
• self-motivation and self-dependence
• team work and the ability to discuss concepts in groups, by discussing a range of ideas and coming to an agreement
• information technology skills.

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 years 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 very competitive jobs market.

The University Careers Service offers you advice on considering your options and looking for an appropriate work placement.

GO Wales

Go Wales is managed by the University Careers Service, which works with local businesses to create paid work placements for students over a period of a few weeks. It will give you the chance to win valuable work experience that will enhance your CV and will make you more attractive to prospective employers.

I was first attracted to this Department when I came to visit on an Open Day. The liveliness of the staff, the wide variety of modules on offer as well as the possibility of studying through the medium of Welsh made a great impression on me. Since my first year, when my compulsory modules varied greatly, from devolution to liberalism to war, security and politics in the third world, I have succeeded to make the most of a number of opportunities that were offered by the department outside of the lecture room. The teaching was always inspirational, with small seminar groups promoting discussion and a number of modules offered variety with the assessed work, which included keeping a diary of our learning, book reviews and surveys. Regarding the resources, there is no need to look further than the outstanding University Library - the Hugh Owen Library, or the National Library of Wales, which is on our doorstep. I was fortunate enough to be able to be part of a number of schemes in the department, which included a semester abroad studying in the McGill University in Montreal, Canada. It was a fantastic experience - a chance to travel and experience a new culture and make new friends, and to learn different perspectives on learning the subject too. I was also lucky enough to be accepted onto the Parliamentary Placement Scheme, and I worked for five weeks shadowing my local Member of Parliament in Westminster - an excellent opportunity to be part of real-life politics. I also had a ten-week work placement with a local Public Relations firm - an experience that was second to none that will helpful to me when looking for a job in the future, I hope.

Iolo Cheung