Law and International Relations

Why study LLB Law and International Relations at Aberystwyth University?

• Taught by experienced staff including legal professionals and world-renowned international politics academics;
• Well balanced degree between theory and practice designed to meet employer needs and expectations;
• Learn at the oldest and most established Law Department in Wales;
• The Department of International Politics is regarded as world leading and internationally excellent, and is the best in Wales with our pioneering Research (Ref 2014);
• The department that was founded in 1919 after the end of World War I, and it’s the world’s first university department of International Politics;
• Taught by professionals who are active for large organisations e.g. GRETA, the Country Side Commission for Wales, the Youth Justice Board, the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights;
• Exciting International Politics opportunities to participate in: a renowned three-day role-playing exercise called "Crisis Games", a prestigious Parliamentary Placement Scheme, and contribution to the oldest student-run internal politics journal, "Interstate";
• Option to participate in our Mooting Society, in order to develop your key advocacy and litigation skills, and compete in national competitions.

Our Staff

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

Department of Law and Criminology lecturers are mostly either qualified to PHD level or have professional experience and qualifications as practicing lawyers. Many staff also have a PGCE (Higher Education).

Your degree will open up a range of exciting opportunities for you.

You will be a strong candidate for further training to become a barrister or a solicitor.

The degree will also give you the possibility to succeed, as many of our graduates have, in many different sectors including the civil service, government research, NGOs, legal work, criminology, business, human resources, international relations, journalism and education.

This degree will equip you with the following skills and abilities:

• possess the confidence in selecting and deploying the most appropriate range of legal methodologies;
• ability to write and communicate with a range of audiences, evaluating and organising information;
• ability to gather, assimilate and interpret a wealth of legal and political information quickly and accurately;
• ability to express ideas and communicate information in a clear and structured manner, in both written and oral form;
• effective problem-solving and creative thinking skills;
• ability to work independently;
• time-management and organisational skills, including the ability to meet deadlines;
• self-motivation and self-reliance;
• team-working, with the ability to discuss concepts in groups, accommodating different ideas, negotiating and reaching agreement;
• research skills.

What career opportunities are available to me as a student at Aberystwyth University?

International Politics

The Department operates a prestigious Parliamentary Placement scheme, enabling you to gain valuable experience working alongside an MP (House of Commons, Westminster) or an AM (Welsh Assembly, Cardiff) for a period of 4-6 weeks during the summer. During this time, you will write reports and speeches, undertake research projects, and respond to constituency issues. There may be further opportunities for you to get involved in elections and various international issues.

The Department is also home to Interstate, the oldest student-run international politics journal in the United Kingdom, providing a unique opportunity for you to publish your work (particularly advantageous if you wish to progress to postgraduate study) or gain valuable experience working as part of the editorial team. Stimulating student societies foster a strong sense of community within the department, offering a programme of political debates, visiting speakers, conferences and workshops, alongside numerous social activities such as an annual ball.

Other Opportunities

Discover more about the various opportunities that our Careers Service offers.

Enhance your employability prospects with GO Wales and Year in Employment Scheme (YES) managed by our Careers Service.

What will I learn?

The breakdown below will provide you with an illustration of what you may study during the three-year degree scheme.

First Year:

In your first year, you will be introduced to Legal and Criminal Justice Systems, central concepts and core skills in International Politics with the choice of other modules such as Criminal Law or Politics in the 21st Century.

Second Year:

In the second year, you will be able to tailor teaching and learning to your academic interests by picking modules from a range of topics including commercial law, international law, international relations and global inequality & world politics.

Third Year:

In the third year, there is a sole focus on Law-related modules that you can choose to study from. You can build on modules chosen in your second year or choose something completely new. These include criminal law through to the treatment & rehabilitation of offenders.

How will I be taught?

You will be taught through a combination of lectures, tutorials, and seminars which are innovating and high quality allowing you to realise your potential.

In your lectures, you will be introduced to key concepts and relevant up to date information. You will also have access to recorded versions of lectures.

Tutorials and seminars are an opportunity for you to discuss particular legal, international or political themes or topics, to evaluate and obtain feedback on your individual learning while at the same time improving your construction of arguments.

You will be assessed through essays, reports, exams, study logs, book reviews, individual/group projects and oral presentations, including mooting exercises.

You will be assigned a personal tutor throughout your time at Aberystwyth. Your personal tutor will be the key contact when you have issues or queries, whether academic or non-academic.