BA (Hons) International Relations with International Development
University of Portsmouth
About this program
BA (Hons) International Relations with International Development
Do you want to change the world? If you want to understand the biggest global challenges, and play your part in solving them, pursue your ambition on this (BA Hons) International Relations with International Development degree course.
You'll examine international issues such as the causes of conflicts, the challenges of managing migration and the global response to climate change. You'll study current problems, as well as the responses of governments and global actors. And you'll explore the role and purpose of international development.
When you graduate, you'll be prepared for a career in sectors such as government, international charities and NGOs, security and intelligence, as well as international institutions such as the UN. This degree will also prepare you for postgraduate study at Masters or PhD level.
Program content
Year 1
Core modules in this year include:
- Analysing Politics: Britain and Beyond
- Global Development
- Key Themes in International Relations
- Performing Like a Pro: Skills for Academic and Professional Success
- Political Thought
- Politics and IR: Academic Enrichment Program
Year 2
Core modules in this year include:
- Analysing Foreign and Security Policy
- International Thought
Optional modules in this year currently include:
- Bending the Truth a Little? Researching Politics and International Relations
- China and East Asian Economies
- Danger! Censorship, Power and The People
- Democratisation In Latin America
- East Asian States and Societies
- Economics and Politics of Development
- From Revolution to Dictatorship - Russia & the Soviet Union 1917-1941
- Gender in the Developing World
- Global Environmental Issues and Concerns
- Imagined Communities: Ethnicity and National Identity
- International Community Development
- International Politics of the Middle East
- Introduction to Teaching
- Learning From Experience
- Modern Foreign Language
- Politics and IR: Academic Enrichment Program
- Politics and Policy in Action
- Russian & Eurasian Politics
- Slavery and Antislavery in the Atlantic World
- Study Abroad
- Underworlds: Crime, Deviance & Punishment in Britain, 1500-1900
- US Foreign Policy: From the Great War to 9/11
- US Politics
Year 3
Core modules in this year include:
- Global Capitalism: Past, Present and Future
- Security Challenges in the 21st Century
- Special subject: Group project 2
- Special subject: Individual research 1
Optional modules in this year currently include:
- Africa Revisited: Nation Building and 'State Fragility' in Post-Colonial Africa
- Autocracy and Democracy
- Comparative Public Policy and Public Administration
- Digital Media and Democracy
- Dissertation / Major Project (International Relations)
- Ethnicity Class & Culture in the Developing World
- France in the World: Global Actor or Global Maverick?
- Independent Project (International Relations)
- Learning From Experience
- Looking for Utopia, Finding Dystopia? Ideas and Ideologies in the New Millennium
- Negotiation and Lobbying in the EU: a Simulation Game
- NGOs and Social Movements
- Politics and IR: Academic Enrichment Program
- Professional Development: Recruiters and Candidates
- Rethinking Aid and Development
- Special Subject: Group Project 1
- Special Subject: Individual Research 2
- Strategic Management and Leadership
- Strategic Studies
- The Anthropology of Development
- Transitional Justice & Human Rights
Scholarships & funding
Several scholarship options are available. Please check the university website for more information.
Program delivery
Duration
- 3 years full-time
- 4 years sandwich with work placement
Tuition
- For UK/EU/Channel Islands and Isle of Man students: £9,250
- For International students: £15,500
Qualification
On this International Relations with International Development course you'll:
- Examine major global challenges including world poverty and hunger, environmental sustainability, universal education and health care, gender equality and women’s empowerment, democracy, human rights, and conflict and security
- Gain the skills to analyse the latest topics and issues in international relations by taking part in 'pop-up seminars' with staff and your peers
- Learn from staff who are members of the Centre for European and International Studies Research (CEISR), the UK's largest research centre of its kind
- Develop career-enhancing skills alongside your academic study with skills training, opportunities to do work experience and the chance to learn another language
- Do a detailed academic analysis of major recent international events, such as the Ukraine Crisis, the 'Occupy' movement, the rise of ISIS and the effects of the Arab Spring
- Tailor your degree by choosing optional units that match your interests and career ambitions
- Have the chance to study abroad at one of our partner institutions – for example, Science Po in Strasbourg or Paris (France), Maastricht University (Netherlands), Université libre de Bruxelles (Belgium), University of Nebraska Omaha (US) and University of Szeged (Hungary)
- Learn from professionals working in the sector – recent events include a guest lecture from the Senior Strategic Advisor to Oxfam, a study day examining the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo and a visit from an NGO based in Peru
- Develop skills in analysis, criticism and argument, communication and problem-solving
Career paths
When you finish the course, our Careers and Employability service can support you in identifying postgraduate study opportunities or help you find a job that puts your skills to work in the industry.
What can you do with an International Relations degree?
Graduates from this degree have gone on to careers in areas such as:
- government
- the security services
- international organisations like the UN
- international charities such as Amnesty International and the Red Cross
- policy research
- media and international business consultancy
- political risk analysis
- public relations
- fundraising and campaigning
- designing community development projects
- public affairs
- project management
What jobs can you do with an International Relations degree?
Job roles former students have gone on to include:
- parliamentary researcher
- project manager
- public affairs consultant
- social researcher
- political analyst
- conference organiser
- local government administrator
Message the school
About this institute

University of Portsmouth
Join us at the UK's only island-city! At Portsmouth, we have five faculties: Business and Law, Science, Creative and Cultural Industries, Humanities, and Technology. Our highest ranking courses are in the field of Biology, but we also have a long...
Why study at University of Portsmouth
Portsmouth is consistently within the top-ranked institutions in the UK for student satisfaction, which is reflected in the teaching quality, but also the experience that students enjoy with us.
Students can live a few minutes' walk away from their faculty buildings on campus, with only a 5-10 min walk to the seaside.
The cost of living and accommodation in Portsmouth are significantly lower than in the larger cities in the UK, meaning you'll be able to live more comfortably here. The city is so compact that you don't need to take any public transport and most students/lecturers get around by bike.
The city has a population of around 200,000 and over 10% of this is made up of our student population. We have 5,000 students from overseas on campus.
Contact info
University of Portsmouth
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