DEGREE GUIDE

Politics

What do Politics degrees involve?

Politics degrees teach you how governments operate, how policies are made, and how political ideas shape societies on a national and global scale. You will study key areas such as political theory, international relations, public policy, comparative politics, and political institutions. These courses help you develop strong analytical, research, and debate skills while exploring the impact of power, governance, and ideologies. As you progress, you may specialise in areas such as human rights, diplomacy, or political economy. You will also gain hands-on experience through policy analysis, political simulations, and opportunities for work placements, preparing you for careers in government, journalism, diplomacy, and public affairs.

Example
Modules

Political Theory: Study the ideas that shape politics, from liberty and justice to power and equality. Debate thinkers like Plato, Marx and Locke, and explore how ideology shapes how we live.

Comparative Government: Compare political systems around the world. Examine how history and constitutions shape presidential vs parliamentary structures and who holds power.

Common Degree Names

💼 A placement year is available at many universities, often in local government, NGOs, public policy or think tanks.
🌍 Study abroad is widely available.

BA (Hons) Politics
BA (Hons) Politics and International Relations
BA (Hons) Politics and History
BA (Hons) Politics and Economics
BA (Hons) Politics and Sociology

Level 3 (A-level / IB Diploma (HL) / Scottish Highers)

Politics degrees explore how power works, how decisions are made, and how societies are governed. There are no specific subject requirements – universities welcome students from many backgrounds. What matters is showing that you can think critically, engage with current affairs, and express ideas clearly.

Subjects that can strengthen your application:

Politics or Government and Politics – useful preparation, but not required
History – develops skills in analysing evidence and understanding how the present connects to the past
English Literature or Language – strengthens analytical and essay-writing skills
Economics – helpful for understanding policy and political economy
Philosophy – develops critical thinking and argumentation skills
Sociology, Psychology, or Geography – relevant for understanding political behaviour and global issues
Law – introduces legal and constitutional concepts

✨ Any combination of essay-based or analytical subjects works well for Politics. Universities value the quality of your thinking, writing, and engagement with current affairs more than specific subjects.

Universities may also accept:

BTEC Extended Diplomas (widely accepted). Some universities require A-levels alongside
BTEC National Extended Certificates or National Diplomas alongside relevant A-Level subjects
IB Career-related Programme (IBCP) with at least two IB Higher Level subjects (ideally three) alongside your Career-Related Study — see above for IB subjects that could strengthen your application

Always check specific course requirements.

Level 2 Qualifications (GCSE or equivalent)

Most courses ask for:

GCSE English Language (or equivalent) – important for this essay-based subject. Equivalents include Scottish National 5s, BTEC Level 2, or IB MYP certificates
GCSE Maths (or equivalent) – some courses include quantitative research methods

📋 Some universities require around five Level 2 qualifications. Strong English skills are particularly valued for politics degrees.

💬 Interviews

Interviews are not usually required, but some universities may invite you for a short conversation, either online or in person, to learn more about your interest in the subject.

🔍 Work Experience

You don't need work experience to apply for Politics. If you have a school placement to fill, contacting your local MP's constituency office, a local councillor, or a community organisation involved in campaigning or advocacy gives you a sense of how politics works in practice beyond what you read about. For this subject, your ability to think critically about how power and decisions work matters far more than any placement.

✨ Personal Statement Tips

What draws you to understanding how power works and how societies make collective decisions? Politics covers everything from political ideas and ideologies to how governments function, how elections work, and why people engage (or don't) with political processes. If you've found yourself curious about political issues, thought about why people hold different views, or followed debates about how things could be organised differently, reflect on what questions they raised. Reading about political ideas, following current affairs analytically, or exploring how politics works in different countries can show genuine engagement. Admissions tutors want to see that you can analyse different perspectives, not just state your own political opinions.

If your qualifications don't match the usual entry requirements, there are some other possibilities.

🌱 Foundation Year in Social Sciences or Humanities

Many universities offer a foundation year that can lead into Politics. This adds an extra year but provides a route in if you don't have the required subjects or grades.

🎓 Access to HE Diploma (Social Science or Humanities)

Widely accepted by universities offering Politics. Choose a pathway with essay-based and analytical units, and aim for Merits and Distinctions in your graded units.

Is this degree right for you?

Members can explore whether this degree fits who they are:

Skills you'd develop and whether they match your strengths
How this aligns with your interests, motivators and values
Career paths and where graduates end up

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Skills you would develop in X degree

Skill Name

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Is this a good fit for you?

Use the tabs to explore the kind of person that this would be a good fit for. Do you share the Interests, Motivations, Values, Work identity and skills that people who thrive in this course tend to have?

Not sure what these things are? Explore your Identity Tree with us first.

Interests that connect well with a Politics degree

Students who enjoy this degree often share these interests. You don't need to feel strongly about all of them, and interests develop over time. If one or two catch your curiosity, or sound like something you'd like to know more about, that's a good sign.

Society, Communities & How People Live Together: The degree examines how political systems shape people's lives: how power is distributed, how public policy affects communities, and why some political structures serve their populations better than others.

Fairness, Justice & Rights: Questions about justice, rights, and democracy are at the heart of the degree. You'll study political theory from Plato to Rawls, debate what makes political systems fair, and analyse how different governments protect or restrict the freedoms of their citizens.

Big Questions & Deep Thinking: Political theory is a core strand where you'll engage with fundamental questions about freedom, equality, the nature of the state, and the limits of authority. These are questions without easy answers, and the degree expects you to develop and defend your own positions.

Global Issues & International Affairs: International relations is a substantial part of the degree. You'll study how nations interact, what drives conflict and cooperation, and how institutions like the UN and NATO shape the international order, connecting global politics to the domestic systems you study elsewhere in the course.

Mathematics, Patterns & Data: Political analysis and research methods are core across the degree, and some UK programmes offer dedicated quantitative pathways analysing election data, public opinion, and political behaviour using specialist software.

Students who thrive in a Politics degree are often motivated by

Analysing and Investigating

You're energised by making sense of information, looking for evidence, spotting patterns, and piecing together how things connect. Whether it's pulling apart data, questioning assumptions, or tracing a problem back to its source, you find energy in the process of understanding what's really going on. You'd rather dig into the details than accept things at face value.

Curiosity and Learning

You're energised by the activity of learning itself: diving into a subject you've never explored, watching documentaries, taking apart how something works, or constantly asking "why?" The process of learning gives you energy, not just the outcome. You don't just want the answer; you want to understand how things connect, why they matter, and what's underneath the surface explanation.

Influencing and Persuading

You're energised by convincing others of your ideas, selling a vision, or motivating people to take action. Whether it's through a well-crafted argument, a compelling presentation, or a one-to-one conversation, you find energy in changing someone's mind or getting buy-in for something you believe in. The challenge of working out what will actually land with this person, in this moment, is part of what makes it satisfying.

What makes Politics click for the students who love it?

Power is what they keep circling back to: who has it, who doesn't, and how the world ends up arranged the way it is, from one government to the next. They read a headline and want the story behind it, not just what it says on the surface. And they come into their own in an argument, not only holding a view but arguing for it and setting out to change minds.

These are the skills that students who love this degree tend to enjoy using. You don't need to be great at them already, but if they sound like you, that's a good sign.

Skill Name

Skills that suit this degree

You don't need to be great at these already — but if you enjoy using them or want to get better at them, that's a good sign.

Do you find yourself thinking about why things are the way they are — like why some countries are run differently, or why certain policies exist?
Do you enjoy pulling apart political arguments — questioning what people really mean and whether their reasoning holds up?
Do you like debating and persuading people — not just having opinions, but backing them up and defending them when challenged?

Careers a Politics degree could lead you to

Politics

What do Politics degrees involve?

Example Modules

Common Degree Names

Is this degree right for you?

Skills you would develop in X degree

Skill Name

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Is this a good fit for you?

Careers a Politics degree could lead you to

Example
Modules