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Register nowPolitical Science and International Relations
UCL is recognised as having one of the leading departments of Political Science, not just in the UK, but globally. It offers a uniquely stimulating environment for the study of all fields of politics, including international relations, political theory, public policy-making and administration.
Key Information
- Availability
- Year, Fall Term, Spring Term
- English language level
- Level 2 - see English language requirements for more details.
- Tuition fees
- see Tuition fees for more information
- GPA requirement
- 3.5
- Faculty
- Social & Historical Sciences
- Department website
- Political Science and International Relations
Why study Political Science and International Relations at UCL?
The Department of Political Science acts as a bridge between UCL's world-class research and the policy-making community in Britain and internationally. Through the department, students have access to a wide range of weekly events, featuring distinguished external speakers as well as regular high-profile events with politicians and policymakers.
What you will gain from study at UCL
Through class presentations, seminar discussions and essay writing, students will learn to present and defend arguments, conduct independent research, marshal evidence and come to their own conclusions.
Teaching and assessment
Most modules are taught through a combination of formal lectures and smaller seminars, for which students will be required to prepare readings and other work. Modules are usually assessed by essay assignments, or by end-of-year written examination, or both. Affiliates admitted to Political Science and International Relations select at least 50% of their course-load from the core modules listed here. The remaining modules may be taken outside the department according to individual student interests and departmental availability.
Modules in Political Science and International Relations
Please note that this guide lists a range of popular modules offered as a representative sample. It is not exhaustive and, since the guide is published ahead of time, module options may have changed, been deleted or replaced. If you have very specific study needs or require confirmation of module availability for 2023/24, you are strongly advised to get in touch with the relevant Affiliate contact, listed on this subject page, before making an application.
Information on the affiliate programme in general can be found here and the Political Science and International Relations affiliate programme specifically here.
Level 1 (FHEQ 4) modules
| Module code | Title | Availability | US Credits | ECTS Credits | UCL Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| POLS0002 | Democracy and Authoritarianism | Fall Term, Spring Term | 4 | 7.5 | 15 |
Level 2 (FHEQ 5) modules
| Module code | Title | Availability | US Credits | ECTS Credits | UCL Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| POLS0001 | International Conflict and Cooperation | Fall Term, Spring Term | 4 | 7.5 | 15 |
| POLS0016 | British Politics | Fall Term, Spring Term | 4 | 7.5 | 15 |
| POLS0032 | Authority, Democracy and Resistance | Spring Term | 4 | 7.5 | 15 |
| POLS0033 | Philosophy, Values, and the Social Sciences | Spring Term | 4 | 7.5 | 15 |
| POLS0039 | Global Economic and Social Rights | Fall Term | 4 | 7.5 | 15 |
| POLS0043 | International Political Economy | Spring Term | 4 | 7.5 | 15 |
| POLS0065 | Wars and Violence | Fall Term | 4 | 7.5 | 15 |
| POLS0066 | Political Behaviour: Voters, Public Opinion, and Political Participation | Fall Term | 4 | 7.5 | 15 |
| POLS0079 | Middle East Politics | Spring Term | 4 | 7.5 | 15 |
| POLS0088 | Postcolonial and Critical Approaches to World Politics | Fall Term | 4 | 7.5 | 15 |
| POLS0089 | Regulating Big Business | Fall Term | 4 | 7.5 | 15 |
| POLS0090 | Theories of Justics and Injustice | Fall Term | 4 | 7.5 | 15 |
| PUBL0056 | Governing Big Business | Fall Term | 4 | 7.5 | 15 |
Level 3 (FHEQ 6) modules
| Module code | Title | Availability | US Credits | ECTS Credits | UCL Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| POLS0019 | International Security | Fall Term | 4 | 7.5 | 15 |
| POLS0020 | Politics of the European Union | Fall Term | 4 | 7.5 | 15 |
| POLS0021 | International Development and Public Policy | Spring Term | 4 | 7.5 | 15 |
| POLS0022 | Gender and Politics | Spring Term | 4 | 7.5 | 15 |
| POLS0023 | Global Environmental Politics | Spring Term | 4 | 7.5 | 15 |
| POLS0027 | Human Rights and World Politics | Spring Term | 4 | 7.5 | 15 |
| POLS0028 | Welfare Politics | Spring Term | 4 | 7.5 | 15 |
| POLS0030 | The Ethics of Crime and Punishment | Fall Term | 4 | 7.5 | 15 |
| POLS0034 | British Parliamentary Studies | Spring Term | 4 | 7.5 | 15 |
| POLS0035 | Strategies of Terrorism | Spring Term | 4 | 7.5 | 15 |
| POLS0041 | Politics of Economic Policy in Post-Industrial Democracies | Spring Term | 4 | 7.5 | 15 |
| POLS0072 | Spread of Conflict in International Relations | Spring Term | 4 | 7.5 | 15 |
| POLS0075 | Democracy, Citizenship and Constitutions | Fall Term | 4 | 7.5 | 15 |
| POLS0080 | Migration, Politics and Policy | Spring Term | 4 | 7.5 | 15 |
| POLS0091 | Humanitarian Protection | Fall Term | 4 | 7.5 | 15 |
| POLS0092 | America in the World | Spring Term | 4 | 7.5 | 15 |
| POLS0093 | LGBTIQ Politics | Spring Term | 4 | 7.5 | 15 |
| POLS0094 | Political Economy of East Asia | Fall Term | 4 | 7.5 | 15 |
| POLS0096 | Improving Public Policy Implementation | Spring Term | 4 | 7.5 | 15 |
| POLS0097 | History of Political Thought | Fall Term | 4 | 7.5 | 15 |
| POLS0098 | Latin American Politics | Fall Term | 4 | 7.5 | 15 |
| POLS0099 | Politics of Nature | Fall Term | 4 | 7.5 | 15 |
| POLS0100 | Global Justice | Spring Term | 4 | 7.5 | 15 |
| POLS0101 | Environmental and Climate Justice | Fall Term | 4 | 7.5 | 15 |
Contact details
- Name
- Amy Dunn
- polsci.ug@ucl.ac.uk
- Telephone
- +44 (0)20 7679 4999