Where to study politics and international relations?

[ShaunaTheSheep]

DC is finalising UCAS this week and has heart set on studying politics and IR at LSE.

He is considering Exeter, Sheffield, Bristol and Loughborough but struggling through lack of open days to get a feel for the cities. Where else should he consider with predicted grades of A* A A ?

Essex and Hull. Both have fantastic politics departments. Hull offers a sandwich course, which sends students off to Westminster for a year. It's a brilliant way in for people who don't have a family connection. Essex has psephologists and quantitative experts - those quantitative skills are extremely saleable after university, whatever he decides to do.

Bath. Placement year is fantastic for employability. Nice city. Good campus, especially sport.

If he is particularly interested in other polities than ours and likes London, what about SOAS too? Good reputation, usually has fascinating students.

@leafinthewind wasn't there some concern about SOAS financial stability? I had heard about Hull but not Essex so will suggest he looks.

@lockd0wn101 will look at Bath. It was DS1's insurance for entirely different subject, really liked it (except for that hill!)

*Shauna" that's an interesting point. I think it's hard to know. Any university could be struggling under pandemic conditions, and that goes double for unis relying heavily on overseas students. I suppose whether he wants to take a (potential) risk depends on what he actually wants and what he's like. If he's interested in London and the LSE and politics and IR, perhaps he's an agitator - someone like that might not mind the uncertainty if they had a chance to mix it with the SOAS student body. But if he's not a natural risk-taker, it would probably be the wrong move.

I don't think he's an agitator
He's set on LSE, loves London (could easily commute after first year) but also open to other cities and the more usual student life if he doesn't get LSE.

I very much doubt that SOAS would disappear altogether. It is a national centre for expertise around a number of, well, African and Oriental cultures, and has parallel roles in language teaching etc. .

If SOAS is struggling financially, the very obvious step would be for it to follow SEES and be absorbed by UCL. Which would probably be a good thing.

My son is also considering politics and/or IR in conjunction with history but with predicted grades of AAC so a couple of choices aren't open to him. And we are reasonably close to London so he doesn't want to go there (and UCL and LSE want too high grades for him anyway).

Firm choices at the moment are York, Glasgow and Southampton

Exeter and Warwick were on the list but he needs to look for slightly lower grade requirements so now considering Strathclyde, Essex, Loughborough and Stirling. Essex is highly ranked for politics.

Essex is 23rd for Politics in Complete University guide. Sheffield are 8th and are more flexible re grades than many of the top 10. You certainly don’t need AAA to go there for Politics.

SOAS is a bit marmite. It’s beloved of fairly well off (or unbelievably rich) international students. Therefore the average uk student can have a different experience from a standard university. Nothing wrong with that but go with eyes open. It’s pretty average on many league tables now. Kings is a better bet in London.

Southampton usually do a good job of dragging all their social scientists through a couple of quantitative modules using Excel and SPSS. Another good practical choice.

Uni of Sussex (Brighton) has a v strong PIR reputation and is left of centre generally. My DS is doing that course there and rates the politics dept highly but the IR less so. It's a better uni that Essex or Hull iirc

My DD did PIR at RHUL. She enjoyed it.

It's a very good insurance choice.

Thank you for all the replies. A few more to consider. It looks like Sheffield would be a solid insurance - AAB or ABB with an EPQ.

Keele?

Thank you for the heads-up about Hull too, I think that has solved my son's dilemma about a solid choice that will accept slightly lower grades.

I ought to add that none of the students I know that have done this degree are actually working in politics. It’s very much worth being open to other avenues of employment. The SPAD or Think Tank role (or similar) is very difficult to break into. So it’s best to be prepared for disappointment and explore all employment whilst at university.

Same course here
Leeds
Sheffield
Newcastle
Southampton
Bristol

I’m surprised to not see St Andrews here. They’re one of the top ranked for this.

As are Oxford and Cambridge which usually outrank LSE for politics & IR. But I’m assuming your DS decided not to go down the Oxbridge route.

I second Hull too. Excellent placement opportunities and good quantitative modules using SPSS.

@Aubaine DS tells me that St Andrews offers IR but not Politics. I confess I’m not sure what the difference is. Anyway it’s apparently too far from home!

Ah Shauna that makes sense. Funny as St Andrews are listed as no.1 in the UK for politics according to The Guardian yet having just looked myself I see they don't offer politics. I would have thought IR and politics were two different subjects but hey.

Birmingham. Son doing IR there. Very good also for American Studies. Tariff was ABB for IR, might be AAB for Politics. Personally I would have gone for Leeds (which also does Int Development often taken with a language - usually 1 grade lower than usual AAB).

@lostguider You might be interested in this thread?

I think St Andrew’s is the place for this?