Understanding the power play of international relations is the key to unlocking the secrets of success on the global stage. In addition, studying history will help you to understand how the past affects every aspect of our lives - from the language we speak, to the politics of race, gender, religion and identity.

This Joint Honours degree will provide you with the skills to explore the social and political landscape of human consciousness throughout time and place. You will discover how people lived, and how they perceived and interacted with the world around them. Investigating past events, you will encounter war, injustice, new frontiers, political upheaval, ancient civilisations, invasions, conspiracies, catastrophes and revolutions. You will gain a firm grasp of the core theories of International Relations and their underlying methods. You will get a broad grounding in contemporary government and world politics, including the changing nature of the modern state system.

A wide variety of optional units means that you can pursue your own interests – with units becoming increasingly flexible as you progress through the course. With practical skills training, including advanced analytical approaches, and all the experience that brings – this degree opens up doors to a range of interesting and rewarding career possibilities and provides the skills to progress to higher research programmes.

Placement options

You may have the chance to spend a year getting a taste of professional life. It is an opportunity to develop core skills and explore how this course can relate to the graduate world. It shows employers that you’re ready to get to work.

Students are free to choose Placement opportunities from a wide range of roles both in the UK and abroad. Students choosing this option are supported by a dedicated placement team who provide links to employers through presentations, events, and fairs, and provide a specialist programme of guidance on recruitment procedures including CV and interview preparation, as well as work readiness and working overseas.

Studying a Joint Honours degree gives you the opportunity to improve your employability by developing skills and knowledge in two subjects.

Opportunities for graduates may exist in the public and private sectors in areas such as management and administration, teaching, journalism and the media, and in central and local government. Other opportunities may exist in international institutions, voluntary organisations, political parties or the media. 

There is also the opportunity to engage in further study and professional training, for example some of our graduates go on to study MA History/MA Public History and Heritage at postgraduate level, giving you the opportunity to focus further on the area of history that you feel most passionate about, or MA International Relations and Global Communications, where we have a growing, innovative research cluster focusing on digital society and culture.