International Relations

Why International Relations

Guardian University Guide 2024 places Keele University’s international relations program in the top 10 nationally, while politics secured a similar position among broad-based institutions in England according to NSS 2025. Beyond academic strength, graduates gain a competitive edge through employment outcomes—the university ranks in the top 15 for graduate employment across the UK (Uni Compare, 2026), which matters when building a career after graduation.

Politics and International Relations

Politics and International Relations BA (Hons) weaves together domestic and global politics while examining threats to democracy, environmental shifts, and foreign policy calculations. Students engage in crisis simulations, model UN sessions, and activist strategy development that transforms theory into hands-on experience, then move beyond the classroom by drafting funding proposals, facilitating genocide prevention workshops, and producing analytical reports for real-world cases. Study abroad opportunities at partner universities or language learning add further dimension to the degree.

International Relations

International Relations BA (Hons) unfolds across three thematic arcs: understanding world politics in year one, creating change in year two, and exploring the future of global order in year three. Rather than focusing solely on Western perspectives, the course examines the politics of the global majority, bringing race, decolonization, gender, and conflict into conversation with traditional analysis. Students connect with practitioners through networking sessions while developing critical thinking through varied assignments and collaborative modules that prepare them for careers in a shifting world.

Modern History and International Relations

Modern History and International Relations BA (Hons) treats the past as a lens for addressing contemporary global challenges, tracing how historical events shaped current international organizations and legal systems across economic, political, and cultural contexts. While simulations and UN models mirror other programs, this degree adds a distinctive option—the Global Challenges Pathway with TESOL qualification—opening pathways into education and intercultural communication that complement traditional diplomatic or policy careers.

Politics at Keele University

Politics and International Relations PhD / MPhil programs operate through the RC4SPIRE research center, which brings together 37 doctoral candidates in an active community spanning multiple countries. The university provides dedicated offices, an annual conference, and weekly “reflections” groups where PhD students exchange ideas informally, while the interdisciplinary environment of the Social Science Research Institute allows those whose interests cross into philosophy or adjacent fields to receive comprehensive academic supervision that supports both scholarly and applied research trajectories.