Find out how our flexible course structures provide you with an opportunity to personalise your studies, feed your curiosity, and help you achieve your career aspirations.
BSc (Hons) International Relations
| UCAS tariff |
104 - 112
Contextual offers
A contextual offer is an offer to study at university that takes personal circumstances that may affect grades into account.
|
| UCAS course code | L250 |
| Institution code | P60 |
| Duration | 3 years (+ optional placement) |
| Course type | Full-time |
| Study location | Plymouth |
Explore the driving forces of relationships between countries and cultures in the 21st century close to where the G7 leaders met in 2021. Unpick all aspects of international relations from law to economics, diplomacy and governance to help you build your own critical thinking skills to navigate some of the major issues facing society. Combine theory and practice so you can better understand the decision-making that drives change. Hone your skills by representing Plymouth at the model UN.
Personalise your degree
At Plymouth, your degree really is what you make it. Choose to study optional modules from across the school.
In your second year...
Choose to swap in up to two modules from across the school.
In your final year...
Dive deeper into your subject by sticking with our selection of options or swap in another module from across the school.
Achieve your final degree certificate
If you've studied three optional modules from the same second subject area, you can choose to add this to your degree certificate.
Careers with this subject
The
International Relations and Politics Internship Programme
is aimed at supporting undergraduate Politics and International relations students to carry out unpaid internships or work experience in the UK.
Our graduates have gone on to work in a variety of fields. We have students who have gone on to work at the United Nations, in Parliament and across the Civil Service. Our graduates have also become active in a variety of political parties and groups, helping to coordinate and manage campaigns and make their mark in local and national politics. Assessments for our course don’t rely on only testing knowledge and understanding, but critically applying what you know in a way that enables you to take meaningful skills into your future careers. Whether this is via simulations, targeted writing or work based learning, we offer the opportunity for you to develop skills that you can take on into your future.
Discover employment and further study opportunities that you could consider once you graduate with an international relations degree and learn how you can stand out to graduate employers.
Advice from graduate Kate Jamieson:
“Make as much of your time at university as you can. Get involved with societies and try to find something that differentiates you from other graduates.”
Key features
- Work closely with engaging and experienced staff from across the politics and international relations group.
- Explore the evolution of the international system. Debate contemporary worldwide issues, current affairs and major political events. Ask the difficult questions about environmental crises, war, or development in the global south.
- Travel the world through our international student exchange programme. From the Czech Republic and Poland, to Canada and the USA, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to gain insights into international relations worldwide.
- Be inspired by teaching rooted in research. Work closely with staff that are leading experts in their fields; areas of expertise include popular protest in the Middle East, NATO and security studies, the politics of China, global environmental politics and the politics of the European Union.
- Integrate innovative modules from across the School of Society and Culture, focussing your degree on areas that interest you and making your degree your own.
- Build practical skills to take into your future through varied and innovative assessments.
Course details
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Year 1
-
Investigate daily headlines and topical news, discovering the international systems and political and economic ideas that shape our contemporary world. You’ll explore the evolution of politics, current affairs, climate crises and major political events in historical and regional contexts. By the end of year one you will be equipped with the skills and knowledge to help you thrive in your degree programme, having gained vital research techniques and analysed the relationship between international relations and the social sciences via innovative and engaging forms of assessment.
Core modules
PIR4001
Democracy and Democratization 20 creditsThis module provides the foundation for the study of democracy and democratisation in politics and international relations, with a focus on competing theories of democratic governance and how these can be applied in a critical analysis of political practices and institutions both within states and in transnational global governance.
100% Coursework
PIR4002
Discovering World Politics 20 creditsThe team-taught immersive module introduces students to key concepts and contemporary issues in the fields of Politics and IR and provides them with the necessary skills and tools to write essays and engage with academic debates.
100% Coursework
PIR4003
Imagining World Order 20 creditsThis module introduces the essential terms, concepts and processes of international relations analysis. It describes the main features of the international system since its evolution from the Treaty of Westphalia, continuities and discontinuities with earlier international systems, plus the move from state sovereignty to global governance in the contemporary context. It also introduces the primary theories of international relations analysis, whilst putting their emergence and development into historical context.
100% Coursework
PIR4004
Comparative Democracies 20 creditsThis module introduces students to the key themes involved in the study of democracies. It examines each of these topics within a comparative framework. The application of the key themes will be achieved through the medium of theoretical approaches and case study application. This module will include two 2-hour talks that introduce our School and programme level employability related opportunities and support, including details of the optional placement year.
100% Coursework
PIR4005
International Relations Since 1945 20 creditsThis module provides an introduction to the historical development of the international political system since 1945. It provides a crucial background to the major processes and actors that have shaped the contemporary international system.
100% Coursework
PIR4006
One Planet? Society and Sustainability 20 creditsThis module addresses some of the most pressing challenges of the 21st century from a variety of ideological and political perspectives. Through real-world case studies and critical reflection of lived experiences, we explore and debate the complex, interdependent processes underpinning sustainability and global inequality and insecurities. You develop an understanding of key drivers and public policy impacts and consider future alternative scenarios. The emphasis is on active, collaborative, learning via field trips and debates.
50% Coursework
50% Practicals
-
Year 2
-
Immerse yourself in the issues that you care about in the world and use your new found knowledge and skills to analyse global systems. Learn how to do foreign policy analysis and explore concepts of national and human security, identity and global political economy. You will explore contemporary debates and develop a critical mindset, evaluating evidence and scrutinising arguments to take your knowledge further in ways that you can apply in your future career. Or you can put your global mindset into practice, studying abroad with our international student exchange programme.
Core modules
PIR5002
Global Governance and the United Nations 20 creditsThis module explores the transformation of political community in the 21st century through the prism of international institutions such as the United Nations. The module offers an overview of international institutions and considers various theoretical approaches to understanding the resulting regimes of global governance. The aim is to evaluate the nature of ‘governance’ in world politics.
100% Coursework
PIR5007
Global Political Economy 20 creditsThis module analyses how the governance of international economic affairs has developed from the Mercantilist expansion of early modern Europe to the present day. It introduces four alternative approaches to the study of IPE. It presents the leading historical narratives of the evolution of the modern world political economy, and then investigates its development since 1945.
50% Coursework
50% Remotely delivered assessments
PIR5008
International Security Studies 20 creditsThis module considers the issue of security in contemporary international relations. It examines a variety of different security concepts from deterrence and the security dilemma to arms control, peacekeeping, terrorism, regional security complexes and governance. It then seeks to relate these to practical examples from world politics.
100% Coursework
PIR5006
Politics and International Relations of the Global South 20 creditsThis module takes a critical approach to politics and international relations in the Global South. Students will interrogate labels associated with the Global South, state emergence and postcolonialism, and themes that highlight complexity in the Global South. These may include issues of race, legitimacy, democracy, revolution, connectivity, climate change, and development and inequality.
100% Coursework
Optional modules
PIR5009MX
Refugee Studies 20 creditsThis module focuses on the political, economic and social context of forced migration and considers the complex and varied nature of global refugee populations. It analyses responses at international, national and regional level and engages with a range of challenging questions around international co-operation, the framework of international protection, humanitarianism and the causes of displacement.
100% Coursework
PIR5011MX
Global Development 20 creditsThis module embraces both theoretical and empirical approaches to understanding development issues and policies, at international and multilateral scale. The approach incorporates historical, economic, political and social perspectives. The module considers issues faced by international development agencies, as well as the impact on populations in the developing world to illustrate and provide context for the discussion of various developmental concerns.
100% Coursework
SSC500
Stage 2 Professional Development, Placement Preparation and Identifying Opportunities 0 creditsThis module is for students in the School of Society and Culture who are interested in undertaking an optional placement in the third year of their programme. It supports students in their search, application, and preparation for the placement, including developing interview techniques and effective application materials (e.g. CVs , portfolios, and cover letters).
PER5008MX
Play and Games for Performance 20 creditsThis module will introduce students to practical methods for designing games and play structures for participatory performances that invite audiences to become actively involved in the work. In addition to learning new tools for designing and facilitating play, students will be prompted to consider playfulness from a theoretical perspective, recognising the connection between the play of mimesis and theatrical performance.
100% Coursework
-
Optional placement year
-
Undertake an optional placement year where you can build a number of key employability skills. Put theory onto practice, get a taste for your chosen career and expand upon your professional network.
Core modules
SSC600
School of Society and Culture Placement YearStudents have the opportunity to gain work experience that will set them apart in the job market when they graduate by undertaking an optional flexible placement year. The placement must be a minimum of 24-weeks (which can be split between a maximum of two different placement providers) and up to a maximum of 48-weeks over the course of the academic year. The placement is flexible and can be undertaken virtually, part or full time and either paid or voluntary. This year allows them to apply and hone the knowledge and skills acquired from the previous years of their programme in the real world.
-
Final year
-
In your third year, you’ll do comprehensive research on a topic of your choice with expert supervision that helps bring together the skills developed on your journey so far. You’ll deepen your knowledge of IR by studying a range of topics including NATO, understanding conspiracies and post-truth politics, the media, environmental politics, the EU, the politics of the USA, the Middle East or Africa. Make your degree your own, choosing modules from across our school that interest you the most.By the end of your final year, you will be making your mark, ready to be a part of the change.
Core modules
PIR6000
Dissertation in Politics and International Relations 40 creditsThis module provides students with the opportunity to demonstrate their attainment of the aims and objectives of the Honours Programme. It requires the design and execution of a dissertation of 12,000 words in the field of political science, together with the submission of a 2,000 word formative Literature Review detailing the aims and objectives of the dissertation together with a consideration of the extant academic literature in the field of the research question.
100% Coursework
Optional modules
PIR6001
Work Based Learning in Politics or International Relations 20 creditsThis module provides students with opportunities to gain practical insights into the workings of organisations whose role and function have clear relevance to the focus and subject matter of their undergraduate degree in Politics or International Relations, and to link such insights to their acquired knowledge and understanding of social science theories and concepts. In addition the module will prepare students for the graduate job market and encourage their autonomous engagement in personal development planning.
50% Coursework
50% Practicals
PIR6002
NATO after the Cold War and Beyond 20 creditsThis module proposes to study the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) from a theoretical as well policy point of view. The aim is to investigate the relevance of NATO in the 21st century by looking at how NATO survived and developed in the aftermath of the Cold War as it appeared to have lost its original purpose of containing the Soviet Union. By looking at key developments within NATO in the post-Cold War period, this module also looks at the challenges which NATO has faced and overcome but it also critically reflects on the contemporary relevance of NATO.
100% Coursework
PIR6003
Africa in the International System 20 creditsThis module provides an introduction to African politics, examining the historical, economic and socio-political developments of over fifty states with a strong regional emphasis, and a particular focus on political economy, state-society relations, foreign policy and conflict analysis. The module’s regional focus allows comparison between different approaches to international relations. It also seeks to provide the tools to analyse and understand what is going on in Africa today.
50% Coursework
50% Remotely delivered assessments
PIR6004
Europe in the World 20 creditsEurope includes the European Union (the world’s major trading bloc and its most integrated regional institution) as well as many states of importance in their own right. This module takes a holistic look at the EU’s role in the world and the link between its economic and political presence. Furthermore it analyses the role of individual European states (inside and outside the EU). Apart from the policies and strategies of European actors vis-à-vis Russia, the US, China and countries in the Middle East and Africa it will also cover these states’ opinions of Europe and the European Union.
60% Coursework
40% Remotely delivered assessments
PIR6006
The Politics of the United States 20 creditsThis module introduces students to the fundamental principles of politics in the United States. While domestic politics are privileged, consideration is given to the foreign policy of the US. Specific emphasis placed on the role of the Constitution and institutions of governance in promoting (or inhibiting) democracy both domestically and abroad.
100% Coursework
PIR6007MX
Global Environmental Politics 20 creditsThis module examines the problem of environmental degradation and its implications for our global political economy. It discusses the major debates in political thought around the primary causes of environmental degradation. The module outlines the major attempts to build international regimes for global environmental governance, and the difficulties and obstacles that such attempts have encountered. A range of ideas, critiques, policy proposals, innovations in governance, and templates for political activism within the environmental movement are critically evaluated.
100% Coursework
PIR6009
Mao to Now: the Politics of Modern China 20 creditsThis module introduces students to politics in China. It provides them with the analytical skills and historical understanding to examine the structure of the contemporary Chinese state, looking in particular at Maoist legacies, nationalism and ideology, the relationships between party, law, state and market, and China’s involvement in international affairs.
100% Coursework
The modules shown for this course are those currently being studied by our students, or are proposed new modules. Please note that programme structures and individual modules are subject to amendment from time to time as part of the University’s curriculum enrichment programme and in line with changes in the University’s policies and requirements.
Personalise your degree
All our degrees have a wide range of optional modules and there is even the opportunity to study modules from any of the
School of Society and Culture
's subject areas.
You could graduate with one of the following personalised course title combinations:
International Relations with Anthropology
Modules
ANT5006MX
Decolonising the Social Sciences
20 credits
This module responds to contemporary calls to decolonise the social sciences. It reads the history of social science through the lens of post-colonial and indigenous studies. How have non-western voices been marginalised and silenced by academia? What does academia look from the perspective of the subaltern? Can the social sciences shed their colonial robes, or are they doomed to remain racialised and exclusionary disciplines? We explore these questions in regard to emerging disciplines aimed at constructing better and more inclusive futures, including 'indigenous criminology', 'participatory ethnography', and the 'anthropology of the otherwise'.
100% Coursework
ANT5008MX
Brave New Worlds: Ethnography of/on Online and Digital Worlds
20 credits
This module teaches students how to use ethnographic methods to make sense of the internet, which we now increasingly inhabit. Students learn how to navigate and analyse platforms such as Facebook or TikTok. They study how these technologies transform our relationships, identities, and ideas of truth. The module also examines the socio-cultural and ethical aspects of digital worlds (e.g. Second life).
100% Coursework
ANT6008MX
Coastal Cultures: Marine Anthropology in the age of climate change and mass extinction.
20 credits
Using ethnography, we analyse how coastal communities use the sea – not only as a source of livelihood, but as a key ingredient in the construction of their identity and place in world. Drawing on a range of cases from across the world – from Polynesian sorcerers, to Japanese whale mourners, to Cornish surfers – we study how coastal communities are responding to climate change, sea level rise, pollution, and extinction.
100% Coursework
International Relations with Art History
Modules
ARH5008MX
Painting Sex and Power
20 credits
The module examines the link between the perception of sexuality and power in a variety of media, and from diverse historical and geographic contexts. Critical approaches from gender studies will be combined with visual analysis in order to contextualize the biased and stereotypical nature of the imagery.
100% Coursework
ARH5002MX
Imagery in Online and Offline Worlds: Film, Television and Video Games
20 credits
This module provides students with a comprehensive understanding of current approaches towards mass media and visual culture. Particular emphasis will be put on medium-specificity, content analysis and audience studies.
100% Coursework
ARH6002MX
Questions in Contemporary Art
20 credits
The module introduces and examines selected questions raised in the last three decades in contemporary art. Case studies drawn from art history, critical and cultural theory, and where appropriate related disciplines, will be examined.
100% Coursework
International Relations with Creative Writing
Modules
ENG5010MX
Writing Creative Nonfiction: Autobiography, Travel Writing, Reportage
20 credits
This module introduces students to the key concepts and issues in contemporary works of creative nonfiction, or 'life writing'. Included in our readings will be works of memoir and autobiography, travel writing, personal essays and reportage. The module is entirely taught in workshops where we experiment with producing our own works of creative nonfiction and learning to refine them, as well as critically evaluate and contextualise them.
100% Coursework
ENG5017MX
Writing Genre Fiction
20 credits
This module takes students into in-depth engagement with prose fiction writing in various genres, with possibilities including fantasy, science-fiction, period/historical, young adult fiction, horror, comedy, romance, crime, and thriller. The module is taught through lecture, seminars, and workshops where students are asked to submit and feedback to peers and tutors on a regular basis.
100% Coursework
ENG6008MX
Features Journalism Workshop
20 credits
This module offers students an in-depth experience of professional writing. We will explore technique in features and literary journalism; music reviews, opinion columns and longer immersion features as well as other contemporary works of non-fiction feature writing, both short- and long-form, from sub-genres including profiles and interviews, autobiography and columns, travel writing, and reportage. We will learn to research and produce our own works of professional nonfiction and critically evaluate them.
100% Coursework
International Relations with English
Modules
ENG5002MX
Gothic Fictions: Villains, Virgins and Vampires
20 credits
This module looks at eighteenth- and nineteenth-century novels to trace the variety and scope of literary contributions to the Gothic. It begins by discussing the origins of the Gothic novel, then moves to the heyday of the genre in the revolutionary 1790s, on to authors writing in the early and mid-nineteenth century, through to the decadence of the 1890s.
100% Coursework
ENG5013MX
‘Hurt Minds’: Madness and Mental Illness in Literature
20 credits
This module considers changing attitudes towards, and a variety of theories of, the mind, examining how different cultures have understood ‘healthy’ and ‘unhealthy’ mental states. It will look at how the experience and treatment of mental illness has been represented in fiction. The mind is at its most fascinating when it behaves outside of expected social norms. By considering a variety of literary texts over several centuries, this module explores shifts in the definition, understanding, evaluation, and management of exceptional mental states.
100% Coursework
ENG6005MX
American Crime Writing
20 credits
This module considers the development of twentieth-century American crime fiction from hard-boiled detectives, to myths of the mafia, and postmodern reinventions of the genre. This module will explore the cultural contexts of American crime writing, prevailing conventions of the genre, as well as challenges to those conventions.
100% Coursework
International Relations with History
Modules
HIS5004MX
Global Cold War: Politics, Culture and Society
20 credits
This module is an introduction to major themes in the political, social and cultural history of the modern world with special focus on the 20th century and the Cold War.
100% Coursework
HIS5007MX
Eighteenth-Century Empires
20 credits
This module is designed to explore the ‘long eighteenth century’ with a broad geographical focus, encompassing, but not limited to the Atlantic Isles, Atlantic world, formal and informal empire, and trading connections. It takes in the slave trade and impact of slavery globally, studies voyages of exploration, examines the scientific and political enlightenment, and wider cultural and social impacts of imperialism.
100% Coursework
HIS5009MX
Middle Kingdoms: Themes in Early Modern Asia
20 credits
This module introduces the history of early modern Japan (c.16th-19th centuries). At one level, it explores key questions shaping the histories of the late Sengoku (‘Warring States’) and Tokugawa Japan. Building on these questions, it then situates the Japanese experience in a trans-regional perspective with reference to early modern China, Korea, Ryukyu, as well as Europe.
Explore this module100% Coursework
HIS5014MX
Dunkirk to D Day: The Second World War in Europe
20 credits
The module examines the Second World War in Europe and the Atlantic Ocean from 1940 to late 1944.
Explore this module100% Coursework
HIS6002MX
Piracy and Privateering, c.1560-1816
20 credits
This module explores piracy and privateering activity in the seas around the British Isles and further afield from the reign of Queen Elizabeth to the end of the second Barbary War in 1816. This course focuses on the social history of piracy and privateering, the organisation of pirate society, and the economic impact of piracy and privateering.
Explore this module100% Coursework
HIS6006MX
America, the United Nations and International Relations 1945 to the present
20 credits
This module provides a detailed examination of the relationship between the United States of America and the United Nations in the management of international relations from 1945 to the present.
Explore this module100% Coursework
International Relations with Criminology
Modules
CRM6010MX
Green Criminology
20 credits
This module will address theoretical perspectives, methodological issues, and empirical research related to the field of green criminology, including applied concerns, such as policy and social/political praxis, through a range of concepts, topics, and themes that are central to green criminology.
100% Coursework
CRM5007MX
Contemporary Issues in Criminology
20 credits
This module focuses upon a contemporary criminological or criminal justice-related issue that has received attention in the media and in official reports but may not be well covered yet in an established academic literature. The purpose of the module is for students to collect data on the issue and to subject it to a criminological analysis appropriate to the topic.
100% Coursework
CRM5003MX
Harm in the 21st Century
20 credits
This module explores the global challenges of harmful behaviours and activities in contemporary society by considering specific areas of concern for criminologists. By drawing on real-world examples in everyday life, the module examines how social problems and issues have arisen due to processes of globalisation that have changed the social, political and economic landscape of the 21st century.
100% Coursework
CRM5009MX
Crime, Harm and Culture
20 credits
The module aims to provide students with a critical appreciation of harm and crime by exploring relevant issues from film, television, music, fiction literature and art. By applying a criminological lens to different forms of popular culture, students will be able to examine a variety of media forms in terms of its content and its contemporary political, social and economic context using different theories and concepts.
100% Coursework
CRM5008MX
Security and Policing Today: Debates and Issues
20 credits
This module provides students with a contemporary overview of debates and issues in policing and security environments that inform practice and development in the field. The module examines how modern policing and security function, the impact of professionalization on all aspects of policing tasks and the tensions and benefits attained from multi-agency working. The module considers policing legitimacy, the ethics of crime control and associated engagement with the diversity of contemporary society, competing community interests and professional practice.
70% Coursework
30% Tests
CRM6011MX
Security Management
20 credits
This module provides students with a critical insight into the professional domain of security management. It provides an overview of the theories, policies, procedures and practices that underpin the work of the security manager, and focuses upon a career-relevant knowledge and understanding of this significant area of expertise.
70% Coursework
30% Tests
International Relations with Politics
Modules
PIR5013MX
Politics Beyond Parliaments
20 credits
This module analyses the role of civil society and the public sphere in democratic governance and in democratization from a variety of theoretical perspectives.
100% Coursework
PIR5014MX
Voter Behaviour and Effective Election Campaigning
20 credits
This module undertakes an advanced examination of contemporary trends and developments in theories of electoral behaviour globally; then more specifically the relationship between electoral rules, electoral systems and election outcomes; the evolution of campaign techniques, and the role, mechanics, and accuracy of opinion polls in modern electoral politics. These global understandings are applied directly to the case of British politics.
100% Coursework
PIR6008MX
Voter Behaviour and Effective Election Campaigning
20 credits
This module undertakes an advanced examination of contemporary trends and developments in theories of electoral behaviour globally; then more specifically the relationship between electoral rules, electoral systems and election outcomes; the evolution of campaign techniques, and the role, mechanics, and accuracy of opinion polls in modern electoral politics. These global understandings are applied directly to the case of British politics.
100% Coursework
International Relations with Sociology
Modules
SOC5005MX
Globalisation and Social Justice
20 credits
This module investigates the key debates of globalisation and critically evaluates, in terms of its economic, political, socio-cultural and legal dimensions, the causes and consequences of a globalising world. It furthermore explores a range of international social justice issues to examine the relationships (causative and ameliorative) between policies and (in)justice
60% Coursework
40% Practicals
SOC5006MX
Gender, Sex and Sexuality
20 credits
This module introduces students to the sociology of gender, sex and sexuality. It interrogates these concepts with particular reference to identity, activism, social justice and social change. It develops an understanding of the similarities, differences and intersections between gender, sex, sexuality and other social signifiers of difference/diversity including ‘race’, ethnicity, dis/ability, class and age.
100% Coursework
SOC6004MX
Health, Medical Power and Social Justice
20 credits
This module considers a range of issues concerning health, illness and medical power in contemporary society. The module seeks to develop an understanding of the impact of ‘medicalisation’ on everyday life, as well as the importance of social divisions, such as age, gender, ethnicity and socio-economic status. There will be a focus on a range of sociological perspectives on health with an opportunity to focus upon areas of particular interest.
100% Coursework
International Relations with Law
Modules
LAW5019MX
Law in Context: Commerce and Intellectual Property
20 credits
This module focuses on the work of commercial lawyers in practice in helping businesses to trade. It analyses a range of contractual agreements dealing with the manufacture, sale, supply and distribution of goods, assets and services in general and intellectual property in particular.
100% Coursework
LAW5012MX
Law, Literature and the Screen
20 credits
To introduce students to fictional and factional representations of the legal order in prose, film and TV, and to examine the inter-connections between law, literature and the screen.
100% Coursework
LAW6012MX
Public International Law
20 credits
A module that focuses on the primary legal principles of the public international legal order, before exploring a range of substantive areas, such as, for example, the use of force, the law regulating the conduct of war, International Human Rights, International Criminal Law and International Environmental Law.
100% Coursework
International Relations with Policing and Security Management
Modules
CRM6011MX
Security Management
20 credits
This module provides students with a critical insight into the professional domain of security management. It provides an overview of the theories, policies, procedures and practices that underpin the work of the security manager, and focuses upon a career-relevant knowledge and understanding of this significant area of expertise.
70% Coursework
30% Tests
CRM5008MX
Security and Policing Today: Debates and Issues
20 credits
This module provides students with a contemporary overview of debates and issues in policing and security environments that inform practice and development in the field. The module examines how modern policing and security function, the impact of professionalization on all aspects of policing tasks and the tensions and benefits attained from multi-agency working. The module considers policing legitimacy, the ethics of crime control and associated engagement with the diversity of contemporary society, competing community interests and professional practice.
70% Coursework
30% Tests
CRM5003MX
Harm in the 21st Century
20 credits
This module explores the global challenges of harmful behaviours and activities in contemporary society by considering specific areas of concern for criminologists. By drawing on real-world examples in everyday life, the module examines how social problems and issues have arisen due to processes of globalisation that have changed the social, political and economic landscape of the 21st century.
100% Coursework
CRM5009MX
Crime, Harm and Culture
20 credits
The module aims to provide students with a critical appreciation of harm and crime by exploring relevant issues from film, television, music, fiction literature and art. By applying a criminological lens to different forms of popular culture, students will be able to examine a variety of media forms in terms of its content and its contemporary political, social and economic context using different theories and concepts.
100% Coursework
Entry requirements
UCAS tariff
104 - 112
Contextual offers: Typically, the contextual offer for this course is 8 points below the advertised tariff. A contextual offer is an offer to study at university that takes into account individual circumstances that are beyond your control, and that can potentially impact your learning and your exam results, or your confidence in applying to university.
A level
104-120 points from a minimum of 2 A levels.
104-120 points from a minimum of 2 A levels.
18 Unit BTEC National Diploma/QCF Extended Diploma: DMM in any subject.
12 Unit BTEC Diploma: D*D* in any subject.
12 Unit BTEC Diploma: D*D* in any subject.
BTEC National Diploma modules
If you hold a BTEC qualification it is vital that you provide our Admissions team with details of the exact modules you have studied as part of the BTEC. Without this information we may be unable to process your application quickly and you could experience significant delays in the progress of your application to study with us. Please explicitly state the full list of modules within your qualification at the time of application.
If you hold a BTEC qualification it is vital that you provide our Admissions team with details of the exact modules you have studied as part of the BTEC. Without this information we may be unable to process your application quickly and you could experience significant delays in the progress of your application to study with us. Please explicitly state the full list of modules within your qualification at the time of application.
Access
Pass a named Access to HE Diploma in any subject with at least 33 credits at merit/distinction.
Pass a named Access to HE Diploma in any subject with at least 33 credits at merit/distinction.
T levels
Merit in any subject.
Merit in any subject.
International Baccalaureate
26-28 overall to include 4 at any Higher Level subject. English and Maths accepted within: Higher Level = 4 Standard Level = 5.
26-28 overall to include 4 at any Higher Level subject. English and Maths accepted within: Higher Level = 4 Standard Level = 5.
GCSE
All applicants must have GCSE (or equivalent) mathematics and English at grade C or above.
All applicants must have GCSE (or equivalent) mathematics and English at grade C or above.
Other
14-19 Diplomas: accepted – please enquire. Other combinations and non-A level qualifications will also be considered.
14-19 Diplomas: accepted – please enquire. Other combinations and non-A level qualifications will also be considered.
Short of the entry requirements for this course? Don’t worry you may be eligible for a foundation year to prepare you for possible entry onto this course for the following year.
We welcome applicants with international qualifications. To view other accepted qualifications please refer to our
tariff glossary.
Fees, costs and funding
| New student | 2024-2025 | 2025-2026 * |
|---|---|---|
| Home | £9,250 | £9,535 |
| International | £17,100 | £17,600 |
| Part time (Home) | £770 | £795 |
* UK Government announcement on tuition fees
On Monday 4 November 2024, the UK Government announced a proposal to increase tuition fees for home undergraduate students from £9,250 to £9,535 per annum from September 2025 onwards. The University of Plymouth intends to apply this new fee from September 2025. However, implementation of this increase will be subject to parliamentary procedure. This change applies to new students starting their studies in September 2025. For current and returning students, the University is reviewing fees and will update you as soon as possible.
As this course is delivered by one of our partner colleges, please contact the college directly for information on fees and funding.
Undergraduate scholarships for international students
To reward outstanding achievement the University of Plymouth offers scholarship schemes to help towards funding your studies.
Tuition fees for optional placement years
The fee for all undergraduate students completing any part of their placement year in the UK in 2024/2025 is £1,850.
The fee for all undergraduate students completing their whole placement year outside the UK in 2024/2025 is £1,385.
How to apply
All applications for undergraduate courses are made through UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service).
UCAS will ask for the information contained in the box at the top of this course page including the UCAS course code and the institution code.
To apply for this course and for more information about submitting an application including application deadline dates, please visit the UCAS website.
If you are interested in applying for an intercalated degree with the University of Plymouth, please contact our Admissions Team in the first instance applications@plymouth.ac.uk.
Support is also available to overseas students applying to the University from our International Office via
our how to apply webpage
or email admissions@plymouth.ac.uk.
Help & enquiries
- Admission enquiries
- admissions@plymouth.ac.uk
- +44 1752 585858
- PlymUniApply
“At Plymouth we don’t just focus on understanding, we hone in on your critical thinking, helping you build a portfolio of skills that allows you to shape change.”
Watch lecturers
James Goulbourn
and
Dr Shabnam Holliday
talk about what you'll study and the skills you'll learn from our international relations courses at Plymouth.
Second-year student Josh talks about his experience of studying politics at an exciting time for global political change.
Providing rewarding experiences
Benefit from our summer internship scheme, work-based learning for hands-on practical skills, field trips to London and the Hague and our society.
Sophie Smith worked on midterm campaigns in the USA for her summer intership
“I am taking two modules that focus on American policy and politics this year and I’m sure I can apply so much of what I have learnt. Thank you to the department for allowing me to have this opportunity.”
James Lord spent his summer internship working in Westminster as a Parliamentary Assistant
“This internship was far more than making tea. I was treated as a member of staff, included in meetings and my opinion sought on the issues of the day.”
Do you relish a heated debate? Join our Politics and International Affairs Society (PIASOC)
PIASOC aims to increase your understanding of the political world through talks, socials, and workshops.
Learn from experts in their field
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![Dr Patrick Holden Associate Professor (Reader)]( "Dr Patrick Holden")
Dr Patrick Holden
Associate Professor (Reader)
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![Dr Lorenzo Cladi Lecturer in International Relations]( "Dr Lorenzo Cladi")
Dr Lorenzo Cladi
Lecturer in International Relations
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![Dr Piers Revell Honorary Researcher]( "Dr Piers Revell")
Dr Piers Revell
Honorary Researcher
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![Dr Shabnam Holliday Associate Professor in International Relations]( "Dr Shabnam Holliday")
Dr Shabnam Holliday
Associate Professor in International Relations
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![Mr James Goulbourn Associate Head of School (Art History, IR and Politics)]( "Mr James Goulbourn")
Mr James Goulbourn
Associate Head of School (Art History, IR and Politics)
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![Dr Hannah Theaker Lecturer in History and Politics]( "Dr Hannah Theaker")
Dr Hannah Theaker
Lecturer in History and Politics
Let our graduates inspire you
Our graduates have gone on to work in a variety of fields, including working at the United Nations, in Parliament and across the Civil Service.
Kristyna Rempel – ARTSTAQ Content Manager, Canada
“Studying at Plymouth made me look at international relations from a totally different perspective.”
Paul Bailey – Office Manager for InternChina, China
After moving to China to work for an Australian company, Paul now works as an Office Manager for InternChina in Zhuhai, Guangdong.
Rebecca Hall – Freelance Travel Writer, Greece
Since graduating Rebecca has worked as an author, freelance travel writer and English Language teacher.
Follow our community on social media
Foundation-year courses
Whether you haven't yet submitted your application, you're worried about whether university is for you, or if you don't meet the entry requirements to apply for a three-year degree, our foundation year may be the perfect route to a full degree.
Our foundation-year courses are specifically designed to introduce and develop essential skills for success in higher education.
* These are the latest results from the National Student Survey. Please note that the data published on Discover Uni (Unistats) is updated annually in September.