| UCAS code | LL33 |
|---|---|
| Duration | 3 years |
| Entry year | 2025 |
| Campus | Penryn Campus |
| Discipline | Politics and International Relations |
| Contact | Web: Enquire online |
| Typical offer | A-Levels: ABB |
|---|---|
|
A-Levels: BBC |
| UCAS code | LL34 |
|---|---|
| Duration | 4 years |
| Entry year | 2025 |
| Campus | Penryn Campus |
| Discipline | Politics and International Relations |
| Contact | Web: Enquire online |
| Typical offer | A-Levels: ABB |
|---|---|
|
A-Levels: BBC |
| UCAS code | LL36 |
|---|---|
| Duration | 4 years |
| Entry year | 2025 |
| Campus | Penryn Campus |
| Discipline | Politics and International Relations |
| Contact | Web: Enquire online |
| Typical offer | A-Levels: ABB |
|---|---|
|
A-Levels: BBC |
Overview
- This career-oriented programme develops skills and knowledge with application across business, management, politics and policymaking
- On the programme you will learn from experienced experts about how to navigate the pressing real-world challenges confronting industries and governments today
- Key issues you will tackle include climate change, new technologies, geopolitical shifts, corporate governance, social inequalities and the future of work
- You will learn practical strategies and techniques for leading and managing in a rapidly changing world where politics and business shape each other in new ways
- Choose your own path through a range of employability-focused modules in areas like political economy, project management, marketing strategy and public policy
- Benefit from a small-scale learning environment at our beautiful campus in Cornwall, a centre for some of the UK’s most cutting-edge companies and future industries
Top 100 in the world for Politics
QS World University Subject Rankings 2024
UK Business School of the Year
Times Higher Education Awards 2022
We are in the Top 10 in the UK for our world-leading Politics and International Studies research*
* Based on research rated 4* in REF 2021
Joint #1 in the UK for Business graduate prospects
Complete University Guide 2023
Top 100 in the world for Politics
QS World University Subject Rankings 2024
UK Business School of the Year
Times Higher Education Awards 2022
We are in the Top 10 in the UK for our world-leading Politics and International Studies research*
* Based on research rated 4* in REF 2021
Joint #1 in the UK for Business graduate prospects
Complete University Guide 2023
Entry requirements (typical offer)
| Qualification | Typical offer | Required subjects |
|---|---|---|
| A-Level | ABB | n/a |
| IB | 32/655 | n/a |
| BTEC | DDM | n/a |
| GCSE | C or 4 | Grade C or 4 in English Language |
| Access to HE | 24 L3 Credits at Distinction Grade and 21 L3 credits at Merit Grade | N/A |
| T-Level | Distinction | N/A |
| Contextual Offer | A-Levels: BBC |
Specific subject requirements must still be achieved where stated above. Find out more about contextual offers. |
| Other accepted qualifications | ||
| English language requirements |
International students need to show they have the required level of English language to study this course. The required test scores for this course fall under Profile B2. Please visit our English language requirements page to view the required test scores and equivalencies from your country. |
|
NB General Studies is not included in any offer.
Grades advertised on each programme webpage are the typical level at which our offers are made and provide information on any specific subjects an applicant will need to have studied in order to be considered for a place on the programme. However, if we receive a large number of applications for the programme we may not be able to make an offer to all those who are predicted to achieve/have achieved grades which are in line with our typical offer. For more information on how applications are assessed and when decisions are released, please see: After you apply
Course content
Our BSc Politics and Management at the University of Exeter’s Penryn Campus in Cornwall is designed to equip students with the critical knowledge needed to navigate the intersection of business, politics, and policymaking. As global challenges such as political upheaval, geopolitical instability, climate change, and economic transformation intensify, it is crucial for business leaders to understand political processes and for policymakers to grasp the dynamics of business management. Through this interdisciplinary programme, students will explore how political and economic shifts around industrial policy, sustainability, and corporate governance impact business and government alike.
The course offers a balanced blend of theoretical insight and practical experience, aimed at fostering employability across a wide range of professional contexts, including government, NGOs, consultancy, and public relations. The curriculum integrates core topics such as public policy, project management, political communication, and business strategy, allowing students to specialise in areas like environmental sustainability, digitalisation, political psychology, and organisational leadership. Additionally, students can gain real-world experience through work placements and professional development modules, enhancing their practical skills and career readiness.
Delivered exclusively at our Penryn Campus (Cornwall), this programme benefits from the campus's focus on innovation, sustainability, and interdisciplinary research. Students will engage with key themes such as environmental governance, social entrepreneurship, and workplace democracy, drawing on the latest research to address pressing issues. The programme’s unique setting in Cornwall offers a dynamic and supportive learning environment, while the small student community fosters close interaction with academic staff, allowing students to actively debate and refine their ideas.
Full-time undergraduates need to take 120 credits each year and choose from modules worth 15 or 30 credits, with students having more choice and more opportunity to study in-depth the topics that interest them most in Years 2 and 3. Core modules are mainly designed to develop applied research skills and include a third year dissertation on a subject of your choice. You will also have the option to take up to 30 credits from another department within the University subject to approval.
The modules we outline here provide examples of what you can expect to learn on this degree course based on recent academic teaching. The precise modules available to you in future years may vary depending on staff availability and research interests, new topics of study, timetabling and student demand.
- Descriptions of the individual modules are given in full on the Business School undergraduate module list or Politics undergraduate module list.
75 credits of compulsory modules, 45 credits of optional modules of which at least 15 must be taken from Stage 1 Business options and 15 credits from Stage 1 Politics options
Compulsory modules
| Code | Module | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BEP1080 | Theory and Practice of Management | 15 |
| BEP1100 | Understanding Work and Organisations | 15 |
| POC1014 | The Public Policy Process | 15 |
| POC1033 | Political Communication | 30 |
Optional modules
| Code | Module | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BSc Politics and Management - Year 1 Options (Business) 24.25 | ||
| BEP1010 | Business and Society | 15 |
| BEP1020 | Business Practice and Analysis | 15 |
| BEP1120 | Introduction to Economics | 15 |
| BEP1040 | Marketing in a Digital Age | 15 |
| BEP1030 | Operations Management: A Sustainable Perspective | 15 |
| BEP1160 | Business History | 15 |
| BEP1070 | Accounting | 15 |
| BSc Politics and Management - Year 1 Options (Politics) 24.25 | ||
| POC1026 | Power, Inequality and Global Justice | 15 |
| POC1029 | Work Placement | 15 |
| POC1021 | Key Concepts in Politics and International Relations | 15 |
| POC1003 | British Government and Politics | 15 |
| POC1023 | Participating in Politics | 15 |
| POC1028 | Modern Political Theory | 15 |
| POC1022 | Violence in World Politics | 15 |
Compulsory modules
Stage 2: 60 credits of compulsory modules, 60 credits of optional modules of which at least 15 must be taken from Stage 2 Business options and 15 credits from Stage 2 Politics options
| Code | Module | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BEP2020 | Project Management | 15 |
| BEP2040 | Strategic Concepts for Business | 15 |
| POC2124 | Political Analysis | 15 |
| POC2131 | Political Economy | 15 |
Optional modules
| Code | Module | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BSc Politics and Management - Year 2 Options (Business) 24.25 | ||
| BEP2030 | Business Practice (Placement/Work Experience Project) | 15 |
| BEP2040 | Strategic Concepts for Business | 15 |
| BEP2050 | Finance for Business | 15 |
| BEP2060 | Research Inquiry for Practice | 15 |
| BEP2110 | Workplace Wellbeing | 15 |
| BEP2120 | Digital Technologies and the Future of Work | 15 |
| BEP2190 | Understanding Financial Statements | 15 |
| BEP2200 | Marketing Analytics | 15 |
| BSc Politics and Management - Year 2 Options (Politics) 24.25 | ||
| POC2005 | American Politics | 15 |
| POC2047 | Work Placement | 15 |
| POC2085 | Imagining the Good Life: From Agora to the American Dream | 15 |
| POC2087 | Security Studies | 15 |
| POC2088 | Understanding Israel and Palestine: One Land, Two People | 15 |
| POC2041 | The Political Psychology of Elites | 15 |
| POC2128 | Global Authoritarianism | 15 |
| POC2108 | Political Geographies: Local to Global | 15 |
| POC2114 | Green Politics in Theory and Practice | 15 |
| POC2012 | The Ethics and Politics of Humanitarian Intervention | 15 |
| POC2018 | National and Community Identity | 15 |
| POC2103 | Introduction to Postcolonialism | 15 |
| POC2120 | Power and Democracy | 15 |
| POC2123 | Politics of the Middle East | 15 |
| POC2129 | Gender and Politics in Africa | 15 |
| POC2130 | Political Behaviour across Generations and the Life Course | 15 |
| POC2132 | Politics of Work | 15 |
| POC2098 | Comparative Politics | 15 |
| POC2124 | Political Analysis | 15 |
Students spend this stage at a partner University abroad. The year abroad comprises 120 credits. Assessment is normally based on the credits gained at the partner institution abroad.
60 credits of compulsory modules, 60 credits of optional modules of which at least 15 credits must be selected from final stage Politics optional modules and 15 credits from final stage Business optional modules
Compulsory modules
| Code | Module | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BEP3020 | Practice-Based Consultancy Management | 15 |
| BEP3110 | Marketing Strategy | 15 |
| POC3040 | Dissertation | 30 |
Optional modules
| Code | Module | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BSc Politics and Management - Final Year Options (Business) 24.25 | ||
| BEP3011 | Business and Climate Change | 15 |
| BEP3070 | Crisis: Change and Creativity in Organisations | 15 |
| BEP3010 | Social and Technological Innovation | 15 |
| BEP3172 | Future 17: Sustainable Development Goals Challenge | 15 |
| BEP3040 | Local-Global Innovation (Cornwall Research Seminar Series) | 15 |
| BEP3171 | The Economy of Space | 15 |
| BSc Politics and Management - Final Year Options (Politics) | ||
| POC3147 | Politics of Work | 15 |
| POC3146 | Party Politics, Voters and Elections in Britain | 15 |
| POC3103 | The Resource Paradox: Blessing or Curse? | 15 |
| POC3095 | Environmental Knowledge Controversies | 15 |
| POC3148 | Political Psychology and Society | 15 |
| POC3128 | Post-Soviet Politics and Societies | 15 |
| POC3023 | Entangled Life: Radical Democracy in Theory | 15 |
| POC3026 | Entangled Life: Radical Democracy in Practice | 15 |
| POC3097 | The Politics of Gender, Sex and Sexuality | 15 |
| POC3105 | Negotiating Postcoloniality: History and Politics of Independent India | 15 |
| POC3117 | The Politics of Climate Change | 15 |
| POC3124 | Political Thinkers of the Late Twentieth Century | 15 |
| POC3130 | Controversies in American Politics | 15 |
| POC3133 | Chinese Politics and Society | 15 |
| POC3134 | Queer Theory in the Global Context | 15 |
| POC3137 | The Politics of Knowledge and Ignorance | 15 |
| POC3138 | Field Trip | 15 |
| POC3141 | Displacement and Migration in the Middle East | 15 |
| POC3142 | Social and Islamist Armed Movements | 15 |
| POC3144 | Gender and Politics in Africa | 15 |
Course variants
UCAS code: LL34
Our four-year ‘with Study Abroad’ degree, offers you the possibility of spending your third year abroad, studying with one of our many partner universities.
Why Study Abroad?
Living and studying in a different country is an exciting experience that broadens your academic and cultural horizons, as well as giving you the opportunity to widen your circle of friends. Students who have studied abroad demonstrate initiative, independence, motivation and, depending on where they stay, may also have gained a working knowledge of another language – all key qualities that employers are looking for in today’s competitive employment environment.
Where can I Study Abroad?
We have partnership arrangements with many prestigious institutions across the globe. Exactly where you can apply to study will depend on the subjects you are studying at Exeter. For a full list please visit the Study Abroad website.
Does it count towards my degree?
Credit for academic work during your year abroad is arranged by agreement between the University of Exeter and the host institution. These marks are then translated back into your degree at Exeter. If you are Studying Abroad for a semester or full year, your time abroad will count toward your final degree.
How does it affect my tuition fee and funding?
For the year that you spend studying abroad you will pay a significantly reduced tuition fee to Exeter, but nothing to your host university – for more information visit our fees pages. You will continue to receive a maintenance loan if you are eligible for this whilst on your Study Abroad year.
UCAS code: LL36
Our four-year ‘with Employment Experience’ degree, offers you the possibility of spending your third year carrying out a graduate-level work placement or placements within the UK as part of your degree.
Why choose to include Employment Experience?
Undertaking graduate-level work during your degree unlocks a world of experience that allows you to develop essential employability and interpersonal skills that relate to your degree and future career. A work placement will dramatically boost your confidence, enhance your CV and develop graduate level skills and competencies that employers are looking for.
Where will I do my work placement?
The sector you choose to work within is very much your choice as you will be responsible for finding and organising your placement. We will provide plenty of guidance and support during your first and second years which will prepare you to research and apply for placements. Ultimately, the university will give final approval to your placement to make sure you have a valuable experience.
How does it affect my tuition fees and funding?
For your ‘Year In Industry’ you will pay a significantly reduced tuition fee to Exeter – for more information visit our fees pages. If you were previously eligible, you will continue to receive a maintenance loan whilst on your year of work placement/s.
Fees
Tuition fees for 2025 entry
UK students: £9,535 per year
International students: £24,700 per year
Scholarships
The University of Exeter has many different scholarships available to support your education, including £5 million in scholarships for international students, such as our Global Excellence Scholarships*. Financial support is also available for students from disadvantaged backgrounds, lower income households and other under-represented groups to help them access, succeed and progress through higher education.
* Terms and conditions apply. See online for details.
I love how student are on first name terms with lecturers and seminar leaders. With class and lecture sizes being relatively small compared to other universities, I gain a lot more information and support than I would have originally expected.
Aaron
Studying Politics and International Relations (Cornwall)
Learning and teaching
How will I learn?
We use a wide range of teaching methods as well as encouraging independent study with an increasing emphasis on seminar discussion and project work in your second and third years. Teaching includes:
- Lectures
- Seminars
- Tutorials
- Practical exercises, project and group work
- Independent study
You will also have access to personal and subject tutors who will give you the individual help and guidance you need to succeed.
How will I be assessed?
- Essays
- Individual and group presentations
- Projects
- Exams
- Dissertation in your final year
You must pass your first year modules in order to proceed but your performance at this level does not count towards your final degree classification.
Fieldwork
Conducting fieldwork gives you the opportunity to witness the evolution of political process and their impact on society first hand. This may include:
- Interviews with important stakeholders
- Focus group discussions with community members
- Analysis of politicised spaces
- Public Forums
Where will I study?
You will study on our beautiful Penryn Campus in Cornwall, the South of England.
Optional modules outside of this course
Each year, if you have optional modules available, you can take up to 30 credits in a subject outside of your course. This can increase your employability and widen your intellectual horizons.
Proficiency in a second subject
If you complete 60 credits of modules in one of the subjects below, you may have the words 'with proficiency in [e.g. Social Data Science]' added to your degree title when you graduate.
- A Foreign Language
- Data Science
- Entrepreneurship
- Innovation
- Law (Penryn Campus only)
- Leadership
- Management
- Social Data Science
Politics in Cornwall
Politics and International Relations programmes in Cornwall are part of a world-class research institution. We are committed to creating a diverse and thriving student community. We believe that this is achieved by providing a supportive learning environment, which nurtures our students through-out your time with us and helps you make the transition from school to university. In addition, in Cornwall, students will benefit from a bespoke learning experience within a diverse cohort of students and an unrivalled commitment to excellence in teaching.
Politics in Cornwall is characterised by its focus on some of the biggest political challenges facing the world today such as inequality, climate change, the global financial crisis, conflict, and the depletion of natural resources, public disillusionment with politics, and the changing balance in world power. We’ll teach you about political systems and theories and apply these to world events and the major issues setting the modern political agenda, giving you real world skills valued by employers.
Find out more on our dedicated Cornwall pages.
Your future
Develop skills valued by employers
As a Politics and International Relations graduate you will have an understanding of complex political and cultural issues, often in changing environments which will be valued by employers in both the public and private sectors. Alongside this you will gain a range of academic and professional skills including:
- Analytical, critical and independent thinking
- Independent research
- Problem solving
- Discussion and group work
- Collecting, assessing and presenting evidence
- Written and verbal communication
- Articulating ideas and constructing arguments
- Organising, planning and time management
Career paths
The University has an excellent reputation with graduate recruiters and our graduates compete very successfully in the employment market. Below are a few examples of the positions or organisations our graduates have gone onto*:
(* This information has been taken from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education (DLHE) Survey)
Occupations
- Management Consultant
- Parliamentary Caseworker and Researcher
- Civil Servant
- Film Production Coordinator
- Officer Cadet
- Analyst
- Trainee Insurance Broker
- Investment Assistant
- Estate Agent
- Communications Officer
Organisation
- Accenture
- National Health Service
- Barclays Bank PLC
- Ogilvy and Mather
- Treehouse PR Ltd
- Easton Aerospace
- Orchards of London
- Cornells
- Arcadia Group
Further study
Further study is a popular choice for a number of students following graduation. Below are a few examples of further study undertaken by recent graduates of undergraduate programmes. Please note that, due to data protection the subjects of study and institutions are listed independently and do not necessarily correspond.
Subject area
- MA Crisis Management
- MSc Public Policy
- MA EU Politics
- MA Globalisation and Communications
- MA International Relations in the Middle East
- MA Public Policy and Administration
Institution
- University of Leicester
- University of Exeter
- Kings College London
- University of Bristol
- London
Exeter Award and Exeter Leaders Award
Many of our students participate in The Exeter Award and The Exeter Leaders Award. These schemes encourage you to participate in employability related workshops, skills events, volunteering and employment which will contribute to your career decision-making skills and success in the employment market.
Developing your skills and career prospects
We provide a range of support to help you develop skills attractive to employers. You will be able to access a range of specific activities such as careers skills sessions and employer-led events, or seek bespoke advice and support from Employability Officers.
The Career Zone also organises a busy schedule of activities including careers fairs, skills workshops, and training events, and can advise on graduate opportunities and volunteering.
Video features the song "Everything is a Jawn" by EVA (https://joshlis.bandcamp.com/) which is available under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/). Edited for length.
