Graduate Diploma - Politics

The University of Essex Graduate Diploma in Politics is a nine-month full-time course which provides a bridge between undergraduate and postgraduate study. This course is for students if they already have an undergraduate degree, but not in politics, and therefore need further study before taking politics at Masters level. Students develop their knowledge and understanding of the major theoretical and conceptual foundations of political science, and master the necessary quantitative methods for the study of politics. Students can also choose from a range of optional modules on topics including: mass media and democracy, forecasting global trends, ethics and public policy, international security, and public opinion.

Essex's Department of Government is one of the most prestigious in Europe, with an outstanding record of teaching, research and publication. They are rated top in the UK for research, and have consistently been the highest-rated politics department in the country since national assessments began.

All Essex politics graduates have the distinction of a qualification from one of the world’s leading politics departments.

As well as enabling students to go on to a Masters course of their choice in politics, this course will also develop key employability skills including analytical reasoning, research design, quantitative methods, data analysis and essay-writing.

Essex's graduates go on to enjoy influential careers in British, European and international politics. This includes working as an MP, being the Speaker of the House of Commons and employment as political lobbyists or staff assistants to MPs and MEPs.

Essex's graduates have also gone on to work for the following high-profile organizations: the Civil Service, local government, the World Bank, the United Nations, NATO, YouGov and YouGov America.

Essex's academic reputation is illustrated by the fact that many of their graduates now teach or research at universities, colleges of higher education and schools. For example, recent graduates are now research fellows and academic staff at: Mannheim, Germany; ETH Zurich, Switzerland; Duke University, USA; NATO/SHAPE, Belgium; and University of Amsterdam, Netherlands.