Bachelor of Arts - Politics (Including Placement Year) (L203)

The University of Essex BA Politics course provides a thorough training in all major areas of political science, and is based in the top politics department in the country. Always seeking political cause and effect, the course casts light on aspects of life students might never ordinarily connect to politics and government. Students investigate the scope of political science as a field of inquiry, and the methods used by political scientists, in order to explore questions concerning both what does occur in politics, and what should occur in politics. Study topic include: concepts in political science, international relations, democratic systems, political power, obligations, freedom, rights and equality.

In a placement year students gain relevant work experience within an external business, giving them a competitive edge in the graduate job market and providing them with key contacts within the industry. Students will be responsible for finding their placement, but with support and guidance provided by both the department and the Employability and Careers Centre. A Placement-Linked Project module is also available as an alternative to the dissertation module in the third year. Students attend shorter placements (a minimum of 150 hours in total), and use their learning on placement to inform a research project; fantastic work experience for their CV.

Politics at Essex is all about moving from opinions to evidence. Students will quickly learn to ask – and how to answer – the “how do you know?” question. Essex trains students to be fearless and independent, to question everything and to draw on the broadest possible range of facts and ideas.

The School'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. Essex's students are in demand from a host of employers, in politics, the civil service fast stream, management, journalism, police, armed forces, commerce, business, finance, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), teaching and graduate research.

Some notable alumni include the Former Speaker of the House of Commons, Rt Hon John Bercow MP, and the recent graduates who have gone on to work for a wide range of high-profile companies including: Qatar Financial Authority, NATO, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Houses of Parliament Research Unit, United Nations Development Program, and the Department of Health.