Why study Politics and Modern History at Aberystwyth?
- Our department is ranked in the top 40 in the world for academic reputation. (QS 2017).
- You will be taught in a department that was founded in 1919 after the end of World War I, and it’s the world’s first university Department of International Politics.
- You will be guided and mentored by lecturers who are enthusiastic, committed in providing you with an outstanding, innovative and dynamic learning environment.
- The Department of International Politics is regarded as world-leading and internationally excellent, and we are the best in Wales with our pioneering Research (REF 2014).
- We have one of the biggest libraries in the world, the National Library of Wales, on our doorstep. This copyright institution receives a copy of every book published in the UK.
- All students on this course will have the opportunity to take part in our prestigious Parliamentary Placement scheme alongside an MP (House of Commons, Westminster) or an AM (Welsh Assembly, Cardiff).
- Our department's extracurricular activities include being active contributors to?‘Interstate’?which is the oldest student-run international Politics journal in the UK.
Our Staff
Department of History and Welsh History lecturers are all qualified to PhD level, and most also have a PGCHE.
Lecturers in the Department of International Politics are all research active and qualified to PhD level, and most also have a PGCHE.
What are our graduates doing now??
Graduates from our department have pursued careers in:?
- The Civil Service
- Security Service
- Government Research department
- Public Affairs
- Education
- Social Research.
What opportunities are there for me whilst studying at University?
Employability is embedded across our teaching. We teach our students to aim for the career they want, not the job that they can get.
- The Department operates a prestigious Parliamentary Placement scheme, enabling you to gain valuable experience working alongside an MP (House of Commons, Westminster) or an AM (Welsh Assembly, Cardiff) for a period of 4-6 weeks during the summer. During this time, you will write reports and speeches, undertake research projects, and respond to constituency issues. There may be further opportunities for you to get involved in elections and various international issues.
- The Department is also home to?Interstate, the oldest student-run international politics journal in the United Kingdom, providing a unique opportunity for you to publish your work (particularly advantageous if you wish to progress to postgraduate study) or gain valuable experience working as part of the editorial team. Stimulating student societies foster a strong sense of community within the department, offering a programme of political debates, visiting speakers, conferences and workshops, alongside numerous social activities such as an annual ball.
What skills will acquire if I studied Politics and Modern History at Aberystwyth University?
Studying for a degree in International Politics will equip you with a range of transferable skills which are highly valued by employers. These include:
? the ability to express ideas and communicate information in a clear and structured manner, in both written and oral form
? effective problem-solving and creative thinking skills
? the ability to work independently
? time-management and organisational skills, including the ability to meet deadlines
? self-motivation and self-reliance
? team-working, with the ability to discuss concepts in groups, accommodating different ideas and reaching agreement;
? research skills.
What work experience opportunities exist whilst studying??
Click?here?to find out about the various opportunities that our Aberystwyth University Careers team offer.?
Enhance your employability prospects with?GO Wales and YES?(Year in Employment Scheme) managed by our Careers department.?
What will I learn?
The breakdown below will provide you with an illustration of what you may study during the three year degree scheme.
In your first year you will discover:
- Historical skills
- New methods and periods
- The most exciting recent historical and political works
- The development and progress of international relations during the twentieth century
- A range of perspectives and approaches to the study of international politics.
In the second and Third year you will explore topics such as:
- Historical method
- Political theory
- Early Modernity in Europe
- War and Society in History
- The evolution of warfare since Napoleon
- Romantic Wales
- Gender in History
- British Society and the French Revolution
- Napoleon
- Britain at War
- The Third Reich
- The Vietnam War
- Ritual , Kingship and Power in Norman and Angevin England
- Political and historical aspects of the Cold War
- The Intelligence and security in the twentieth century
- The role warfare in the history of key states and regions (such as the USA, Russia UK & Ireland, and the Middle East).
How will I be taught?
We deliver this degree through the medium of lectures and seminars.
We will assign you a personal tutor who will be with you throughout your degree, this person will help you any problems whether these are academic-related or personal issues.
We assess our students through essays, reports, examinations, book reviews, learning logs and presentations.
We encourage our students to take part in the Crisis Games, which is a yearly residential activity away from Aberystwyth. Crisis games have been based on humanitarian and environmental crises, the Northern Ireland peace process, the US presidential election, war between Russia and Georgia, Iran’s nuclear programme, Brexit. The Crisis Games will allow you to learn about aspects of international politics which cannot be taught in lectures and seminars, especially the constraints which political leaders face in responding to various crises. This is no doubt, the highlight of the year.?
The Politics and Modern History course at Aberystwyth University provided me with an excellent opportunity to experience the expertise of two fantastic departments. The VI35 course is tailored especially for students who are fascinated about how our world has changed over time, and the important political components of that change. The ability to choose from an extended list of modules in both departments has allowed me to focus on the aspects of historical and political change that I find the most interesting. Furthermore, the staff and their expertise have provided me with an exceptional learning experience and outstanding student support.
Alan Donaldson
