- Public Affairs
MPA — 2025 entry Public Affairs
Our unique integrated masters course will give you in-depth knowledge of political science, public policy and international affairs. After you graduate, you can expect to enter inter-governmental roles across the globe, due to the international appeal of the MPA.
Why choose
this course?
- Public affairs is about how organisations engage with politics to manage risk and influence public policy.
- By combining undergraduate and postgraduate study into a single tailored package, this course fuses disciplinary fundamentals with a focus on application and generating change.
- Along the way you’ll develop an understanding of the key actors and methods of influence in public affairs, and be able to address the biggest debates in contemporary public policy.
- You’ll have the option to take one of our award-winning Professional Training placements that will prepare you for work in industry.
Statistics
11th in the UK
Politics is ranked 11th in The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024
Top 5 in the UK
For student experience in the The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024
1st in the UK
Politics is ranked first for student experience in The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025
Video
What you will study
On our Public Affairs MPA course, you’ll get a full disciplinary grounding in politics and public policy. You’ll also develop advanced applied knowledge of practical techniques of public affairs, including political leadership and communication, negotiation and lobbying, campaigning, and public administration.
In your final year, you will have the opportunity to develop and apply advanced primary research skills to a masters dissertation project on a topic of your choice.
The academic year is divided into two semesters of 15 weeks each. Each semester consists of a period of teaching, revision/directed learning and assessment.
The structure of our programmes follow clear educational aims that are tailored to each programme. These are all outlined in the programme specifications which include further details such as the learning outcomes.
Please note: The full module listing for the optional Professional Training placement part of your course is available in the relevant programme specification.
Modules
Modules listed are indicative, reflecting the information available at the time of publication. Modules are subject to teaching availability, student demand and/or class size caps.
The University operates a credit framework for all taught programmes based on a 15-credit tariff.
Course options
Year 1 - MPA
Semester 1
Compulsory
This module offers students a first introduction to the study of political science, with an overall objective to set the foundations for developing a cultural and global diversity mindset, employability skills, digital capabilities, sustainable thinking, resourcefulness and resilience in the study of politics. Students engage with a set of key concepts of political science, questions and debates at the heart of the discipline. The module is a foundational window to the functioning of political systems and processes, key theories of political science and insights into the way important societal developments affect politics in any country context. Moreover, this module will teach and encourage students to start critically reflecting on social and political trends around the world, as well as set the foundations to become independent thinkers in analysing political developments and events.
View full module detailsThis module introduces the discipline of International Relations, exploring key global events and their interrelationship with the development of theoretical perspectives. Students will be introduced to both mainstream and critical perspectives, exploring both their basis in philosophy and their practical applications in analysis. They will also explore empirical case areas that present major challenges in international politics and current affairs, including developments on environment and climate change, security, human rights and globalisation.
View full module detailsThis module offers an introduction to British Politics, exploring the key institutions of the political system (monarchy, Government, Parliament, parties), recent political challenges (Europe, the role of the media, devolution) and options for reform. We will also examine the role of non-state actors in reshaping British politics; from environmental and sustainability activism to public petitions.Students will cement their knowledge of our parliamentary democracy and place this in the current political context. The module content links to other modules of comparative politics, public policy and political science in Levels 5 and 6.
View full module detailsThe 20th Century was full of contradiction: devastating world wars, intra-state conflict, revolution and economic disaster were met with recognition of the right of peoples to determine their own future, of an international human rights agenda, of unprecedented systemic institution-building in order to promote and perpetuate peace and economic growth that extended far beyond the “first world”. This module will review key events and processes of the 20th Century in order to identify and understand the circumstances under which such major change came about. Students will therefore be required to acquire a detailed knowledge and understanding of international history and actors in the twentieth century. Students will develop and apply knowledge of International Relations theorising acquired in other modules, including the historiography of IR theorising, in order to be able to identify and understand the dominant theoretical thinking of a particular time, and will be able to understand the use of history both within the discipline and by political actors. The module engages the global and cultural structures of power within which the discipline of International Relations is embedded; the evolution of capitalism and the sustainability of contemporary international political economy; and the resourcefulness and resilience required for processes of revolutionary change.
View full module detailsSemester 2
Compulsory
This module introduces students to the western tradition of political theorising from the Ancient Greeks to the moderns. The module seeks to familiarise students with key figures in this historical and philosophical tradition, their main contributions to political theory, and wider philosophical and theoretical debates about politics, such as the nature of liberty, the problem of political obligation, and the meaning of justice. More broadly, the distinction between ‘the Ancients’ and ‘the Moderns’ is central to the module. Students learn to appreciate what distinguishes ancient thinkers from modern ones, and how these differences reflect deep disagreement over philosophical methodology. The module encourages students to utilise these reflections for their own philosophical analysis and interrogation of the material. As such, the module offers insights, feedback, and assessment forms which cumulatively provide students with opportunities to engage in four key areas: employability (by developing the ability to communicate complex material orally and in writing), global and cultural capabilities (by understanding differences between historical periods and philosophical traditions and how these have shaped cultures), sustaiable thinking (by understanding the modus operandi of modern society), digital capabilities (through the use of relevant digital resources), and resourcefulness and resilience (in having to deal with unfamiliar and challenging material).
View full module detailsThe module provides an introduction to the European Union. It asks why the European integration process began, and how the EU of today resulted. It provides an analysis of the EU institutions, and also evaluates how EU membership changes the member states themselves. The module also introduces debates about the evaluation of the integration process and assesses the potential for further European integration. Each week, there will be a lecture on a given area, followed up by a seminar. The seminars will typically be focused around a particular activity and may require the group to produce a collective output, to be posted on SurreyLearn by the seminar leader for the rest of the module’s students to see. Seminar leaders may organise each seminar group at the start of the module so that small groups of individuals take lead responsibility for the production of any such documents for particular sessions. However, it is expected that ALL students will bring new materials and ideas to the session, contribute towards the debate and thereby support their fellow-students. Further documents as handouts, summaries, and notes will be uploaded by me to help you through the module. As part of the module, there will be a process of both learning and critical reflection. This will enable students to develop your skills towards how to select and write a literature review and demonstrate their critical thinking towards the academic literature.
View full module detailsThe primary focus of the module will be on different aspects of representation. It simultaneously introduces students to some of the most relevant issues and debates surrounding challenges to representation across (liberal) democracies in different global and cultural contexts. Drawing on different perspectives from across political science, this module offers an opportunity to consider the ways in which citizens' opinions and preferences are constructed, as well as how politics and political agents account (or not) for these opinions and preferences. The module uses a mixture of case studies from different national contexts and largely rely on comparative evidence to explore key issues and deepen students' knowledge of representation and its challenges. The case studies are designed to build more general criitical thinking and analytical skills that students can use to form their own understanding of various aspects of representation and some of its principal challenges, being able to transfer learnings and skills across other modules in Levels 5 and 6 and further afield in their career.
View full module detailsThe module provides an opportunity for students to investigate and discuss critical issues in both domestic and international politics. As such the module content will respond to key contemporary developments ensuring that students are able to employ their analytical skills gained through their semester 1 L4 modules (particularly POL 1012 and POL 1013). Typically the module will cover such issues as nationalism, problems stemming from globalisation, international conflicts, the cross-cutting instrumentality of environmental / sustainability policy, democratic and economic crises as well as matters related to identity, inclusivity and intersectionality.
View full module detailsOptional modules for Year 1 - FHEQ Level 4
NA
Year 2 - MPA
Semester 1
Compulsory
In this class, we build on students’ understanding of research skills introduced at Level 1. We investigate in depth the basic assumptions that inform social scientific research including philosophical issues such as the source of knowledge in social science. We will review different quantitative and qualitative methodologies employed in political science such as experiments, surveys, interviews, focus groups, content analysis, document analysis, discourse analysis, ethnographic research, case studies and comparative analysis, and practice on designing solid research projects that will require application of one of the above methods to solve a specific political puzzle. The development of skills around these methods can help you with future modules and assignments, but beyond they can help you develop a set of skills for employment, raising your awareness on global and cultural issues of interest, and help you understand how we can become resilient researchers who understand how to find solutions to problems and real-life tasks.
View full module detailsThis module seeks to introduce students to a range of topics and issues that has been central to key debates in the discipline of International Relations (IR). The module will cover a number of theoretical perspectives, covering not only mainstream theories such as realism, liberalism, and constructivism, but also critical approaches such as Marxism, feminism, and post-structuralism, so that students are introduced to global perspectives and resources on international relations. During the module, these approaches will be related to the analysis of topical cases ranging from humanitarian intervention and nuclear deterrence to human security and the role of women in international relations. The globalisation of world politics and the impact this has had on IR as a discipline will provide the intellectual framework for the analysis presented in the module. The module will enable students to explore examples within each theory as well as analysing empirical cases from different theoretical standpoints. Overall, the aim is to provide students with an overview of the theoretical landscape in international relations and how theory connects with empirical evidence in this domain.
View full module detailsThis module will introduce students to the main debates and methods associated with policy analysis. It covers key traditional theoretical concepts used in public policy analysis such as pluralism, elitism as well as more contemporary approaches and developments such as evidence based policy making. To that end, students will be called to apply the theoretical concepts and ideas around public policy making and the research design techniques for public policy analysis into real-life scenario based exercises, risk management and mitigation of policy implementation, agenda-setting and problem solving exercises in a variety of policy areas of their choice. They can draw examples from different national and international settings, touching upon any policy area, from sustainability and environmental protection, to security, immigration, asylum, foreign policy, education and welfare provision, public health and institutional design for policy making. Students will get the opportunity of analysing data and evidence that they collect in traditional and digital ways, enhancing their resilience in facing research caveats and their resourcefulness in thinking about workarounds to problems. Finally, the module provides students with transferable skills in policy analysis and policy briefing applicable to a range of Level 6 modules, their dissertation projects and other policy related assignments, as well as in their quest for future career and placement prospects in policy-related workplaces.
View full module detailsOptional
The module provides a more advanced understanding of the policy-making process in the EU than Level 4 POL1018. It addresses how the process of EU integration unfolds and how the EU of today works (or fails). It provides an analysis of the theories and methods of how we can understand, explain and possibly expect how this process develops. The module addresses and assesses the potential for further European integration or disintegration. Each week, I will upload a 10mn podcast on the topic of the day. I will then invite you to prepare a reading in advance and we will convene together (two-hour seminar) to examine the topic before the seminar. The lecture will consist of two parts: one virtual and one in-class. The virtual lecture will be uploaded to SurreyLearn in the week before the class sessions – you should watch and make notes, since this will be where the bulk of the substantive knowledge is located. The lecture/zoom element of the lecture will be designed to be more interactive, allowing you to ask questions about the virtual lecture and to situate it within the broader context. The seminars will typically be focused around a particular activity and may require the group to produce a collective output, to be posted on SurreyLearn for the rest of the module’s students to see. However, it is expected that ALL students will bring new materials and ideas to the session, contribute towards the debate and thereby support their fellow-students. Further documents as handouts, summaries, and notes will be uploaded by me to help you through the module. As part of the module, there will be a process of both learning and critical reflection. This will enable students to develop your skills towards how to select and write a literature review and demonstrate their critical thinking towards the academic literature.
View full module detailsThis module enables students to gain a solid understanding of key theories of International Political Economy (IPE) such as Mercantilism, Liberalism and Marxism. It strongly emphasises the political, philosophical and ethical aspects of IPE and is therefore more in-line with studies of Political Theory and Philosophy rather than Classical Economics. It therefore builds on a good understanding of International Relations, the links between history and theory and experience with empirical case studies acquired in POL1013. It deepens knowledge in political and social philosophy acquired in POL1014, specifically on questions of liberty, welfare, and justice. The acquired knowledge should be applied in a critical fashion for the analysis of case studies. Multi-national corporations and institutions in the International Trade and Monetary System are introduced as key actors in the international political economic environment. Students will be able to discuss and debate the role of these institutions in the development of, and their behaviour during, crises, with focus on the Asia-Pacific region. Current and future challenges to the status quo of IPE are discussed as well. The acquired knowledge on state and market relations, the focus on non-Western case studies together with presentation and communication skills directly link the module to Level 6 modules POL3090 and POL3072.
View full module detailsSemester 2
Compulsory
This module will introduce students to quantitative research methods, with particular focus on current examples from politics building on POL2027 Approaches to Research. In this module students will be introduced to the basic concepts, methods, and techniques used in quantitative analysis and are necessary for understanding developments in politics and IR and decisions taken by the government and other public organisations. This module will also provide students with the skills necessary and the practical experience of using quantitative data and techniques of analysing it. This way students will learn new in-demand skills, not only for their studies but also skills they can highlight in their CVs. The course uses the statistical software RStudio, and you will learn how to critical evaluate research questions by using them most important surveys available. Students will also learn skills they can apply at their dissertation and into assignments during the final year of their studies.
View full module detailsThe module lays a theoretical foundation for empirical studies of modern governmental structures. It offers students an understanding of the structures of governments, the variations in state organisation, governmental forms and party systems. In particular, it will examine the main elements of the modern democratic state in a comparative manner, stressing both the commonalities and differences between systems around the world. Technically, the module will provide students with the basic ideas and skills that will serve them for further study of both comparative government and individual case studies, as well as introducing them to core literature in the field. The mdule seeks to develop research and analytical skills useful to the research of comparative politics. It also expands notions of democracies to discuss non-Western democratic models and key examples from authoritarian and illiberal states from around the world to discuss democratic challenges. We bring forward comparative analysis on social movements and political participation, highlighting movements like gender and race equality, autonomy, environmental and climate change movements, from a comparative point of view, including the value of protesting. We focus therefore both on the formal and informal side of political life with a view to master comparative research techniques.
View full module detailsThe form of globalisation that has characterised the international system over the post-Cold War era, a phenomenon that both drives and is driven by international institutions, treaties and regimes, is seemingly reducing the capacity of nation-states to respond to pressures emanating from the international economic and security environment. Economic challenges, including the recent global recession, require intimate cross-border cooperation (at the regional and global level); climate change presents a threat that requires urgent global-cooperation (be it between local authorities and cities in different national contexts, or at the national level), and public health continues to have drastic impacts on economy, development, and wellbeing that reach beyond individual states. Furthermore, the end of the Cold War has ushered in a host of new security challenges that states are unable to tackle on an individual basis, from preventing and dealing with the consequences of state failure, international terrorism and crime, as well as the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. A key question that the module will examine is the extent to which these challenges are leading to a shift away from an international system characterized by the notion of state sovereignty and the control of policy development and implementation by the central political authority of the nation-state, to a diffusion of power and competencies, both ‘horizontally’, to private actors such as NGOs and Transnational Corporations, and ‘vertically’, downwards to the regional level and upwards to international organisations. The module will critically assess the analytical leverage that can be attained to these questions through the application of diverse perspectives within IR theories, covering not only realist, liberal, and constructivist schools of thought, but also critical approaches such as Marxism and post-structuralism. It will also focus on approaches drawn from political science theory, notably the literatures on multi-level governance, public policy theories, and the ‘new’ institutionalism. In the course students will tackle a number of contemporary debates on international organisations that are central to public debate - the meaning and forms of international organisations, issues of authority, power and legitimacy; how states and non-state actors (particularly NGOs and business) have shaped the nature and scope of international cooperation and the effects that participation in international institutions upon policy-making, styles of governance and institutional configuration at the national and sub-national levels. We will also examine not only the role of hegemonic powers, in particular the impact of the United States over the post-war and post-Cold War eras, but also the implications of the rise of new powers such as China and India upon international organisations. The module will then examine relevant case studies: environmental governance; global health governance; the WTO and the governance of international trade; the IMF, World Bank and the governance of finance and development; the United Nations and security governance. The module will conclude by assessing the implications of the growth of international organisations for the role of the state as a national and international actor.
View full module detailsOptional
In this module students will develop their knowledge and understanding of Political Ideologies, which form a key component of the study of political theory more broadly. The module starts with a brief definition of an inclusive model of ideology, which is the one most commonly adopted in political science. Subsequent lectures deal with a range of major ideological traditions, covering the political spectrum from extreme right to extreme left and taking account of recent developments which overflow traditional left/right borderlines, most notably due to the rise of populism. Specific emphasis is placed on the historical, social, and geographical context of the development of ideologies. Underlying the module is a concern for the condition of modernity, which serves as the backdrop for the genesis of current ideological frameworks. At a meta-level, the module critically assesses whether conditions of modernity still hold or whether these are being replaced by an increasingly reflexive form of modernity, liquid modernity, or even post-modernity. This raises wider questions about the continued applicability of the classic ideologies. In addition, the module offers insights, feedback, and assessment forms which cumulatively provide students with opportunities to engage in five key areas: employability, global and cultural capabilities, digital capabilities, sustainability, and resourcefulness and resilience.
View full module detailsThis module develops students' understanding of international security through a focus on the ways in which international relations is shaped by great powers. By studying how the United States, Russia, and China, define their interests and approach to international order, the module places its emphasis on the practice of international security in a series of flashpoints and crises in which great powers' security relations interact. Students will understand the security implications of resource scarcity and the globalisation of production. The module includes a crisis management exercise in which students are tasked with managing an evolving security crisis in real time.
View full module detailsThis module builds on students’ existing knowledge of electoral systems and voting behaviour. It will give students an understanding of the implications of the use of particular electoral systems in different contexts and how people vote. Through the examination of existing theories and analytical frameworks, students will develop their ability to analyse the results of contemporary elections. Students will develop their ability to analyse the results of contemporary elections, the emergence on new political parties, and the contemporary developments in party systems. The module enables students to critically apply key voter’s behaviour theories to contemporary elections and understand strategies through which participation in voting can be encouraged. Together we will examine both parties and voters, and through the analysis of case studies we will examine contemporary debates on voting behavior. The module complements and expands elements of UK politics electoral systems featured in POL1017 (Debates in British Politics) and on theories of voting behaviour such as rational choice which have been discussed in POL1012 (Introduction to Politics). There are no pre-requisites for this module. Students have the opportunity and are asked to carry out independent research.
View full module detailsOptional modules for Year 2 - FHEQ Level 5
Choose 2 modules from the listed optional modules.
POL2027 - APPROACHES TO RESEARCH requires students to have obtained 55% or above in their final mark to select POL3061 DISSERTATION in the final year.
Year 3 - MPA
Semester 1
Compulsory
The module will cover the basic elements of negotiation, using a combination of theoretical and practical methods. The module introduces theoretical approaches to negotiation, before exploring and illustrating them through active usage in a series of games and exercises. Negotiations in class (weekly) as well as online (throughout the duration of the semester) allow students to address real-life political issues in the form of simulations. The taught theoretical insights are put to practice with tailored seminar activities. More importantly, students are required to evaluate their practice in a self-reflexive critical portfolio that will be based on the experience built throughout the semester. This will test their grasp of the topic as well as give them the opportunity to consider how it will inform their future practices as a 'negotiator' within employment.
View full module detailsOptional
Following one of the most controversial administrations in recent history, this module situates the Trump presidency in the context of other executives and considers to what extent this period was a major departure for norms and strategy in US foreign policy. It considers recent history, theory and key concepts to reflect on the impact both for US power projection, and on world politics more generally.
View full module detailsIn a time of increasing challenges to the core components of representative democracy, this course provides an introduction to populism in theory and practice, employing an increasingly consensual ideational approach to populism. It introduces participants to an extensive conceptual debate, historical and current populist forces, their characteristics, causes and consequences, as well as the often-ambivalent relationship between populism and democracy. This course aims to introduce students to some of the most relevant issues and debates revolving around populism, its causes and consequences. Readings and activities have been carefully selected to deepen students’ knowledge of specific cases. They are also designed to build more general critical thinking and analytical skills that students can use to form their own understanding of the relationship between populism and democracy, as well as present their views in both oral and written formats, developing a global perspective on a topical issue of political culture. To do so, this module addresses the following main issues: concepts of populism (assessment of definitions and presentation of populism as a set of ideas) overview of populism amongst the masses and elites overview of populist forces in Europe, Latin America and the USA causes of populism consequences of populism, and most notably its ambivalent relationship with democracy implications of and responses to populism
View full module detailsThis unit is concerned with understanding the role of political communication in contemporary politics. Arguably parties use the media to influence voters, but the media also has a role in holding (selected) politicians to account. This unit explores the various theoretical perspectives on the role of political communication and the media, before moving on to consider a series of empirical examples. The unit also covers key topics relevant to political communication including the relationship between political parties and the national media; whether it is the role of political broadcasts, televised debates, or the impact of rolling news coverage on the ability of politicians to control the media. It considers how changes in media have offered new opportunities for citizenship and democracy, including agenda setting. It also considers how parties and political organisations have adapted to use these new media. There is a focus on key issues in contemporary politics and case studies will be situated throughout the module. Students will also gain coding and content analysis skills in order to explore how key topical political themes are framed in political communication. The module complements and expands elements of POL 1012 (Introduction to Politics), particularly structuralist theories of the state. It will also complement knowledge gained of British politics in POL 1017 (Debates in British Politics). The coding and content analysis skills also build on knowledge gained in Approaches to Research (POL 2027); although this module is not a pre-requisite – full training will be given as part of this module. There are no pre-requisites for this module and students have the opportunity to carry out independent research on a media/theme of their choice for the critique assessment.
View full module detailsSemester 2
Compulsory
This module offers students the opportunity to engage first hand with experts in a variety of different issue areas at the local, national and international levels. Thus the aim is to ensure that students understand how politics operates in practice through thinking about how policy is formulated and how different actors can influence it by applying theory to practice. It focuses in particular on contemporary issues and the module is designed to respond to current events.
View full module detailsOptional
The module is concerned with understanding the source, practice, effect and response to terrorism in the modern world. In particular, the objective is to provide students with a clearer understanding of how and why terrorism exists and how other political actors respond to it.
View full module detailsThis module seeks to introduce students to a range of topics relating to the roles of gender structures and sexuality in defining world politics. The module will explore the complex interactions that underpin the relationship between the personal and the international. The module will look at key debates in feminist theorising, in order to show how the concepts of gender and sexuality require scholars to unpack key defining concepts such as “masculinity” and “femininity”. This will allow us to interrogate and critique a number of challenges facing world politics today such as, gender mainstreaming in politics and demographic trends, but also domestic politics and representation, who is representing whom, and how?
View full module detailsThis module investigates the relationship between state and market in East and West by discussing views on philosophical ideas of democracy, development and justice. The module will build upon theoretical perspectives, ranging from Marxism to neo-liberalism. The students will analyse the practical policy applications of these theories as they have been manifested through neo-liberal politics, the Welfare State model and particularly the Development State model. Topical case studies will focus on East-Asia. The region allows for a critical discussion of major economic models and how they function as justification for particular regime forms and vice versa. Students will engage in debates over the socio-political consequences of economic and political transformations. It therefore builds on understanding of political and social philosophy on questions of welfare and justice acquired in POL1014 and more fundamentally on skills and knowledge obtained in POL2038 as it will deepen discussions on developmental strategies and state-market relations in political economy.
View full module detailsThis cutting-edge final year module introduces students to a range of key debates relating to European and EU security and diplomacy. Students are provided with a series of carefully scaffolded opportunities to engage in contemporary debates on Europe’s ability to operate as a security and foreign policy actor, in national, bilateral and multilateral forms. In addition, the module offers insights, feedback, and assessment forms which cumulatively provide students with opportunities to engage in five key areas: employability, global and cultural capabilities, digital capabilities, sustainability, and resourcefulness and resilience. European Security and Diplomacy will provide students with in-depth opportunities to consider, analyse, synthesize and critique a wide range of current issues in security and diplomacy in Europe. In doing so, students are presented with first-hand opportunities to engage in a diverse European and international environment, allowing them to compare various political and cultural viewpoints. Students will develop an understanding of complex issues regarding European actors, institutions, policies, diplomatic and defence structures. In learning about the unique challenges facing European security and diplomacy, students will be provided with key opportunities to develop their capability for sustainable thinking e.g. in tackling governance issues directly connected to the EU’s approach to climate change and sustainability), as well as medium and long-term options for European ‘actorness’ in relation to itself, and others. Students will be provided with a wide range of opportunities to apply relevant analytical, synthesis-based and critical thinking skills in in this module. The forms of assessment will further require students to invest in both independent and team-based work, strengthening their resourcefulness as young scholars, and deepening their forms of resilience in managing challenges. Give the wide range of conceptual, documentary, case-based and speech-related materials comprising this area, students will develop a range of research skills in tackling both classic and fast-moving contemporary political issues using a range of primary/secondary sources, including digital portals and repositories. This in turn will underwrite enhanced digital capabilities. Lastly, the sum total of various in-classroom skills, including developing debating and argumentation skills, alongside the range of soft skills connected to global awareness, digital capabilities, sustainability plus resourcefulness and resilience will cumulatively enable POL3087 students to augment their overall employability.
View full module detailsThis course provides an opportunity to students taking all pathways to explore key topics in political science, such as: What is 'activism' in the age of social media; Who are the activists today; What are the motivations behind political activism; How do different organizational vehicles (parties, movements, NGOs, pressure groups) contribute to the functioning of democracy. The module links well to modules at Level 5 (such as POL2029 and POL2047) and at Level 6 (such as POL3081, POL3082, POL3088, POL3089).
View full module detailsThe purpose of this module is to connect theories of democratisation with their application to specific regions, namely Central and Eastern Europe, but also beyond, looking at the post-Soviet space to understand the impact of EU Enlargement, demand and support for democracy in post-Communist Europe, and develop a wider knowledge of countries within this geographical space
View full module detailsSince the US anti-Vietnam War movement, philosophical interest in armed conflict has increased considerably. Beginning with Michael Walzer's classic Just and Unjust Wars: A Moral Argument with Historical Illustrations (1977), this module looks at key thinkers, themes, and ideas from contemporary just war theory and the ethics of armed conflict, mostly from within the analytical tradition of philosophy. Topics include the paradigm of self-defense and its critics, the moral status of combatants, the normative sources (and limits) of non-combatant immunity, the moral nature of terrorism, as well as the problem of intervention. The module concludes by examining more recent ethical challenges posed by remote-warfare, cyber warfare, and the prospect of robotic weapons. In studying these topics, students will not only gain a sound understanding of contemporary just war theory; they will also be introduced to key ideas and concepts from contemporary ethical and political theory. Finally, students will be able to apply the more abstract philosophical material discussed on the module to real-life events via an assessed Ethics Case Study
View full module detailsOptional modules for Year 3 - FHEQ Level 6
Students must choose six options of the optional modules available.
POL2027 - APPROACHES TO RESEARCH requires students to have obtained 55% or above in their final mark to select POL3061 DISSERTATION in the final year.
Year 4 - MPA
Semester 1
Compulsory
This module will provide an introduction to the design and conduct of social science research. Throughout, examples will be drawn from recent research in the areas of politics and policy. However, emphasis will also be placed on the applicability of these methods to other subject areas across the social sciences.
View full module detailsOptional
The module will examine, from a historical and practice-based perspective, international intervention in response humanitarian crisis, abuses of human rights, state failure, and armed conflict. Students will engage the historical cases of international intervention, to understand why, when, and how intervention talks place in practice. A UN Security Council simulation provides students with the experience of negotiating a resolution for intervention in the context of an evolving humanitarian crisis. Students also benefit from experienced practitioner engagement and a career-focused session.
View full module detailsThis module is concerned with understanding the role of leadership in the contemporary political environment. Much attention tends to be absorbed in observing institutional factors driving change, such as parties, parliaments and demography. However, this module establishes leadership as a vital factor in politics. This unit explores the various theoretical perspectives on the role of political leadership, including charisma and psychological approaches. It uses a range of examples to illustrate key dimensions of leadership and considers to what extend the requirement of political leadership have changed in response to the contemporary political environment. By examining leadership from a gender and dyadic perspective, the module also considers whether some nations have an issue in the accessibility of (and therefore representation by) leaders. It also examines key issues political leaders face; from exploring how they cope with conflict to how they keep their hands 'clean' of corruption. It also considers ways in which we can quantify how successful a leader is. There is a focus on key issues in contemporary political events and case studies will be situated throughout the module.
View full module detailsThis module is concerned with understanding the role of political communication in contemporary politics. Arguably parties use the media to influence voters, but the media also has a role in holding (selected) politicians to account. This unit explores the various theoretical perspectives on the role of political communication and the media, before moving on to consider a series of empirical examples. The unit also covers key topics relevant to political communication including the relationship between political parties and the national media; whether it is the role of political broadcasts, televised debates, or the impact of rolling news coverage on the ability of politicians to control the media. It considers how changes in media have offered new opportunities for citizenship and democracy, including agenda setting. It also explores how parties and political organisations have adapted advertising strategies to use these new media. There is a focus on key issues in contemporary political events and case studies will be situated throughout the module. Students will also gain coding and content analysis skills in order to explore how key topical political themes are framed in political communication.
View full module detailsThis module introduces students to one of the sub-disciplines of International Relations, Foreign Policy Analysis and explore the world of public diplomacy. Studying a variety of actors in world politics, students will be encouraged to apply the insights of Foreign Policy Analysis to improve their understanding of contemporary international relations and public diplomacy issues.
View full module detailsSemester 2
Optional
The module expands and develops upon the key issues in international security and defence. Beginning by providing a background to the study of security and defence, the module introduces theoretical perspectives into contemporary themes in security and defence, as well as their inter-relation. The module also examines various security and defence actors ranging from international, regional and sub-regional organisations to NGOs and private military companies. Through readings from diverse scholarly and cultural backgrounds, individual and group work, and in-class simulations, students actively and critically engage with issues including, but not limited to, humanitarian intervention, nuclear deterrence, the role of gender in conflict, and African peace and security architecture.
View full module detailsThe module provides an opportunity for students to apply their understanding of key theories and debates in International Political Economy (IPE) to current developments and case studies. Students will be able to discuss and debate the role of the main IPE institutions. Current and future challenges to the status quo of IPE are discussed as well.
View full module detailsThe module offers an introduction to the major theoretical and empirical debates that structure two subdisciplines: Critical Security Studies and Critical Terrorism Studies. In the first half, the module is organised around core questions in Critical Security Studies, such as: what is security; security for whom of for what; security from whom or from what; how should security be achieved; and is security possible? In the second half, the module is organised around similar core questions in Critical Terrorism Studies.
View full module detailsThe module examines armed conflict, civil war in particular, and international peacebuilding interventions. It draws on the multidisciplinary literature in Conflict and Peace Studies. Throughout the course students will become familiar with key actors, policies and institutions involved in conflict and post-conflict environments.
View full module detailsSince the US anti-Vietnam War movement, philosophical interest in armed conflict has increased considerably. Beginning with Michael Walzer's classic Just and Unjust Wars: A Moral Argument with Historical Illustrations (1977), this module looks at key thinkers, themes, and ideas from contemporary just war theory and the ethics of armed conflict, mostly from within the analytical tradition of philosophy. Topics include the paradigm of self-defense and its critics, the moral status of combatants, the normative sources (and limits) of non-combatant immunity, the moral nature of terrorism, as well as the problem of intervention. The module concludes by examining more recent ethical challenges posed by remote-warfare, cyber warfare, and the prospect of robotic weapons. In studying these topics, students will not only gain a sound understanding of contemporary just war theory; they will also be introduced to key ideas and concepts from contemporary ethical and political theory. Finally, students will be able to apply the more abstract philosophical material discussed on the module to real-life events via an assessed Ethics Case Study.
View full module detailsSemester 1 & 2
Compulsory
The Dissertation is an opportunity for students to explore a subject of their choosing in much greater detail than would otherwise be possible, applying their knowledge, understanding and skills to a particular question. Supported by general and specific guidance, the student will be able to synthesise the skills and knowledge which they have acquired during their integrated master’s degree.
View full module detailsOptional modules for Year 4 - FHEQ Level 7
Students must choose four options out of the modules available.
Year 1 - MPA with placement
Semester 1
Compulsory
This module offers students a first introduction to the study of political science, with an overall objective to set the foundations for developing a cultural and global diversity mindset, employability skills, digital capabilities, sustainable thinking, resourcefulness and resilience in the study of politics. Students engage with a set of key concepts of political science, questions and debates at the heart of the discipline. The module is a foundational window to the functioning of political systems and processes, key theories of political science and insights into the way important societal developments affect politics in any country context. Moreover, this module will teach and encourage students to start critically reflecting on social and political trends around the world, as well as set the foundations to become independent thinkers in analysing political developments and events.
View full module detailsThis module introduces the discipline of International Relations, exploring key global events and their interrelationship with the development of theoretical perspectives. Students will be introduced to both mainstream and critical perspectives, exploring both their basis in philosophy and their practical applications in analysis. They will also explore empirical case areas that present major challenges in international politics and current affairs, including developments on environment and climate change, security, human rights and globalisation.
View full module detailsThis module offers an introduction to British Politics, exploring the key institutions of the political system (monarchy, Government, Parliament, parties), recent political challenges (Europe, the role of the media, devolution) and options for reform. We will also examine the role of non-state actors in reshaping British politics; from environmental and sustainability activism to public petitions.Students will cement their knowledge of our parliamentary democracy and place this in the current political context. The module content links to other modules of comparative politics, public policy and political science in Levels 5 and 6.
View full module detailsThe 20th Century was full of contradiction: devastating world wars, intra-state conflict, revolution and economic disaster were met with recognition of the right of peoples to determine their own future, of an international human rights agenda, of unprecedented systemic institution-building in order to promote and perpetuate peace and economic growth that extended far beyond the “first world”. This module will review key events and processes of the 20th Century in order to identify and understand the circumstances under which such major change came about. Students will therefore be required to acquire a detailed knowledge and understanding of international history and actors in the twentieth century. Students will develop and apply knowledge of International Relations theorising acquired in other modules, including the historiography of IR theorising, in order to be able to identify and understand the dominant theoretical thinking of a particular time, and will be able to understand the use of history both within the discipline and by political actors. The module engages the global and cultural structures of power within which the discipline of International Relations is embedded; the evolution of capitalism and the sustainability of contemporary international political economy; and the resourcefulness and resilience required for processes of revolutionary change.
View full module detailsSemester 2
Compulsory
This module introduces students to the western tradition of political theorising from the Ancient Greeks to the moderns. The module seeks to familiarise students with key figures in this historical and philosophical tradition, their main contributions to political theory, and wider philosophical and theoretical debates about politics, such as the nature of liberty, the problem of political obligation, and the meaning of justice. More broadly, the distinction between ‘the Ancients’ and ‘the Moderns’ is central to the module. Students learn to appreciate what distinguishes ancient thinkers from modern ones, and how these differences reflect deep disagreement over philosophical methodology. The module encourages students to utilise these reflections for their own philosophical analysis and interrogation of the material. As such, the module offers insights, feedback, and assessment forms which cumulatively provide students with opportunities to engage in four key areas: employability (by developing the ability to communicate complex material orally and in writing), global and cultural capabilities (by understanding differences between historical periods and philosophical traditions and how these have shaped cultures), sustaiable thinking (by understanding the modus operandi of modern society), digital capabilities (through the use of relevant digital resources), and resourcefulness and resilience (in having to deal with unfamiliar and challenging material).
View full module detailsThe module provides an introduction to the European Union. It asks why the European integration process began, and how the EU of today resulted. It provides an analysis of the EU institutions, and also evaluates how EU membership changes the member states themselves. The module also introduces debates about the evaluation of the integration process and assesses the potential for further European integration. Each week, there will be a lecture on a given area, followed up by a seminar. The seminars will typically be focused around a particular activity and may require the group to produce a collective output, to be posted on SurreyLearn by the seminar leader for the rest of the module’s students to see. Seminar leaders may organise each seminar group at the start of the module so that small groups of individuals take lead responsibility for the production of any such documents for particular sessions. However, it is expected that ALL students will bring new materials and ideas to the session, contribute towards the debate and thereby support their fellow-students. Further documents as handouts, summaries, and notes will be uploaded by me to help you through the module. As part of the module, there will be a process of both learning and critical reflection. This will enable students to develop your skills towards how to select and write a literature review and demonstrate their critical thinking towards the academic literature.
View full module detailsThe primary focus of the module will be on different aspects of representation. It simultaneously introduces students to some of the most relevant issues and debates surrounding challenges to representation across (liberal) democracies in different global and cultural contexts. Drawing on different perspectives from across political science, this module offers an opportunity to consider the ways in which citizens' opinions and preferences are constructed, as well as how politics and political agents account (or not) for these opinions and preferences. The module uses a mixture of case studies from different national contexts and largely rely on comparative evidence to explore key issues and deepen students' knowledge of representation and its challenges. The case studies are designed to build more general criitical thinking and analytical skills that students can use to form their own understanding of various aspects of representation and some of its principal challenges, being able to transfer learnings and skills across other modules in Levels 5 and 6 and further afield in their career.
View full module detailsThe module provides an opportunity for students to investigate and discuss critical issues in both domestic and international politics. As such the module content will respond to key contemporary developments ensuring that students are able to employ their analytical skills gained through their semester 1 L4 modules (particularly POL 1012 and POL 1013). Typically the module will cover such issues as nationalism, problems stemming from globalisation, international conflicts, the cross-cutting instrumentality of environmental / sustainability policy, democratic and economic crises as well as matters related to identity, inclusivity and intersectionality.
View full module detailsOptional modules for Year 1 (with PTY) - FHEQ Level 4
NA
Year 2 - MPA with placement
Semester 1
Compulsory
In this class, we build on students’ understanding of research skills introduced at Level 1. We investigate in depth the basic assumptions that inform social scientific research including philosophical issues such as the source of knowledge in social science. We will review different quantitative and qualitative methodologies employed in political science such as experiments, surveys, interviews, focus groups, content analysis, document analysis, discourse analysis, ethnographic research, case studies and comparative analysis, and practice on designing solid research projects that will require application of one of the above methods to solve a specific political puzzle. The development of skills around these methods can help you with future modules and assignments, but beyond they can help you develop a set of skills for employment, raising your awareness on global and cultural issues of interest, and help you understand how we can become resilient researchers who understand how to find solutions to problems and real-life tasks.
View full module detailsThis module seeks to introduce students to a range of topics and issues that has been central to key debates in the discipline of International Relations (IR). The module will cover a number of theoretical perspectives, covering not only mainstream theories such as realism, liberalism, and constructivism, but also critical approaches such as Marxism, feminism, and post-structuralism, so that students are introduced to global perspectives and resources on international relations. During the module, these approaches will be related to the analysis of topical cases ranging from humanitarian intervention and nuclear deterrence to human security and the role of women in international relations. The globalisation of world politics and the impact this has had on IR as a discipline will provide the intellectual framework for the analysis presented in the module. The module will enable students to explore examples within each theory as well as analysing empirical cases from different theoretical standpoints. Overall, the aim is to provide students with an overview of the theoretical landscape in international relations and how theory connects with empirical evidence in this domain.
View full module detailsThis module will introduce students to the main debates and methods associated with policy analysis. It covers key traditional theoretical concepts used in public policy analysis such as pluralism, elitism as well as more contemporary approaches and developments such as evidence based policy making. To that end, students will be called to apply the theoretical concepts and ideas around public policy making and the research design techniques for public policy analysis into real-life scenario based exercises, risk management and mitigation of policy implementation, agenda-setting and problem solving exercises in a variety of policy areas of their choice. They can draw examples from different national and international settings, touching upon any policy area, from sustainability and environmental protection, to security, immigration, asylum, foreign policy, education and welfare provision, public health and institutional design for policy making. Students will get the opportunity of analysing data and evidence that they collect in traditional and digital ways, enhancing their resilience in facing research caveats and their resourcefulness in thinking about workarounds to problems. Finally, the module provides students with transferable skills in policy analysis and policy briefing applicable to a range of Level 6 modules, their dissertation projects and other policy related assignments, as well as in their quest for future career and placement prospects in policy-related workplaces.
View full module detailsOptional
The module provides a more advanced understanding of the policy-making process in the EU than Level 4 POL1018. It addresses how the process of EU integration unfolds and how the EU of today works (or fails). It provides an analysis of the theories and methods of how we can understand, explain and possibly expect how this process develops. The module addresses and assesses the potential for further European integration or disintegration. Each week, I will upload a 10mn podcast on the topic of the day. I will then invite you to prepare a reading in advance and we will convene together (two-hour seminar) to examine the topic before the seminar. The lecture will consist of two parts: one virtual and one in-class. The virtual lecture will be uploaded to SurreyLearn in the week before the class sessions – you should watch and make notes, since this will be where the bulk of the substantive knowledge is located. The lecture/zoom element of the lecture will be designed to be more interactive, allowing you to ask questions about the virtual lecture and to situate it within the broader context. The seminars will typically be focused around a particular activity and may require the group to produce a collective output, to be posted on SurreyLearn for the rest of the module’s students to see. However, it is expected that ALL students will bring new materials and ideas to the session, contribute towards the debate and thereby support their fellow-students. Further documents as handouts, summaries, and notes will be uploaded by me to help you through the module. As part of the module, there will be a process of both learning and critical reflection. This will enable students to develop your skills towards how to select and write a literature review and demonstrate their critical thinking towards the academic literature.
View full module detailsThis module enables students to gain a solid understanding of key theories of International Political Economy (IPE) such as Mercantilism, Liberalism and Marxism. It strongly emphasises the political, philosophical and ethical aspects of IPE and is therefore more in-line with studies of Political Theory and Philosophy rather than Classical Economics. It therefore builds on a good understanding of International Relations, the links between history and theory and experience with empirical case studies acquired in POL1013. It deepens knowledge in political and social philosophy acquired in POL1014, specifically on questions of liberty, welfare, and justice. The acquired knowledge should be applied in a critical fashion for the analysis of case studies. Multi-national corporations and institutions in the International Trade and Monetary System are introduced as key actors in the international political economic environment. Students will be able to discuss and debate the role of these institutions in the development of, and their behaviour during, crises, with focus on the Asia-Pacific region. Current and future challenges to the status quo of IPE are discussed as well. The acquired knowledge on state and market relations, the focus on non-Western case studies together with presentation and communication skills directly link the module to Level 6 modules POL3090 and POL3072.
View full module detailsSemester 2
Compulsory
This module will introduce students to quantitative research methods, with particular focus on current examples from politics building on POL2027 Approaches to Research. In this module students will be introduced to the basic concepts, methods, and techniques used in quantitative analysis and are necessary for understanding developments in politics and IR and decisions taken by the government and other public organisations. This module will also provide students with the skills necessary and the practical experience of using quantitative data and techniques of analysing it. This way students will learn new in-demand skills, not only for their studies but also skills they can highlight in their CVs. The course uses the statistical software RStudio, and you will learn how to critical evaluate research questions by using them most important surveys available. Students will also learn skills they can apply at their dissertation and into assignments during the final year of their studies.
View full module detailsThe module lays a theoretical foundation for empirical studies of modern governmental structures. It offers students an understanding of the structures of governments, the variations in state organisation, governmental forms and party systems. In particular, it will examine the main elements of the modern democratic state in a comparative manner, stressing both the commonalities and differences between systems around the world. Technically, the module will provide students with the basic ideas and skills that will serve them for further study of both comparative government and individual case studies, as well as introducing them to core literature in the field. The mdule seeks to develop research and analytical skills useful to the research of comparative politics. It also expands notions of democracies to discuss non-Western democratic models and key examples from authoritarian and illiberal states from around the world to discuss democratic challenges. We bring forward comparative analysis on social movements and political participation, highlighting movements like gender and race equality, autonomy, environmental and climate change movements, from a comparative point of view, including the value of protesting. We focus therefore both on the formal and informal side of political life with a view to master comparative research techniques.
View full module detailsThe form of globalisation that has characterised the international system over the post-Cold War era, a phenomenon that both drives and is driven by international institutions, treaties and regimes, is seemingly reducing the capacity of nation-states to respond to pressures emanating from the international economic and security environment. Economic challenges, including the recent global recession, require intimate cross-border cooperation (at the regional and global level); climate change presents a threat that requires urgent global-cooperation (be it between local authorities and cities in different national contexts, or at the national level), and public health continues to have drastic impacts on economy, development, and wellbeing that reach beyond individual states. Furthermore, the end of the Cold War has ushered in a host of new security challenges that states are unable to tackle on an individual basis, from preventing and dealing with the consequences of state failure, international terrorism and crime, as well as the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. A key question that the module will examine is the extent to which these challenges are leading to a shift away from an international system characterized by the notion of state sovereignty and the control of policy development and implementation by the central political authority of the nation-state, to a diffusion of power and competencies, both ‘horizontally’, to private actors such as NGOs and Transnational Corporations, and ‘vertically’, downwards to the regional level and upwards to international organisations. The module will critically assess the analytical leverage that can be attained to these questions through the application of diverse perspectives within IR theories, covering not only realist, liberal, and constructivist schools of thought, but also critical approaches such as Marxism and post-structuralism. It will also focus on approaches drawn from political science theory, notably the literatures on multi-level governance, public policy theories, and the ‘new’ institutionalism. In the course students will tackle a number of contemporary debates on international organisations that are central to public debate - the meaning and forms of international organisations, issues of authority, power and legitimacy; how states and non-state actors (particularly NGOs and business) have shaped the nature and scope of international cooperation and the effects that participation in international institutions upon policy-making, styles of governance and institutional configuration at the national and sub-national levels. We will also examine not only the role of hegemonic powers, in particular the impact of the United States over the post-war and post-Cold War eras, but also the implications of the rise of new powers such as China and India upon international organisations. The module will then examine relevant case studies: environmental governance; global health governance; the WTO and the governance of international trade; the IMF, World Bank and the governance of finance and development; the United Nations and security governance. The module will conclude by assessing the implications of the growth of international organisations for the role of the state as a national and international actor.
View full module detailsOptional
In this module students will develop their knowledge and understanding of Political Ideologies, which form a key component of the study of political theory more broadly. The module starts with a brief definition of an inclusive model of ideology, which is the one most commonly adopted in political science. Subsequent lectures deal with a range of major ideological traditions, covering the political spectrum from extreme right to extreme left and taking account of recent developments which overflow traditional left/right borderlines, most notably due to the rise of populism. Specific emphasis is placed on the historical, social, and geographical context of the development of ideologies. Underlying the module is a concern for the condition of modernity, which serves as the backdrop for the genesis of current ideological frameworks. At a meta-level, the module critically assesses whether conditions of modernity still hold or whether these are being replaced by an increasingly reflexive form of modernity, liquid modernity, or even post-modernity. This raises wider questions about the continued applicability of the classic ideologies. In addition, the module offers insights, feedback, and assessment forms which cumulatively provide students with opportunities to engage in five key areas: employability, global and cultural capabilities, digital capabilities, sustainability, and resourcefulness and resilience.
View full module detailsThis module develops students' understanding of international security through a focus on the ways in which international relations is shaped by great powers. By studying how the United States, Russia, and China, define their interests and approach to international order, the module places its emphasis on the practice of international security in a series of flashpoints and crises in which great powers' security relations interact. Students will understand the security implications of resource scarcity and the globalisation of production. The module includes a crisis management exercise in which students are tasked with managing an evolving security crisis in real time.
View full module detailsThis module builds on students’ existing knowledge of electoral systems and voting behaviour. It will give students an understanding of the implications of the use of particular electoral systems in different contexts and how people vote. Through the examination of existing theories and analytical frameworks, students will develop their ability to analyse the results of contemporary elections. Students will develop their ability to analyse the results of contemporary elections, the emergence on new political parties, and the contemporary developments in party systems. The module enables students to critically apply key voter’s behaviour theories to contemporary elections and understand strategies through which participation in voting can be encouraged. Together we will examine both parties and voters, and through the analysis of case studies we will examine contemporary debates on voting behavior. The module complements and expands elements of UK politics electoral systems featured in POL1017 (Debates in British Politics) and on theories of voting behaviour such as rational choice which have been discussed in POL1012 (Introduction to Politics). There are no pre-requisites for this module. Students have the opportunity and are asked to carry out independent research.
View full module detailsOptional modules for Year 2 (with PTY) - FHEQ Level 5
Choose 2 modules from the listed optional modules.
POL2027 - APPROACHES TO RESEARCH requires students to have obtained 55% or above in their final mark to select POL3061 DISSERTATION in the final year.
Year 3 - MPA with placement
Semester 1
Compulsory
The module will cover the basic elements of negotiation, using a combination of theoretical and practical methods. The module introduces theoretical approaches to negotiation, before exploring and illustrating them through active usage in a series of games and exercises. Negotiations in class (weekly) as well as online (throughout the duration of the semester) allow students to address real-life political issues in the form of simulations. The taught theoretical insights are put to practice with tailored seminar activities. More importantly, students are required to evaluate their practice in a self-reflexive critical portfolio that will be based on the experience built throughout the semester. This will test their grasp of the topic as well as give them the opportunity to consider how it will inform their future practices as a 'negotiator' within employment.
View full module detailsOptional
Following one of the most controversial administrations in recent history, this module situates the Trump presidency in the context of other executives and considers to what extent this period was a major departure for norms and strategy in US foreign policy. It considers recent history, theory and key concepts to reflect on the impact both for US power projection, and on world politics more generally.
View full module detailsIn a time of increasing challenges to the core components of representative democracy, this course provides an introduction to populism in theory and practice, employing an increasingly consensual ideational approach to populism. It introduces participants to an extensive conceptual debate, historical and current populist forces, their characteristics, causes and consequences, as well as the often-ambivalent relationship between populism and democracy. This course aims to introduce students to some of the most relevant issues and debates revolving around populism, its causes and consequences. Readings and activities have been carefully selected to deepen students’ knowledge of specific cases. They are also designed to build more general critical thinking and analytical skills that students can use to form their own understanding of the relationship between populism and democracy, as well as present their views in both oral and written formats, developing a global perspective on a topical issue of political culture. To do so, this module addresses the following main issues: concepts of populism (assessment of definitions and presentation of populism as a set of ideas) overview of populism amongst the masses and elites overview of populist forces in Europe, Latin America and the USA causes of populism consequences of populism, and most notably its ambivalent relationship with democracy implications of and responses to populism
View full module detailsThis unit is concerned with understanding the role of political communication in contemporary politics. Arguably parties use the media to influence voters, but the media also has a role in holding (selected) politicians to account. This unit explores the various theoretical perspectives on the role of political communication and the media, before moving on to consider a series of empirical examples. The unit also covers key topics relevant to political communication including the relationship between political parties and the national media; whether it is the role of political broadcasts, televised debates, or the impact of rolling news coverage on the ability of politicians to control the media. It considers how changes in media have offered new opportunities for citizenship and democracy, including agenda setting. It also considers how parties and political organisations have adapted to use these new media. There is a focus on key issues in contemporary politics and case studies will be situated throughout the module. Students will also gain coding and content analysis skills in order to explore how key topical political themes are framed in political communication. The module complements and expands elements of POL 1012 (Introduction to Politics), particularly structuralist theories of the state. It will also complement knowledge gained of British politics in POL 1017 (Debates in British Politics). The coding and content analysis skills also build on knowledge gained in Approaches to Research (POL 2027); although this module is not a pre-requisite – full training will be given as part of this module. There are no pre-requisites for this module and students have the opportunity to carry out independent research on a media/theme of their choice for the critique assessment.
View full module detailsSemester 2
Compulsory
This module offers students the opportunity to engage first hand with experts in a variety of different issue areas at the local, national and international levels. Thus the aim is to ensure that students understand how politics operates in practice through thinking about how policy is formulated and how different actors can influence it by applying theory to practice. It focuses in particular on contemporary issues and the module is designed to respond to current events.
View full module detailsOptional
The module is concerned with understanding the source, practice, effect and response to terrorism in the modern world. In particular, the objective is to provide students with a clearer understanding of how and why terrorism exists and how other political actors respond to it.
View full module detailsThis module seeks to introduce students to a range of topics relating to the roles of gender structures and sexuality in defining world politics. The module will explore the complex interactions that underpin the relationship between the personal and the international. The module will look at key debates in feminist theorising, in order to show how the concepts of gender and sexuality require scholars to unpack key defining concepts such as “masculinity” and “femininity”. This will allow us to interrogate and critique a number of challenges facing world politics today such as, gender mainstreaming in politics and demographic trends, but also domestic politics and representation, who is representing whom, and how?
View full module detailsThis module investigates the relationship between state and market in East and West by discussing views on philosophical ideas of democracy, development and justice. The module will build upon theoretical perspectives, ranging from Marxism to neo-liberalism. The students will analyse the practical policy applications of these theories as they have been manifested through neo-liberal politics, the Welfare State model and particularly the Development State model. Topical case studies will focus on East-Asia. The region allows for a critical discussion of major economic models and how they function as justification for particular regime forms and vice versa. Students will engage in debates over the socio-political consequences of economic and political transformations. It therefore builds on understanding of political and social philosophy on questions of welfare and justice acquired in POL1014 and more fundamentally on skills and knowledge obtained in POL2038 as it will deepen discussions on developmental strategies and state-market relations in political economy.
View full module detailsThis cutting-edge final year module introduces students to a range of key debates relating to European and EU security and diplomacy. Students are provided with a series of carefully scaffolded opportunities to engage in contemporary debates on Europe’s ability to operate as a security and foreign policy actor, in national, bilateral and multilateral forms. In addition, the module offers insights, feedback, and assessment forms which cumulatively provide students with opportunities to engage in five key areas: employability, global and cultural capabilities, digital capabilities, sustainability, and resourcefulness and resilience. European Security and Diplomacy will provide students with in-depth opportunities to consider, analyse, synthesize and critique a wide range of current issues in security and diplomacy in Europe. In doing so, students are presented with first-hand opportunities to engage in a diverse European and international environment, allowing them to compare various political and cultural viewpoints. Students will develop an understanding of complex issues regarding European actors, institutions, policies, diplomatic and defence structures. In learning about the unique challenges facing European security and diplomacy, students will be provided with key opportunities to develop their capability for sustainable thinking e.g. in tackling governance issues directly connected to the EU’s approach to climate change and sustainability), as well as medium and long-term options for European ‘actorness’ in relation to itself, and others. Students will be provided with a wide range of opportunities to apply relevant analytical, synthesis-based and critical thinking skills in in this module. The forms of assessment will further require students to invest in both independent and team-based work, strengthening their resourcefulness as young scholars, and deepening their forms of resilience in managing challenges. Give the wide range of conceptual, documentary, case-based and speech-related materials comprising this area, students will develop a range of research skills in tackling both classic and fast-moving contemporary political issues using a range of primary/secondary sources, including digital portals and repositories. This in turn will underwrite enhanced digital capabilities. Lastly, the sum total of various in-classroom skills, including developing debating and argumentation skills, alongside the range of soft skills connected to global awareness, digital capabilities, sustainability plus resourcefulness and resilience will cumulatively enable POL3087 students to augment their overall employability.
View full module detailsThis course provides an opportunity to students taking all pathways to explore key topics in political science, such as: What is 'activism' in the age of social media; Who are the activists today; What are the motivations behind political activism; How do different organizational vehicles (parties, movements, NGOs, pressure groups) contribute to the functioning of democracy. The module links well to modules at Level 5 (such as POL2029 and POL2047) and at Level 6 (such as POL3081, POL3082, POL3088, POL3089).
View full module detailsThe purpose of this module is to connect theories of democratisation with their application to specific regions, namely Central and Eastern Europe, but also beyond, looking at the post-Soviet space to understand the impact of EU Enlargement, demand and support for democracy in post-Communist Europe, and develop a wider knowledge of countries within this geographical space
View full module detailsSince the US anti-Vietnam War movement, philosophical interest in armed conflict has increased considerably. Beginning with Michael Walzer's classic Just and Unjust Wars: A Moral Argument with Historical Illustrations (1977), this module looks at key thinkers, themes, and ideas from contemporary just war theory and the ethics of armed conflict, mostly from within the analytical tradition of philosophy. Topics include the paradigm of self-defense and its critics, the moral status of combatants, the normative sources (and limits) of non-combatant immunity, the moral nature of terrorism, as well as the problem of intervention. The module concludes by examining more recent ethical challenges posed by remote-warfare, cyber warfare, and the prospect of robotic weapons. In studying these topics, students will not only gain a sound understanding of contemporary just war theory; they will also be introduced to key ideas and concepts from contemporary ethical and political theory. Finally, students will be able to apply the more abstract philosophical material discussed on the module to real-life events via an assessed Ethics Case Study
View full module detailsOptional modules for Year 3 (with PTY) - FHEQ Level 6
Students must choose six options of the optional modules available.
POL2027 - APPROACHES TO RESEARCH requires students to have obtained 55% or above in their final mark to select POL3061 DISSERTATION in the final year.
Year 3 - MPA with placement
Semester 1 & 2
Core
This module supports students’ development of personal and professional attitudes and abilities appropriate to a Professional Training placement. It supports and facilitates self-reflection and transfer of learning from their Professional Training placement experiences to their final year of study and their future employment. The PTY module is concerned with Personal and Professional Development towards holistic academic and non-academic learning, and is a process that involves self-reflection, documented via the creation of a personal record, planning and monitoring progress towards the achievement of personal objectives. Development and learning may occur before and during the placement, and this is reflected in the assessment model as a progressive process. However, the graded assessment takes place primarily towards the end of the placement. Additionally, the module aims to enable students to evidence and evaluate their placement experiences and transfer that learning to other situations through written and presentation skills.
View full module detailsThis module supports students’ development of personal and professional attitudes and abilities appropriate to a Professional Training placement. It supports and facilitates self-reflection and transfer of learning from their Professional Training placement experiences to their final year of study and their future employment. The PTY module is concerned with Personal and Professional Development towards holistic academic and non-academic learning, and is a process that involves self-reflection, documented via the creation of a personal record, planning and monitoring progress towards the achievement of personal objectives. Development and learning may occur before and during the placement, and this is reflected in the assessment model as a progressive process. However, the graded assessment takes place primarily towards the end of the placement. Additionally, the module aims to enable students to evidence and evaluate their placement experiences and transfer that learning to other situations through written skills.
View full module detailsThis module supports students’ development of personal and professional attitudes and abilities appropriate to a Professional Training placement. It supports and facilitates self-reflection and transfer of learning from their Professional Training placement experiences to their final year of study and their future employment. The PTY module is concerned with Personal and Professional Development towards holistic academic and non-academic learning and is a process that involves self-reflection. Development and learning may occur before and during the placement, and this is reflected in the assessment model as a progressive process. However, the graded assessment takes place primarily towards the end of the placement. Additionally, the module aims to enable students to evidence and evaluate their placement experiences and transfer that learning to other situations through written skills.
View full module detailsOptional modules for Professional Training Year (PTY) -
Students must choose one of the above three modules.
Year 4 - MPA with placement
Semester 1
Compulsory
This module will provide an introduction to the design and conduct of social science research. Throughout, examples will be drawn from recent research in the areas of politics and policy. However, emphasis will also be placed on the applicability of these methods to other subject areas across the social sciences.
View full module detailsOptional
The module will examine, from a historical and practice-based perspective, international intervention in response humanitarian crisis, abuses of human rights, state failure, and armed conflict. Students will engage the historical cases of international intervention, to understand why, when, and how intervention talks place in practice. A UN Security Council simulation provides students with the experience of negotiating a resolution for intervention in the context of an evolving humanitarian crisis. Students also benefit from experienced practitioner engagement and a career-focused session.
View full module detailsThis module is concerned with understanding the role of leadership in the contemporary political environment. Much attention tends to be absorbed in observing institutional factors driving change, such as parties, parliaments and demography. However, this module establishes leadership as a vital factor in politics. This unit explores the various theoretical perspectives on the role of political leadership, including charisma and psychological approaches. It uses a range of examples to illustrate key dimensions of leadership and considers to what extend the requirement of political leadership have changed in response to the contemporary political environment. By examining leadership from a gender and dyadic perspective, the module also considers whether some nations have an issue in the accessibility of (and therefore representation by) leaders. It also examines key issues political leaders face; from exploring how they cope with conflict to how they keep their hands 'clean' of corruption. It also considers ways in which we can quantify how successful a leader is. There is a focus on key issues in contemporary political events and case studies will be situated throughout the module.
View full module detailsThis module is concerned with understanding the role of political communication in contemporary politics. Arguably parties use the media to influence voters, but the media also has a role in holding (selected) politicians to account. This unit explores the various theoretical perspectives on the role of political communication and the media, before moving on to consider a series of empirical examples. The unit also covers key topics relevant to political communication including the relationship between political parties and the national media; whether it is the role of political broadcasts, televised debates, or the impact of rolling news coverage on the ability of politicians to control the media. It considers how changes in media have offered new opportunities for citizenship and democracy, including agenda setting. It also explores how parties and political organisations have adapted advertising strategies to use these new media. There is a focus on key issues in contemporary political events and case studies will be situated throughout the module. Students will also gain coding and content analysis skills in order to explore how key topical political themes are framed in political communication.
View full module detailsThis module introduces students to one of the sub-disciplines of International Relations, Foreign Policy Analysis and explore the world of public diplomacy. Studying a variety of actors in world politics, students will be encouraged to apply the insights of Foreign Policy Analysis to improve their understanding of contemporary international relations and public diplomacy issues.
View full module detailsSemester 2
Optional
The module expands and develops upon the key issues in international security and defence. Beginning by providing a background to the study of security and defence, the module introduces theoretical perspectives into contemporary themes in security and defence, as well as their inter-relation. The module also examines various security and defence actors ranging from international, regional and sub-regional organisations to NGOs and private military companies. Through readings from diverse scholarly and cultural backgrounds, individual and group work, and in-class simulations, students actively and critically engage with issues including, but not limited to, humanitarian intervention, nuclear deterrence, the role of gender in conflict, and African peace and security architecture.
View full module detailsThe module provides an opportunity for students to apply their understanding of key theories and debates in International Political Economy (IPE) to current developments and case studies. Students will be able to discuss and debate the role of the main IPE institutions. Current and future challenges to the status quo of IPE are discussed as well.
View full module detailsThe module offers an introduction to the major theoretical and empirical debates that structure two subdisciplines: Critical Security Studies and Critical Terrorism Studies. In the first half, the module is organised around core questions in Critical Security Studies, such as: what is security; security for whom of for what; security from whom or from what; how should security be achieved; and is security possible? In the second half, the module is organised around similar core questions in Critical Terrorism Studies.
View full module detailsThe module examines armed conflict, civil war in particular, and international peacebuilding interventions. It draws on the multidisciplinary literature in Conflict and Peace Studies. Throughout the course students will become familiar with key actors, policies and institutions involved in conflict and post-conflict environments.
View full module detailsSince the US anti-Vietnam War movement, philosophical interest in armed conflict has increased considerably. Beginning with Michael Walzer's classic Just and Unjust Wars: A Moral Argument with Historical Illustrations (1977), this module looks at key thinkers, themes, and ideas from contemporary just war theory and the ethics of armed conflict, mostly from within the analytical tradition of philosophy. Topics include the paradigm of self-defense and its critics, the moral status of combatants, the normative sources (and limits) of non-combatant immunity, the moral nature of terrorism, as well as the problem of intervention. The module concludes by examining more recent ethical challenges posed by remote-warfare, cyber warfare, and the prospect of robotic weapons. In studying these topics, students will not only gain a sound understanding of contemporary just war theory; they will also be introduced to key ideas and concepts from contemporary ethical and political theory. Finally, students will be able to apply the more abstract philosophical material discussed on the module to real-life events via an assessed Ethics Case Study.
View full module detailsSemester 1 & 2
Compulsory
The Dissertation is an opportunity for students to explore a subject of their choosing in much greater detail than would otherwise be possible, applying their knowledge, understanding and skills to a particular question. Supported by general and specific guidance, the student will be able to synthesise the skills and knowledge which they have acquired during their integrated master’s degree.
View full module detailsOptional modules for Year 4 (with PTY) - FHEQ Level 7
Students must choose four options out of the modules available.
Teaching and learning
Our teaching is innovative, interactive, and practical, with a focus on building critical faculties and transferrable skills. We get to know our students on an individual level, providing ongoing feedback inside and outside of the classroom to enable them to achieve their potential.
- Group work
- Independent study
- Lectures
- Seminars
- Tutorials
Assessment
In addition to assessing students by setting traditional academic essays and exams, we also use a wide range of authentic assessments. For example, students learn to write for decision-makers through strategy reviews and policy papers, provide precise and concise analysis in the form of diplomatic notes, and communicate ideas effectively in documentary film scripts.
General course information
Contact hours
Contact hours can vary across our modules. Full details of the contact hours for each module are available from the University of Surrey's module catalogue. See the modules section for more information.
Timetable
New students will receive their personalised timetable in Welcome Week. In later semesters, two weeks before the start of semester.
Scheduled teaching can take place on any day of the week (Monday – Friday), with part-time classes normally scheduled on one or two days. Wednesday afternoons tend to be for sports and cultural activities.
View our code of practice for the scheduling of teaching and assessment (PDF) for more information.
Location
Stag Hill is the University's main campus and where the majority of our courses are taught.
We offer careers information, advice and guidance to all students whilst studying with us, which is extended to our alumni for three years after leaving the University.
In the survey, Graduate Outcomes 2024, HESA, results show that 92 per cent of undergraduates from our Department of Politics go on to employment or further study.
Recent Politics graduates have secured roles such as:
- Outreach Manager, House of Commons
- Funding Manager, Latsis Organisation
- Researcher, Department for Exiting the European Union
- Press Officer, People’s Vote UK
- Graduate Intern, Deutsche Bank
- Commercial Real Estate Manager, Wells Fargo
- Market Research Manager, GfK
- Business Development Executive, Screenpages Ltd
- Researcher, Westminster Forum Projects
- Graduate Intern, Ipsos MORI
- Corporate Finance Advisor, Department for Transport
- Bid Analyst, Serco Ltd.
After you graduate from this course, you can expect to enter inter-governmental roles across the globe, due to the international appeal of the MPA.
This course is also designed to stimulate your interest in research, so you might find yourself considering taking on a PhD after your MPA in your areas of interest to become an academic scholar in your own right.
Learn more about the qualifications we typically accept to study this course at Surrey.
Typical offer
Overall: ABB.
Please note: A-level General Studies and A-level Critical Thinking are not accepted. Applicants taking an A-level science subject with the Science Practical Endorsement are expected to pass the practical element.
GCSE or equivalent: English language at grade 4 (C) and mathematics at grade 4 (C).
Overall: DDD.
GCSE or equivalent: English language at grade 4 (C) and mathematics at grade 4 (C).
Overall: QAA recognised Access to Higher Education Diploma with 45 level 3 credits overall including 30 credits at distinction and 15 at merit.
GCSE or equivalent: English language at grade 4 (C) and mathematics at grade 4 (C).
Overall: 78%.
GCSE or equivalent: Maths 6 and either English language (1/2) 6 or English language (3) 7.
Overall: 33.
GCSE or equivalent: English A HL4/SL4 or English B HL5/SL6 and Mathematics (either course) HL4/SL4.
Overall: AABBB.
GCSE or equivalent: English language - Scottish National 5 - C, maths - Scottish National 5 - C.
Overall: ABB from a combination of the Advanced Skills Baccalaureate Wales and two A-levels.
Please note: A-level General Studies and A-level Critical Thinking are not accepted. Applicants taking an A-level science subject with the Science Practical Endorsement are expected to pass the practical element.
GCSE or equivalent: Please check the A-level drop down for the required GCSE levels.
Applicants taking the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) will receive our standard A-level offer for this programme, plus an alternate offer of one A-level grade lower, subject to achieving an A grade in the EPQ. The one grade reduction will not apply to any required subjects.
Applicants can only receive one grade reduction from the published grades, an EPQ grade reduction can’t be applied in addition to other grade reductions made through other schemes such as Contextual Admissions or In2Surrey.
English language requirements
IELTS Academic: 6.5 overall with 6.0 in writing and 5.5 in each other element.
View the other English language qualifications that we accept.
If you do not currently meet the level required for your programme, we offer intensive pre-sessional English language courses, designed to take you to the level of English ability and skill required for your studies here.
International Foundation Year
If you are an international student and you don’t meet the entry requirements for this degree, we offer the International Foundation Year at the Surrey International Study Centre. Upon successful completion, you can progress to this degree course.
Selection process
We normally make offers in terms of grades.
If you are a suitable candidate you will be invited to an offer holder event. During your visit to the University you can find out more about the course and meet staff and students.
Recognition of prior learning
We recognise that many students enter their higher education course with valuable knowledge and skills developed through a range of professional, vocational and community contexts.
If this applies to you, the recognition of prior learning (RPL) process may allow you to join a course without the formal entry requirements or enter your course at a point appropriate to your previous learning and experience.
There are restrictions on RPL for some courses and fees may be payable for certain claims. Please see the code of practice for recognition of prior learning and prior credit: taught programmes (PDF) for further information.
Contextual offers
Did you know eligible students receive support through their application to Surrey, which could include a grade reduction on offer?
Fees
Explore UKCISA’s website for more information if you are unsure whether you are a UK or overseas student. View the list of fees for all undergraduate courses.
Payment schedule
- Students with Tuition Fee Loan: the Student Loans Company pay fees in line with their schedule.
- Students without a Tuition Fee Loan: pay their fees either in full at the beginning of the programme or in two instalments as follows:
- 50% payable 10 days after the invoice date (expected to be early October of each academic year)
- 50% in January of the same academic year.
The exact date(s) will be on invoices. Students on part-time programmes where fees are paid on a modular basis, cannot pay fees by instalment.
- Sponsored students: must provide us with valid sponsorship information that covers the period of study.
Professional training placement fees
If you are studying on a programme which contains a Professional Training placement year there will be a reduced fee for the academic year in which you undertake your placement. This is normally confirmed 12 to 18 months in advance, or once Government policy is determined.
Scholarships and bursaries
Discover what scholarships and bursaries are available to support your studies.
Our award-winning Professional Training placement scheme gives you the chance to spend a year in industry, either in the UK or abroad.
We have thousands of placement providers to choose from, most of which offer pay. So, become one of our many students who have had their lives and career choices transformed.
Public affairs placements
You’ll be taught how to apply theoretical understandings of politics and international relations to world events and issues.
Additionally, we’ll equip you with the practical skills necessary to find a placement. The aim of our Professional Training placement is to provide you with first-hand experience of how public affairs operates in practice. Our students have completed placements in the voluntary sector, government departments, MPs’ offices, international organisations and the private sector.
Recent placement providers for the Department of Politics include:
- ALDI
- Amazon
- Bank of England
- Department for Environment and Rural Affairs
- GSK (Glaxo Smith Klein)
- House of Commons
- House of Lords
- Panasonic
- Unilever
- YouLend.
Applying for placements
Students are generally not placed by the University. But we offer support and guidance throughout the process, with access to a vacancy site of placement opportunities.
Find out more about the application process.
Study and work abroad
Studying at Surrey opens a world of opportunity. Take advantage of our study and work abroad partnerships, explore the world, and expand your skills for the graduate job market.
The opportunities abroad vary depending on the course, but options include study exchanges, work/research placements, summer programmes, and recent graduate internships. Financial support is available through various grants and bursaries, as well as Student Finance.
Perhaps you would like to volunteer in India or learn about Brazilian business and culture in São Paulo during your summer holidays? With 140+ opportunities in 36+ different countries worldwide, there is something for everyone. Explore your options via our search tool and find out more about our current partner universities and organisations.
Apply for your chosen course online through UCAS, with the following course and institution codes.
About the University of Surrey
Need more information?
Contact our Admissions team or talk to a current University of Surrey student online.
Terms and conditions
When you accept an offer to study at the University of Surrey, you are agreeing to follow our policies and procedures, student regulations, and terms and conditions.
We provide these terms and conditions in two stages:
- First when we make an offer.
- Second when students accept their offer and register to study with us (registration terms and conditions will vary depending on your course and academic year).
View our generic registration terms and conditions (PDF) for the 2023/24 academic year, as a guide on what to expect.
Disclaimer
This online prospectus has been published in advance of the academic year to which it applies.
Whilst we have done everything possible to ensure this information is accurate, some changes may happen between publishing and the start of the course.
It is important to check this website for any updates before you apply for a course with us. Read our full disclaimer.