Faculty: Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Government. This four-year Bachelor of Arts with Honours (BA Hons) in Politics includes a dedicated placement year, allowing you to gain invaluable real-world experience and enhance your employability. The core curriculum provides a thorough grounding in all major areas of political science, teaching you to critically analyze political events, power dynamics, and decision-making processes. You will explore fundamental questions such as "how do you know?" about political statements, investigating the scope of political science as an inquiry field and the methods used by political scientists. Topics include concepts in political science (e.g., state, laws, wars, political parties), international relations, democratic systems, political power, obligations, freedom, rights, and equality. The third year is dedicated to a work placement (typically 9-12 months), where you will apply your academic knowledge in a professional setting. You are responsible for finding your placement, with support and guidance provided by both your department and the university's placements team. This experience culminates in an assessed report on your placement.

Career options for graduates of this program are significantly enhanced by the integrated placement year. Graduates are highly competitive for roles in politics, the civil service (including fast stream), management, journalism, police, armed forces, commerce, business, finance, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), international development, teaching, and graduate research. The practical experience gained during the placement year, combined with the rigorous academic training from a world-leading politics department, equips students with invaluable skills highly sought after by employers. This provides a distinct advantage in the job market, allowing you to build a professional network and gain relevant experience before graduation.

The University of Essex is a forward-thinking environment with a diverse international community. Its Department of Government is a centre of world-leading research excellence for the social sciences, consistently ranked among the most prestigious in Europe for its outstanding record of teaching, research, and publication (rated 6th in UK for research power in politics and international studies, REF 2021). The university offers a location close to beautiful countryside that's only an hour away from London by train, combining a peaceful setting with easy access to a major global city. Academic staff are actively involved in advising governments and commenting on political events, bringing real-world relevance to the curriculum and offering unparalleled access to leading minds in politics.