Postgraduate Courses in Politics
Politics affects every aspect of the world in which we live, from the impact we have on the environment to how we run the economy and how we educate our children. The study of politics is about how, why and with what result power is regulated in society. Because politics is so important for all aspects of our lives, there are many reasons for studying it. Some students decide to do a postgraduate course in politics because they are interested in the subject and want the opportunity to explore it in greater depth as part of their personal development. Others view it as a valuable way of acquiring the skills and knowledge that will give them an edge in the job market. Whether you want to work in the public, the private or the voluntary sector, it is important to have knowledge of how collective decisions are made and carried out in the public sphere and what the impact those decisions have on the way society is run. Studying a postgraduate course in politics also offers you the opportunity to develop skills that will allow you to perform to the best of your ability, such as analytic, presentational and statistical skills.
Which degree?
Approximately 70 universities in the UK offer postgraduate courses in politics, and the choice can seem daunting. But there are several ways in which you can make that choice easier. First you need to decide which aspect of politics you want to study. The study of politics is divided into three main areas: normative political theory, international relations, and comparative and area politics. Normative political theory is the study of general norms that govern political institutions and political life (how politics ‘ought’ to work). International relations is the study of relations between states and inter-state organisations such as the United Nations, NATO and the European Union. Comparative and area politics includes a wide variety of different sub-fields, all related to how the political system works in one, several, or more countries. These include, for example, public policy, government institutions, elections and voting behaviour, civil society, and public opinion. Most postgraduate degrees in politics focus on one of these three areas, though some degrees include more than one field.
Which postgraduate course in politics you choose will depend largely on your personal interest, but also on what you want to do when you finish your degree. For example, if you are aiming to work in an international organisation, you might consider studying international relations; or if you seek a career in the UK public sector, then you would benefit considerably from a degree in political economy or public opinion.
At the postgraduate level, it is particularly important to select a department that is strong in the field you want to study. The best measure of strength is the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE), a regular rating of all academic departments at UK universities. The RAE awards departments scores between 2 and 5* (with a special 6* category for departments that receive a 5* rating in two successive exercises). You should first decide which general area of politics you want to study, and then aim to select the department with the highest RAE rating that offers postgraduate degrees in that general area.
You will also want to consider how the departments you are considering have performed on the Subject Review (Teaching Quality Assessment) carried out by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, which evaluates the overall quality of teaching and learning offered by departments on a scale of 1 to 24.
Results of the most recent Research Assessment Exercise may be found at http://www.hero.ac.uk/rae/Results/
Results of the most recent Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education Subject Review can be found at http://www.qaa.ac.uk/reviews/subjectReview/default.asp
Finally, you should look in detail at departments’ websites to see which courses you will be able to take as part of the degrees you are considering. The precise name of the degree is often less important than the content you will be able to select. So, for example, if you want to study European politics, you should consider degrees that have ‘European politics’ in their name, as well as other more general degrees in politics, global and comparative politics, etc. that would allow you to take optional courses in European politics.
Who can apply?
Most UK universities require an upper second class undergraduate degree in politics or a cognate subject for admission to a Masters programme, but exceptions are sometimes made in individual cases if a student has a high lower second class degree but has performed particularly well in those courses that are most relevant to the Masters for which they are applying, or if their final year performance is particularly good. Some universities also offer qualifying year degrees for those who have studied a non-cognate subject at undergraduate level, or those whose undergraduate degree result was not sufficient to qualify them for direct entry into a Masters programme.
A postgraduate course in politics is particularly valuable for those wishing to pursue careers in the public or voluntary sectors, where knowledge of the policy process is valuable. A postgraduate course in politics also provides useful general skills that are of relevance in all careers, such as critical thinking and analysis, argumentation, statistical analysis and presentation. And of course, a postgraduate degree is a necessary requirement for an academic career.
Contributed by:
Dr Sarah Birch
Graduate Director for the Department of Government
University of Essex.
http://www.essex.ac.uk/government/
The Department was awarded 6* in the last Research Assessment Exercise and given 24/24 for teaching quality.
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