MA(SocSci) Politics

Politics is the study of the way power and influence are distributed within society and how this affects decision making within and among countries and states. You will study a wide variety of topics including courses in international relations and political theory, as well as the politics of a range of areas from the Middle East to Latin America to Europe. You will have the opportunity to take part in our growing study abroad programme. At all levels of study, politics is a subject that is open to interpretation and debate. Our methods of teaching, therefore, are based largely on classroom discussion. You will attend lectures that identify themes and then explore these themes in depth during seminars.You will think about ethical questions such as the role and limits of state power, the nature of a 'good society' and the obligations that one state has to another. You will also consider empirical questions such as how we explain differences in political institutions and culture, and the relations between nation-states in the international system.