Politics is a subject that for many students is intrinsically interesting. One learns not only about one's own political system but also how other systems work. One can analyse what is happening in the world, especially at a time of global uncertainty. One can learn how politics interacts with other facets of national and international life, including trade and international law.
The knowledge so gained can be valuable for its own sake. The study of politics is valuable also because it provides the student with the capacity to analyse problems. Students have to be able to identify key variables and their relationships. It also develops the capacity to express an argument effectively and succinctly. As a social science, there are few demonstrably right or wrong answers in politics. Students have to be able to identify and assess relevant material and then utilise it to reach their own conclusions and to develop a particular theme or argument. At a practical level, it provides a good grounding in a subject that can be highly relevant for career purposes.
University Departments
Politics is widely taught in British universities. Departments take various names: Politics is probably the most common, but some add International Relations or International Studies. A number, as at Brunel, Essex, the London School of Economics, and Strathclyde, have Departments of Government. Birmingham has the Department of Political Science and International Studies. In some universities, politics is combined with another subject or taken as a sub-section of a subject area of faculty. Birkbeck College, London, has a Department of Politics and Sociology, and Goldsmiths College, also of the University of London, has a Department of Social Policy and Politics. Keele University has a Department of Politics, International Relations and the Environment.
Politics degrees
Most politics degrees are three-year, full-time degrees. Students will normally be able to do a single honours degree in politics or a joint honours degree with an allied subject, such as history or law. Some universities will also offer a single honours degree in, for example, politics and international relations. There are growing opportunities to major in one subject and take a minor in another.A number of universities offer degree courses that involve a period of placement. The University of Hull has a four-year degree in British Politics and Legislative Studies, the third year of which is spent on placement at the House of Commons. This particular degree course has been running for nearly fifteen years. The University of Leeds also has a long-established four-year degree, with placements in Washington and Westminster. A number of other universities also now offer similar opportunities to gain workplace experience.
Politics degrees will normally cover a number of core subjects, such as political concepts, political theory, international relations, and British politics. A-level Politics will usually provide a student with some grounding relevant to degree study, but because not all schools offer A-level Politics, Departments will not necessarily assume that applicants have a grounding in the subject.
It will vary from university to university as to the range of options made available. Most departments will be able to offer a range of subjects, usually reflecting the specialised knowledge of members of staff. A typical department will have between 15 and 30 staff and thus be able to cover many topics. However, for those wishing to specialise in particular areas of politics, it is advisable to check thoroughly departmental prospectuses. Not all departments will be able to cover, for example, political communication, political economy, terrorism, or legislative studies.
Career prospects
Some students will use a politics degree as a degree. It has a number of attractions to employers. The skills gained as a student - the capacity to analyse and to express one's findings clearly - make politics graduates very marketable. For those who use it as a politics degree - that is, putting the particular knowledge gained to effective use in employment - there are a number of careers that are pursued.
The media. Some politics graduates go into print or broadcast journalism, their knowledge and skills giving them an advantage over many others. Some will also become presenters or producers. Some enter broadcast media by taking up posts as researchers for current affairs programmes.
Civil service. Knowledge of the political process can be very valuable for working in government. For particularly able politics graduates, one route for getting into the civil service is the Fast Track scheme.
Government and political parties. Again, the knowledge gained can be invaluable for taking up posts within the political world. This can include working in party headquarters, working in 10 Downing Street, or working for Members of Parliaments. There are a number of politics graduates presently working in Downing Street. Politics graduates are to be found in MPs' offices throughout Westminster.
Political consultancy. A degree in politics is valuable for taking up employment in political consultancies, which seek to influence government on behalf of particular bodies. Some graduates are employed by dedicated lobbying companies. Others take up employment as parliamentary officers for firms and charities. Several of this country's leading charities have politics graduates heading their parliamentary relations.
International organisations. For those who have studies international relations, international organisations, political economy, or the European Union, the draw may be to take up a position with an international organisation, such as the United Nations.
A politics degree can thus be an excellent route for a career in the political process itself. Where a degree course involves some element of work placement, it comes close to constituting a semi-vocational degree. (Students taking Hull's British Politics and Legislative Studies degree are actually eligible to apply for a vocational qualification: the Licentiate of the City & Guilds.) Students are thus able to spend three often enjoyable years learning about the political process and then to make good use of that knowledge when taking up a career.
