Curious about studying International Relations with Global Development - BA (Hons)at Leeds Beckett University? We've gathered all the key details—entry requirements, modules, fees, and more. Hear from real students by checking out reviews, or take the next step by booking an open day to explore it for yourself.
Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)
City CampusC
Full Time
Sep 2027
3 Year
Gain an international perspective by exploring how nations interact on the global stage. As part of this course, you’ll: - Critically explore global issues such as security, poverty, debt and famine - Understand how we can address the challenges faced by humanity from an international relations perspective - Examine global inequalities, the rise of the superpower nations and what power looks like at a global level - Understand how major developments, including the Cold War, the fall of the Berlin Wall, globalisation, changing global power relations and the emergence of new terror threats and social movements have shaped the world - Evaluate theories of international relations and diplomacy and analyse the ideas, ideologies, policies and institutions that form the foundations of global politics - Analyse what happens during conflict, and the challenges faced by states and world organisations trying to preserve peace and security - Undertake a volunteering placement giving you work experience in the field - Blend critical thinking, analytical and problem-solving skills
Find out moreInternational perspective
You’ll gain experiences and insight that will enhance your world view and help build your network of international contacts. Studying the roles of international organisations such as the World Bank, the World Trade Organisation and the United Nations will give you an understanding of their working processes and limitations. You’ll be encouraged to think critically and develop ideas that might help them to achieve their goals.
High profile speakersOur annual Politics & International Relations Festival and Peace Lecture have previously attracted guest speakers such as Sir Keir Starmer, Leader of the Labour Party, former Labour MP David Miliband, and former Green Party co-leader Caroline Lucas.
Research expertiseOur academic team are research-active and are involved in international activism and global development. They include Professor Rachel Julian, who is currently researching local understandings of conflict in Myanmar through culture and stories.
Building your future potentialAs a student in the School of Humanities & Social Sciences, you'll be encouraged to think about your future career right from the start of your learning journey. Information and advice about relevant future career options will be built into the first year of your degree. During your second and third years of study, you'll be able to choose modules with live brief learning challenges (real life projects designed by employers) and work placement opportunities. You’ll also carry out a volunteering placement of your choice, enriching your concept of society and citizenship, and developing your skills for employment.
Why study the BA (Hons) International Relations course (with pathways) at Leeds Beckett University?- Pathways available, with the option to change direction after Year 1 - Fantastic placement opportunities - Guest lectures, including the annual festival of Politics and International Relations - Volunteering opportunities
Explore a series of real world concerns as a starting point from which to look at issues in contemporary political theory. By looking at issues such as freedom, equality, violence and rights, you will attempt to provoke critical engagement and reflection on the contested nature of contemporary political theory. Optional modules may also be available for this course.
Look at the key actors and institutions in the international system, and more broadly to the study of international relations. You will explore the roles key states, regional organisations and groupings, international organisations, NGOs and transnational actors play in the international order. You will examine how their power, role and significance have been affected by change and evolution in the international system, and how in turn these affect the processes of interaction, cooperation and conflict. Optional modules may also be available for this course.
Understand the the nature and structure of the international system, and how modern states evolve and develop. Consider the evolution of the 20th Century States System, beginning with the decline of pax-Britannica, the inter-war crisis, the emergence of pax-Americana, the establishment and design of key international institutions, the Cold War, the end of the Cold War, rise of non-state actors, globalisation, the decline of the west and the rise of China, the ongoing economic crisis and democratisation. Optional modules may also be available for this course.
Gain a critical introduction to the history and contemporary evolution of political economy. You will engage with a variety of key historical thinkers and theoretical approaches in order to develop a qualitative understanding of the rich tapestry of political economy. Optional modules may also be available for this course.
Study the main theories of international relations, including realism, liberalism, Marxism, the English School and constructivism. You will look at methodological issues in social studies including classical, positivist and post-positivist concerns. Optional modules may also be available for this course.
You can choose to do either Environment & World Politics or Understanding Security.
Investigate the concept of citizenship and actively engage with it by undertaking a voluntary placement. This placement will be related to the scope of your course and reflect on their experiences to enhance your employability. Optional modules may also be available for this course.
You can choose to do either Environment & World Politics or Understanding Security.
Inequality is everywhere. People are treated differently or affected disproportionately because of their gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, age, disability, and immigration status. In this module you will conduct research on how inequalities are present at local, national and global levels. Optional modules may also be available for this course.
You can choose to do either Environment & World Politics or Understanding Security.
Study an overview of contemporary environmental debates, with a particular focus on climate change and its consequences. You will critically assess the evidence for global environmental crisis, and efforts at global cooperation to address the issues, considering issues such as responsibility, and the role of environmental movements and alternative models of development. Optional modules may also be available for this course.
You can choose to do either Environment & World Politics or Understanding Security.
Take a critical political economy approach to development in the Global South. You'll study the evolution and dynamics of development policy and practice in the Global South, from the period of post WWII state-led development to contemporary processes of neoliberal globalisation. You'll engage with a variety of theoretical approaches in order to understand issues facing development in the Global South. This module will also explore the roles and links between key institutions and actors at the global, national and local level. Optional modules may also be available for this course.
You can choose to do either Environment & World Politics or Understanding Security.
Gain an understanding of the key concepts and theories associated with post conflict recovery and peacebuilding. You will examine the range of behavioural contexts and peacebuilding dimensions and develop some of these ideas into defining the goals and processes of building a peaceful (i.e. less prone to violence) society. Optional modules may also be available for this course.
You can choose to do either Environment & World Politics or Understanding Security.
Study an overview of contemporary environmental debates, with a particular focus on climate change and its consequences. You will critically assess the evidence for global environmental crisis, and efforts at global cooperation to address the issues, considering issues such as responsibility, and the role of environmental movements and alternative models of development. Optional modules may also be available for this course.
You can choose to do either Environment & World Politics or Understanding Security.
Gain an overview of contemporary security issues, encompassing different perspectives from the state to the individual, and how security threats have changed over time and continue to change. Optional modules may also be available for this course.
Focus on a subject of your choosing related to International Relations and your own future aspirations. You will be required to select an International Relations based dissertation topic and to engage with theoretical, methods and empirical material that is appropriate to study in this field. You will identify, plan and deliver a sustained and in-depth piece of work, linking it to theory, and critically reflecting on their subject matter and research findings. Optional modules may also be available for this course.
Gain an introduction to the ideas of global governance and globalisation and the intersection between them. You will begin to think critically about future patterns of world order and their institutionalisation. Optional modules may also be available for this course.
Investigate the operation, practice and context of contemporary diplomacy and international relations. You will explore traditional forms of and approaches to diplomacy and analyse the impact of changes in the international system on the practice and operation of international relations in order to understand contemporary forms of diplomacy. You will analyse diplomacy in the context of the cold war and post cold war, the rise of new actors in international diplomacy and the impact of technology and the media on international relations. Optional modules may also be available for this course.
There are currently more than 280 million migrants on the move in the world. Millions of refugees and other people have been displaced from their homes due to violence, economic desperation, climate change, conflict and persecution. Although this is not a new problem, this level of displacement and forced and voluntary mobility is unprecedented and is increasingly framed as a crisis. This module will give you a strong understanding of how the social and political geographies of displacement and migration are produced, experienced and governed at various scales. You'll also examine how local communities are responding to the complex issues experienced by displaced people and migrant communities. Optional modules may also be available for this course.
104-112 Grades/points required
Not currently available, please Contact University for up to date information.
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