Politics Canterbury Christ Church University

Overview

The Politics degree from Canterbury Christ Church University situates the big issues of the day in their historical and philosophical contexts. You’ll explore continuity and change in local, national and global dimensions of politics, and scrutinise political ideas, structures and approaches that will help you to understand our complex, and ever-changing circumstances.

Through the Making Politics Matter series, we regularly invite high-profile guest speakers, including politicians, to debate the issues of the day with our students and the general public. Staff and students work together to organise these events, providing another opportunity to enhance networking and employability skills.

All about the course

Our expertise in models of government and governance, radical political thought and political ethics informs modules which combine empirical political study and theoretical analysis. Together, we will tackle questions which have puzzled scholars from the times of the Ancient Greeks, but remain relevant to all our lives today.

In Year 1, you'll have an introduction to politics and governance and you'll study British and global politics. You'll also explore key political thinkers.

In Year 2, you'll study political theory. You'll also examine certain core methods used in political research and analysis. During Year 2 and Year 3, you'll be able to choose optional modules on subjects that most interest you.

In Year 3, you'll continue to study core and optional modules and you'll undertake a significant piece of independent research where you'll select a topic of special interest within your discipline area. 

Your future career

In a competitive job market, it is crucial that as a graduate you possess all the right skills that employers are looking for. Our politics degree emphasises transferable skills at each level of study, with a strong focus on career development. You can expect to gain skills in critical thought and analysis, working autonomously and as part of a team, networking, and the ability to communicate complex ideas in a clear and concise fashion.

Politics graduates have gone on to enter a variety of roles in sectors such as national or international government, leading non-governmental organisations in London, Brussels and other European capital states, journalism, law, teaching, and graduate training schemes in the public and private sectors. Five of our graduates have worked as assistants to MPs in Westminster. A high proportion of our students also go on to study at postgraduate level, some are currently completing funded PhD research.