The Department of Politics and Contemporary European Studies is dedicated to delivering an outstanding undergraduate and postgraduate experience to a varied range of students from a wide diversity of backgrounds and countries, and to maintaining our internationally recognised reputation for research excellence.
Our aim is to equip our graduates with the analytical, information and communications skills that a globalised world demands. We emphasise quality, student-centred teaching, a broad and interesting spread of courses, and a cutting-edge research environment.
Our research was ranked Number Two in the UK in the most recent Research Assessment Exercise. Our teaching was awarded 23/24 in the most recent Teaching Quality Assessment and four Sussex staff have won Political Studies Association prizes for outstanding teaching. In the most recent National Student Survey, 97% of our students said they were satisfied or very satisfied with their course, placing us in the top five in the UK.
We are an innovative, international, open and friendly department with a real sense of community. We look forward to hearing from you.
Head of department
Paul Taggart
The Department at Sussex was thrilled to be placed in the top twenty places to study politics in the Independent's Complete University Guide, released on 20 May this year - a ranking which puts it ahead of many other great departments like Bristol, Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester, Kent, Southampton and London's Royal Holloway. The Times Good University Guide, which was published a week later and which also put Sussex in the top twenty, was just as encouraging.
Latest news
Sussex politics students were lucky enough at the beginning of November to get some great advice on how to get a job in politics from a man who knows - Lionel Zetter, who has been involved in parliamentary publishing, opinion polling and lobbying/public affairs for over two decades. Lionel, a Sussex graduate, not only outlined the sheer range of careers on offer but also suggested some of the 'do's and don'ts' to bear in mind when applying for them. What came over most strongly was the ability to communicate genuine enthusiasm for, as well as knowledge of, politics, plus a record of working - paid or unpaid - for, say, a politician, a party, or a campaigning or lobbying outfit. People wanting to get into this competitive but ultimately rewarding field need to start thinking early on how they can help themselves succeed.
