Undergraduate Prospectus 2010

Why international relations?

In today’s increasingly interdependent and turbulent world, many of the leading issues in the news concern international affairs. Whether it is the continuing impact of globalisation, the military conflicts in the Gulf or Afghanistan, the inequalities of wealth and power between north and south or the activities of international organisations such as the World Trade Organization, the International Monetary Fund and the United Nations, the subject of international relations is now directly involved in people’s daily lives.

However, a degree in international relations takes you far beyond the headlines, enabling you to reflect in a systematic and informed way on the deeper issues behind the news. In particular it:

• introduces you to the social, economic and political history of the international system as it has emerged and developed over the last 200 years
• provides you with the ideas of key classical and modern thinkers who have analysed world politics and have argued over its rights and wrongs
• gives you the opportunity to develop focused knowledge and understanding in specialised areas of your choice such as international law, global environmental change, international organisation, security studies and so on.

Why international relations at Sussex?

• International relations at Sussex was rated 7th in the UK for research in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE). 95 per cent of our research was rated as recognised internationally or higher, and over half rated as internationally excellent or higher.
• One of the longest established international relations departments in the UK.
• Faculty research is at the radical forefront of contemporary international thought.
• Our thriving undergraduate programme takes in over 100 students every year.
• Our degree programmes combine traditional approaches with introductions to the latest ideas.
• Our student body is truly international.

What sort of career could I have?

• non-governmental organisations (eg Oxfam, Save the Children)
• international organisations (eg UN, World Bank)
• government ministries
• multinational business
• the media
• academia.

How will I learn?

Teaching methods change as you become an increasingly independent, self-directed learner. Core courses in the first and second years are taught by weekly lectures and group discussions, while final-year courses are based entirely on seminar teaching. Similarly, the pattern of assessment is designed to promote different kinds of intellectual and practical skills at each stage, reflecting your developing academic independence.

What will I achieve?

• A rigorous grounding in the subject. You will gain an understanding of the core concepts and questions that define international relations: familiarity with the key theoretical traditions of international relations as an academic discipline; a knowledge of the history of modern international relations; awareness of the major practical, political and moral challenges facing contemporary global society; the ability to use a variety of intellectual approaches when analysing international events and processes, and an in-depth understanding of your chosen specialist areas.
• A range of intellectual skills: for example, in the retrieval and use of primary and secondary information sources and in presenting concise, critical and cogently structured arguments, both orally and in writing.
• Practical skills, such as the ability to work both independently and in cooperation with others, the ability to deploy a range of communication and information technology skills, and the ability to reflect upon and take responsibility for your own learning, making use of constructive feedback.