Module manager: Dr Victoria Honeyman
Email: V.C.Honeyman@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable
Year running 2026/27
This module is approved as a discovery module
This module will focus on British Foreign Policy after the Second World War to the current day. You will discuss the ways in which foreign policy has and is made in the UK, the key considerations for the UK and the key foreign policy issues which the UK has faced since 1945. This will include discussion of the key relationships which the UK has with different nations and international organisations. The module team work to discuss relevant current issues and the role of the UK within them wherever possible.
The module has two key aims. Firstly, we want to ensure that you have the relevant content knowledge of British foreign policy and the key themes and discussions within that academic field. Secondly, we want to ensure that you have the necessary skills to analyse the issues thoroughly. That requires you to be identify a relevant wide-range of information, be able to read extensively on relevant subjects and analyse that reading appropriately. We then need them to be able to utilise that reading.
The assessment allows students to build their skills but also provides them with a practical example to discuss in interviews or recruitment processes for those who do not have practical experience in the workplace.
Students studying on this module will:
1.Critically analyse Britain’s foreign policy history and evaluate its current position in global politics.
2.Assess the nature, benefits, and costs of Britain’s relationships with other nations, using relevant theoretical and empirical evidence.
3.Evaluate the key factors shaping overseas development aid and analyse their implications for Britain’s international role.
4.Critically engage with and synthesise wider academic literature on British foreign policy and international relations.
All of the following are part of the summative assessment planning and writing:.
1. Identify, select, and integrate relevant academic and policy resources, demonstrating effective use of digital research tools to support evidence-based analysis.
2.Reflect on the topic and sources used to formulate evidence-based recommendations, demonstrating awareness of personal viewpoints and their implications.
3.Produce clear, concise written work tailored to a defined audience and purpose, applying appropriate tone, structure, and referencing conventions.
Improved skills in research, writing, critical analysis, and the presentation of information and argument.
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lecture | 11 | 1 | 11 |
| Seminar | 11 | 1 | 11 |
| Private study hours | 178 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 22 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 200 | ||
Each week the students will have a reading list which they are expected to select numerous chapters and articles from in preparation for this seminar discussion.
A formal formative assessment opportunity will be provided for the summative assessment task, which is specifically pedagogically aligned to that task. As part of this, each student will receive feedback designed to support the development of knowledge and skills that will be later assessed in the summative task.
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Coursework | - | 100 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 100 | |
For a resit, students can select a different question or a different nation to write about.
Check the module area in Minerva for your reading list
Last updated: 30/04/2026
Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team