The BA Politics programme at the University of Leeds offers you a broad grounding in the academic study of politics, both domestically and globally. It is delivered by a dedicated team of experienced teachers and researchers, who will help you understand the complexities and challenges of contemporary political life. You will also be provided with conceptual and methodological tools to enable you to critically analyse political events and phenomena.
The programme provides you with a solid grounding in the core areas of political studies, including political theory, comparative politics, international politics and British politics. In addition, you are given the opportunity to pursue more specialist modules on a broad range of crucial topics including, but not limited to: the media and democratic politics, gender, race and culture, the far right, British political parties, human rights, foreign policy, contemporary political theory, national identity, forced migration, African politics, US politics and the politics of China..
You will also have the opportunity, as members of POLIS, to pursue study in the wider set of courses offered in the school, including within development studies and international relations. In the third and final year, you undertake a dissertation on an in-depth and specialised topic with advice from tutors.
The BA Politics programme gives you a diverse skillset, useful for career development in a broad range of fields and professions, including journalism, research, advocacy, the civil service, and roles in local and national government. What is more, it will help you to become a better citizen, equipping you with the skills and confidence required to successfully navigate the increasingly challenging political landscape we face.
[Learning Outcomes, Transferable (Key) Skills, Assessment]
View Timetable
Candidates will be required to study the following compulsory modules. Please check to see that you have the necessary pre-requisites before you enrol.
| Code | Title | Credits | Semester | Pass for Progression |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PIED1001 | The Politics of Global Challenges: Becoming an Independent Researcher | 40 | Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun) | |
| PIED1100 | British Politics | 20 | Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) | |
| PIED1110 | Comparative Politics | 20 | Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) | |
| PIED1601 | Freedom, Power and Resistance: An Introduction to Political Ideas | 20 | Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) |
Candidates will be required to study 20 credits of discovery modules.
Please check to see that you have the necessary pre-requisites
before you enrol.
[Learning Outcomes, Transferable (Key) Skills, Assessment]
View Timetable
You are required to study the following compulsory module:
| Code | Title | Credits | Semester | Pass for Progression |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PIED2721 | Approaches to Analysis | 20 | Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) | PFP |
Candidates will be required to study 20 credits from the following optional modules from Basket A:
| Code | Title | Credits | Semester | Pass for Progression |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PIED2601 | Revolution and Reaction: Political Problems in the 20th Century | 20 | Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) | |
| PIED2602 | Justice, Community and Conflict | 20 | Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) |
Candidates will be required to study 40 credits from the following optional modules from Basket B:
| Code | Title | Credits | Semester | Pass for Progression |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PIED2139 | The Labour Party Since 1945 | 20 | Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) | |
| PIED2251 | Britain in flux: crisis and change in UK political economy | 20 | Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) | |
| PIED2301 | Politics and Policy in the EU | 20 | Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) | |
| PIED2505 | Planet Politics | 20 | Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) |
Candidates will be required to study 20 credits from the following optional modules from Basket C:
| Code | Title | Credits | Semester | Pass for Progression |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PIED2161 | Media and Democracy | 20 | Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) | |
| PIED2448 | Politics of Contemporary China | 20 | Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) | |
| PIED2455 | State and Politics in Africa | 20 | Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) | |
| PIED2463 | United States Politics | 20 | Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) | |
| PIED2706 | The UK Parliament: Between Tradition and Reform | 20 | Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) |
You may choose up to 20 credits of discovery modules. Please check to see that you have the necessary pre-requisites before you enrol.
Your total credits for the year should be 120.
[Learning Outcomes, Transferable (Key) Skills, Assessment]
View Timetable
Candidates are required to study the following dissertation module:
| Code | Title | Credits | Semester | Pass for Progression |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PIED3775 | POLIS Final Year Project | 40 | Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun) | PFP |
Candidates will be required to study 20 credits from the following optional modules in Basket A:
| Code | Title | Credits | Semester | Pass for Progression |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PIED3171 | The Politics of national identity in the UK | 20 | Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) | |
| PIED3325 | Europe in the World | 20 | Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) | |
| PIED3640 | Ethics and Politics of Human Rights | 20 | Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) | |
| PIED3810 | Video Games: Politics, Society and Culture | 20 | Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) |
Candidates will be required to study 20 credits from the following optional modules in Basket B:
| Code | Title | Credits | Semester | Pass for Progression |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PIED3158 | British Foreign Policy | 20 | Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) | |
| PIED3305 | The Far Right in Europe and Beyond | 20 | Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) | |
| PIED3408 | Nuclear Weapons and Global Politics | 20 | Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) | |
| PIED3612 | Rethinking Resistance | 20 | Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) |
Candidates will be required to study 20 credits from the following optional modules in Basket C:
| Code | Title | Credits | Semester | Pass for Progression |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PIED3170 | The End of British Politics? | 20 | Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) | |
| PIED3343 | Gender, Violence and Security | 20 | Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) | |
| PIED3565 | Terrorism: Concepts, Debates, Cases | 20 | Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) | |
| PIED3605 | Confronting Tyranny: Adventures in Democratic Theory | 20 | Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) |
Candidates will be required to study 20 credits of discovery modules
Your total credits for the year should be 120.
Last updated: 13/05/2026 16:22:37
Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team