The BA (International Hons) in International Relations will teach you to understand how major features of the international system operate as well as the major challenges it faces. You will learn to approach issues from different epistemological and methodological angles, and to relate your knowledge to issues including development, international political economies, environmental politics, human rights, and the various impacts of globalisation, among others.
The BA (International Hons) is a joint degree delivered by both the University of St Andrews and the College of William & Mary in Virginia, USA. This joint degree allows you to spend two years at each institution.
Applications for 2021 entry for this course have now closed. See which courses are available for the upcoming academic year.
Bachelor of Arts (International Honours degree)
Four years full time
Information about all programmes from previous years of entry can be found in the archive.
Admission to the BA (International Honours) is highly competitive. These grades are the overall standards required to consider you for entry.
Find out more about Standard and Minimum entry requirements using academic entry explained and see which entry requirements you need to look at using the entry requirements indicator.
We accept a wide range of qualifications for entry on to our programmes, please see our entry requirements for more information.
If English is not your first language, you will need an overall IELTS score of 7.0, with a minimum score of 6.5 in each component (Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking), or an equivalent English language qualification.
You can only apply for the programme through one institution, and each institution will honour the admissions decisions of the other. You must specify which subject area you wish to apply for on your application form.
If you wish to begin your studies at the University of St Andrews, you can apply through the St Andrews direct application form or the Common Application form.
If you wish to begin your studies at William & Mary, you should apply through the William & Mary Common Application form.
No previous knowledge of this subject is required.
All applicants must have attained the following qualifications, or equivalent, in addition to the specific entry requirements for individual programmes.
More information on how to apply via other entry routes or accreditation of prior learning and experience can be found on the University’s entry requirements web page.
The School of International Relations has been placed among the very best in the UK for the quality of its research.
International relations at St Andrews was ranked first in the UK by the Guardian University Guide 2021 and first in Scotland by the Complete University Guide 2021.
The School was ranked second in Scotland for research by the most recent (2014) Research Excellence Framework (REF), with 72% of its research rated world-leading and internationally excellent.
The University of St Andrews as a whole was voted top in the UK for student academic experience in The National Student Survey 2020 as 92.7% of St Andrews final-year students gave the University top marks for the quality of the learning and teaching experience.
The University has secured a TEF Gold Award for the quality of teaching and the undergraduate experience.
The BA (International Honours) is a four-year undergraduate degree that combines the best of the Scottish and American educational experience.
Both St Andrews and William & Mary offer a broad interdisciplinary approach to understanding global and international politics. At St Andrews, students select two-thirds of their sub-honours modules outside core international relations topics. At William & Mary, the programme covers modules from at least three departments: Government, Economics and History.
In their Honours years, students specialise in areas and topics in international politics that are of interest to them. These elective modules — covering all major world regions, trade, security, foreign policy, peace and conflict studies, international organisations, etc — are offered in a small class setting where students learn from experts researching on the topics they teach.
Both programmes also have their unique strengths, allowing students to design a truly unparalleled programme which builds on the specifics of North American and British approaches to international relations. Studying at William & Mary incorporates strong methodological training, while St Andrews’ strengths in international political theory and critical approaches encourage students to question their own assumptions about the world we live in.
Students studying the International Relations BA (International Hons) will take the required modules at both institutions in their first and second years.
The following modules are those offered at St Andrews. Find out more about module requirements at William & Mary.
At St Andrews, the compulsory modules in international relations in first year are:
You must also take two modules in either economics or history. Students focusing on history in their first year at St Andrews will take economics at William & Mary in their second year; those focusing on economics in their first year will focus on history in their second.
If you focus on economics in your first year at St Andrews, you must take the following two compulsory modules:
If you focus on history in your first year at St Andrews, you must take the following two compulsory modules:
At St Andrews, the compulsory modules in international relations in second year are:
Students will spend either their third or fourth year in St Andrews. You will be able to choose from a wide variety of advanced options, including modules in conflict and conflict resolution, human rights, international law, international security, globalisation, terrorism, and comparative politics including Africa, Middle East, Latin America, China, Central and East Asia.
Here is a sample of Honours modules which have been offered at St Andrews in previous years:
If at St Andrews for fourth year, students also undertake a 12,000-word dissertation on a topic of their choice. This independent project enables you to develop key research skills which are desired by both prospective employers and by graduate schools offering postgraduate degrees.
The compulsory modules listed here must be taken in order to graduate in this subject. However, most students at St Andrews take additional modules, either in their primary subject or from other subjects they are interested in. For Honours level, students choose from a range of Honours modules, some of which are listed above. A full list of all modules appropriate to the programme for the current academic year can be found in the programme requirements.
