With the new year in full swing, it might be time for you to start thinking about your academic future. Are you getting ready to apply to university this year? Choosing which A-Levels to study for your future? It can be difficult to know what subjects to pursue at university level when you have had no experience of it at school. And the subject of international relations is no exception. 

One of our most popular courses at Melio is our International Relations and Politics course. Students on this course are able to question the world around them by picking up theories and tools to better understand the subject. Learning in groups on our Academic Online Courses or one-to-one with Tutorial courses, our expert tutors are chosen by the team at Melio to ensure all of our students get the best possible experience. But what is international relations?

What is International Relations?

International relations may be a subject that you haven’t studied at school before but is a subject that is very popular at university. Often, it is paired with politics (just like our course) as both subjects are closely related and share lots of similar information. 

International Relations can be defined as; blending the fields of economics, history, and political science to examine topics such as human rights, global poverty, the environment, economics, globalisation, security, global ethics, and the political environment. 

Put more simply, it’s the ability to have a cross-cultural understanding and awareness of what’s happening beyond our borders. And this couldn’t be more important or relevant in today's hyper-connected and highly-globalised world. 

Being able to understand and evaluate the different challenges and hardships that threaten countries around the world will put you one step closer to being able to change the world for the better.  While you look at the struggles that different countries face, you will also be looking at the effect of problems on a global scale, like poverty, war, and global warming. 

What does an International Relations degree involve?

If you have a keen interest in global affairs, problem-solving, and a desire to improve conditions for others, then you may think an international relations degree could be the right subject choice for you. Thankfully, if you choose to study international relations at university  then you’ll be in good company as it is one of the most popular subject choices for students in the UK. 

This makes the subject easily accessible for students as it’s offered by so many learning centres. At the time of writing, the best universities to do an international relations degree in the UK are the University of Oxford, the London School of Economics and the University of Cambridge.  

But what does an international relations degree involve? As an undergraduate degree, the course is typically three years long (four if you choose to do a year in industry). As with most undergraduate degrees, you would be required to do a final year dissertation which is an extended essay on a subject of your choice relating to what you’ve learned and summarises your research. 

You will cover a range of topics during your international relations degree, with universities across the UK offering a range of commonly-chosen and less-popular module topics. 

As an example, at the University of  St. Andrews, some of the topics taught during the International Relations degree include; foreign policy, international organisations and regimes, peace and conflict studies, political theory and terrorism and political violence. You will learn the history of these topics as well as the current day elements that add and may alter these subjects, such as the effect social media has on modern day terrorism. 

Meanwhile, if you were to choose to study the same subject at the University of Birmingham, you could find yourself studying modules like; global governance, debate, global history, international law, and security, as well as learning how to undertake and analyse global research - building skills for a career in this field.

Should I do an International Relations degree?

If you’re the type of student who cares about wider world issues, relationships between countries and debating important issues - as well as having a keen interest in global politics - then this might be the degree for you. Over the course of your degree you will learn a unique set of skills which means that subsequently, your interpersonal, analytical, decision-making and negotiation skills will be unparalleled and in high demand for your career path. 

International Relations is the ideal degree for students who want to gain a clearer perspective on the world we live in and get real-world experience. As previously mentioned, a placement year in industry is often encouraged with an international relations degree to enable the students to get experience in the many different career areas of the subject. Plus, you could even earn a small wage while undertaking your placement year which can really help you as a student. 

When you start university, you’ll be able to speak to your careers centre about the types of work placements you could benefit from during this additional year of study.

For students approaching university level it can be difficult to know what degree to choose based on job opportunities after graduation. Of course you should choose a subject you love and are passionate about, but it’s also important to think about your future and career beyond university. 

As the UK job market shows an increase of unemployment by 4.1% during the national lockdown, it can be stressful to know which path to take to have a level of security in your job and future. However, qualified people working in international relations are in high demand, which is not surprising due to the ongoing globalisation processes. This means that completing an international relations degree is the first step to a fruitful career.

What jobs can you do with an International relations degree?

There are many different career paths you can pursue with an international relations degree. The diverse field of study lets you evaluate the relationships between different countries and apply this understanding to the world of work. Some examples of jobs which directly relate to an international relations degree include:

Intelligence Analyst

Have you ever seen Spooks? Or James Bond? While this job might not be as exciting as that, your role as an intelligence analyst is to protect UK national security and economic wellbeing, as well as to detect and prevent serious organised crime, such as terrorist attacks, cybercrime and drug trafficking.

Your responsibilities in this role would include; creating intelligence profiles, developing relationships with customers, using various analytical techniques to assess and interpret data and delivering this information in formal presentations. 

Intelligence analysts, also known as officers, work primarily for the UK's three intelligence and security agencies (GCHQ, MI5 and MI6) and also the armed forces and the police. The starting salary for these agencies vary from £25,000 - £35,000 plus benefits, which is above the average starting salary for graduates in the UK. 

Diplomatic Service Officer 

As a diplomatic service officer you will work for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) to protect and promote UK interests and support British citizens and businesses around the world.

The FCDO tackles issues including; conflict resolution, counter terrorism, human rights, and climate change to name just a few. If you’re passionate about doing a more person-facing role to bring about change then this might be the role for you. Your responsibilities would include; answering written correspondence, liaising with high commissions and embassies, analysing and interpreting material and often managing a team. 

Starting salaries for this role tend to be in the field of £28,000. This job role has a fast progression program with many diplomatic service officers reaching a £45,000 salary point within four years. 

Policy Officer

If you have ambitions of working and making policy change within government, think tanks and other large organisations, then working as a policy officer may be the role for you. 

Using your robust research and data analysis skills, you’ll be the individual that advises these groups on various issues about current affairs and global policy, while also carrying out the developmental work to implement some of these changes. 

Typically, policy officers work for local or even central governments, researching, campaigning and developing policies that can affect everyone within the community. You could work directly with Members of Parliament if working for a local constituency, or more significant figures for centralised government. 

However, you could also put your work to use in the charity sector, using your research skills to influence policies in favour of a cause - usually campaigning with the support of the government to improve the lives of others.

Depending on where you work, depends on your salary role. Most policy assistant roles start from £22,000 but can range to up to over £50,000 for policy managers and other important governmental figures.

There are also many jobs you can pursue with an international relations degree that are not directly related to the subject. These include:

Broadcast Journalist 

The heart of a broadcast journalist's role is communication. You would research, investigate and present news and current affairs to different media outlets and audiences. The aim is to present balanced and unbiased information in a helpful and easy to understand way, to inform audiences around the world. 

Responsibilities vary from role-to-role and depending on what media you work for (radio or television for example), but the general responsibilities that can be expected of a broadcast journalist include; pitching ideas to editors, researching, verifying and collating evidence for your story, preparing and presenting material and interviewing. 

Many of your responsibilities in this role will require you to use the tools you have learned during your international relations degree like decision-making, analysing and communicating in an effective way. 

Starting salaries for this role vary significantly between local and national media and location of the role, but roughly ranges between £15,000 and £24,000. 

Solicitor 

As a solicitor, you’ll provide expert legal advice on a range of topics. One of the key elements to this is protecting human rights, which directly links with topics you will have learned about during your international relations degree. If you are passionate about making a difference to your community and the world, then this might be the perfect job for you. 

If you have done an international relations degree, you will have to do a law conversion course to become a solicitor which can take either one year full time or two years working part time, after your undergraduate degree. The tools you will learn on the conversion course will add to your international relations skills meaning you will have the ideal expertise to help people and make a difference.

Starting salaries for this role vary a lot depending on the size of the law firm, the location and your experience, and they can range between £27,000 to £60,000. In this field of work there is a lot of opportunity for career progression, promotions and pay increases. Another reason as to why your starting salary could be higher than the minimum is if you have completed a placement year and have experience in the law world. 

Summary

International relations is a subject which will always be relevant and in demand. The world is constantly changing and so people who are able to analyse, evaluate and help in difficult situations will always be sought after. 

As international relations is a subject you may not have studied at school, as mentioned earlier, it can be helpful to do an online course to see if you like it before you commit to studying it at A-Level or further at university. Oxford University is the best ranked university in the UK for studying international relations, and at Melio our tutors teach using the Oxford Tutorial method to offer you the most rewarding learning experience possible. The method, put simply,  encourages direct communication between students and their tutor to discuss work and ideas. If you want a taste of the best university in the UK’s international relations course, then consider doing a Melio course!

Our Academic Online Courses run for two weeks and you will be matched with like-minded students from around the world into groups of up to 8. Your expert tutor will present live webinars and tutorials, will give you personal feedback on your projects and provide expert insight into the subject. At the end of the course you will receive a certificate of completion and a letter of recommendation from your tutor. As the course runs for two weeks, this is ideal to complete during a school holiday or half term!

Looking for a more personal experience? Our One-on-One Tutorials allow you to have hourly sessions with an expert tutor who has been selected for you based on your subject choice and learning style. With hourly sessions (starting from 10), you are able to choose the timetable to fit around your other extracurricular commitments. This is our more bespoke course, you can discuss with your tutor which specific topics you’d like to cover and receive advice from them on your future academic journey. 

For more information on our International Relations course and how you can get involved today, visit our website or contact our admissions team.