A guide to a politics degree (with skills, careers and salaries)

Updated 18 April 2024

Studying politics at university is a great way to learn about internal relations and important global issues. As a politics graduate, you may have the option to become a politician and to represent people who have similar views and values. You could work for government agencies or private companies. Understanding what it's like to attend this course of study, and how long it takes to obtain a degree in politics, may help you gain clarity on how to achieve your aspirations. In this article, we explain what a politics degree is, explore the different modules involved and list interesting careers you might pursue as a politics graduate.

What is a politics degree?

A politics degree is a series of university courses during which you study how governments, policies and internal relations work. Most degrees in politics require you to examine past and current political conflicts, learn about different models and mechanisms of government and understand philosophical and political concepts, including freedom and equality. As a politics student, you'd also focus on studying various types of government.The main goal of a degree in politics is to provide you with resources and support while you develop key skills for working in politics, which include critical thinking, analysis and excellent communication skills. A degree also makes it possible for you to explore your different areas of interest within the field, whether it's global relations, social justice or historical politics. Apart from preparing you for a career in politics, you may benefit from completing a degree of this type if you're interested in doing non-profit work or education.Related: A beginner's guide to earning your undergraduate degree

How long does it take to obtain a degree in politics?

If you're thinking about studying politics, it's important to know how long it may take you to obtain your degree. Typically, undergraduate courses in politics take around three years to complete, after which you get a BA (Bachelor of Arts) title. Many universities offer students the opportunity to combine politics with another subject they're interested in, for example, by creating courses in economics and politics, anthropology and politics or business and politics. It's also common for degrees of this type to focus on teaching you a foreign language, for example, in a form of a French and politics course.You may consider obtaining a master's degree in politics, which may take you around a year to complete. If you're interested in a specific area of politics, you may consider looking for a specialised postgraduate course that would equip you with more detailed knowledge about fields such as international relations, European politics or political psychology. You may also consider choosing an integrated degree, in which case you'd complete both undergraduate and graduate courses at once. Depending on the university of your choice, integrated degrees in politics take around four or five years to complete.Related: How to apply for a master's degree in 12 simple steps

What is it like to study politics?

Typically, degrees in politics focus on scheduled learning. As a politics student, you mostly attend lectures, seminars and workshops. Your lecturers may expect you to spend time in between lectures to engage in independent study and research projects. You may often find yourself preparing for discussions, debates and working on developing essays and reports.Throughout the course, your lecturers assess you based on your coursework, written exams and practical work. You develop critical thinking and decision-making skills to better understand how politics and international relations impact the lives of people in different parts of the world. Here are some common modules you may come across while studying politics:

political theory and ideologies
UK and European comparative governance
world politics
political economy
colonialism, power and resistance
feminist politics
philosophy, freedom and existence

Key skills for a politics graduate

Studying politics prepares you for becoming an independent thinker, researcher and intellectual leader. Here are some key skills you may develop while obtaining your degree in politics:

Research skills

In many cases, research skills are the foundation of studying politics. To succeed in this field, your university is likely to expect you to know how to engage in research and analysis. It's also important that you know how to use these skills to validate sources and clearly express your original ideas and thoughts in written form.Related: Research skills: definition and examples

Critical thinking

Critical thinking is essential in politics because it allows you to question ideas, ideologies and government decisions to come up with original opinions, on which you could build your values and beliefs. In other words, when you think critically, you can easily analyse facts to form a judgement. You may use these skills to prepare for group discussions where you'll develop your ability to present clear arguments.Related: What are critical thinking skills and how are they used?

Written communication and public speaking skills

Politics is a highly intellectual field of study, which requires you to know how to clearly and effectively express your thoughts and opinions. When you have strong written and oratory skills, you can easily engage in research, write essays or participate in debates. These skills are also useful because they help you influence others in something you care about.Related: How to improve public speaking skills to communicate effectively

Intellectual independence

Intellectual independence is the ability to take responsibility for your own thinking and opinions. As a politics graduate, you may want to know how to initiate actions and thoughts in the minds of people in different audiences. Your intellectual independence enables you to position yourself as a confident leader and thinker.

Career options for politics degree graduates

Studying politics can equip you with transferable skills and knowledge which many other industries will find useful. Here are some careers you may consider as a politics graduate:

1. Political analyst

National average salary: £34,912 per yearPrimary duties: A political analyst, or political scientist, is a professional who studies the development of political systems and keeps up to date with political issues. They typically collect and analyse this data to forecast and understand national, regional or global political trends. Many political scientists work at government agencies or in education. It's also common for them to work for radio and television, where they use their expertise to simplify and explain complex political events to the audience.Related: How to become a political scientist, including job duties

2. Public affairs specialist

National average salary: £37,561 per yearPrimary duties: Political affairs specialists usually serve as the public face of an organisation. They connect those organisations with various media outlets and share important information to maintain their employer's reputation. They're typically responsible for informing the public on how the organisation's decisions and activities may impact the community. It's also important that they know how to predict risks and respond to negative news involving the organisation.

3. Public relations manager

National average salary: £31,294 per yearPrimary duties: A public relations manager works on promoting a brand or organisation and spreading the word about its activities, products or services. As a politics graduate, you may have an opportunity to work as a PR manager for government agencies or influential politicians. To increase your chances of succeeding in this role, consider working on your communication, interpersonal and persuasion skills. Working in this role also requires that you know how to manage stress, as you may often find yourself working under a lot of pressure.Related: What is public relations? (plus PR strategies and tips)

4. Regulatory affairs manager

National average salary: £52,614 per yearPrimary duties: As a regulatory affairs manager, you'd help clients, including private companies and organisations, oversee the regulation process for products that require governmental approval. Your daily duties may include drafting, reviewing and submitting relevant documentation and handling all interactions between the organisation and the government. It's a highly responsible role that requires you to have extensive knowledge of various regulations and experience in developing procedures to ensure regulatory compliance.

5. Legislative assistant

National average salary: £23,636 per yearPrimary duties: Legislative assistants are typically responsible for various administrative tasks, such as conducting research or supervising interns. As a recent graduate, working in this role may help you test your knowledge in practice if you want to develop new skills to use to advance or change careers. To succeed in this role, you may want to work on your research, writing, time-management and organisational skills.Salary figures reflect data listed on Indeed Salaries at the time of writing. Salaries may vary depending on the hiring organisation and a candidate's experience, academic background and location.