International Relations is not merely the study of current affairs or foreign places: it is a distinctive way of looking at the world that will enable you to understand complex global political events. The study of International Relations covers key issues of conflict, human rights, environmental change and globalisation, and provides a solid understanding of international organisations such as the UN and the European Union. It also develops a range of analytical skills to help you interpret and explain the processes at work in unfolding current events. In a world of complex interdependence, such skills are of increasing relevance to many areas of business, industry and government. Keele has long been known as a pioneering centre of International Relations scholarship, as it was one of the first universities in the UK to offer a degree in the subject in the 1970s. Today, you will find one of the principal concentrations of International Relations specialists in the UK, and our current staff have internationally recognised teaching and research expertise in the areas of security studies, international history, international political economy and development, regional politics of Europe, Eurasia and the Middle East, feminist and postcolonial approaches to global politics, and political and International Relations theory.

This course provides an invaluable lens through which to see and approach the world, which appeals to many employers. You might work in journalism, the civil service or the European Parliament or as a political researcher for an MP or thinktank. You might join international organisations such as aid and development agencies, charity foundations or businesses. About 25% of graduates from this course study for higher degrees. Some of our well-known graduates include Laurence Mann, the political private secretary to David Cameron, Farah Faisal, Higher Commissioner for the Maldives, and Paul Rimmer, Director at the Ministry of Defence.