BA in Interdisciplinary Political Studies

Course Overview

The BA in Interdisciplinary Political Studies at the London School of Law, Politics and Economics is a three-year UK Level 6 honours degree integrating political theory, comparative politics, international studies and public policy. Part-time and accelerated routes are available, and the syllabus is informed by the working focus of the Political Studies Association, the British International Studies Association, Chatham House and the Institute for Government.

By graduation you will have written comparative country studies, produced foreign-policy option papers, defended a mock select-committee submission, and completed a placement year in a think tank, government department, NGO or public-affairs consultancy. The final-year dissertation defends original interdisciplinary political analysis fit for practitioner or academic review.

Every intake of the BA in Interdisciplinary Political Studies joins the same LSLPE weekly rhythm, whether on-campus, online or by distance learning, and students are placed in small named cohorts from week one. Reading is drawn wherever possible from primary UK sources including select-committee evidence sessions, Hansard extracts and Chatham House briefing papers, giving honours students a direct working relationship with the evidence base used by the Political Studies Association and the British International Studies Association. Assessed work rewards clean writing and structured argument over volume, and tutors emphasise the everyday drafting skills that honours practitioners use in first practice.

Key Features

• Syllabus informed by PSA, BISA, Chatham House and Institute for Government guidance.
• Case-room and select-committee-style seminars on live political questions.
• Placement year in a think tank, government department, NGO or consultancy.
• Workshops on comparative politics, IR theory and policy analysis.
• Named programme-tutor support with active political-science research.
• Guest sessions from Parliamentary staff, diplomats and campaign professionals.
• Dissertation on an interdisciplinary political question of practitioner relevance.
• Named tutor written feedback on every graded submission with an interim tutor review at the halfway mark.
• Structured induction reading list drawn from primary UK political sources including select-committee evidence sessions, Hansard extracts and Chatham House briefing papers.

What You Will Learn

• Apply liberal, realist, constructivist and critical frameworks to political cases.
• Design comparative studies on democratic and hybrid regimes.
• Analyse policy and legislative processes across Westminster and comparative parliaments.
• Read foreign-policy and security material at Chatham House and BISA standard.
• Prepare policy briefs and select-committee-style submissions.
• Assess campaigns, elections and public opinion.
• Present a structured oral argument on a live political question.
• Build a dissertation from primary political and parliamentary sources.
• Read published UK political evidence sessions, working papers and reports at practitioner standard.
• Manage timed writing and oral defence under seminar and committee-style conditions.

Who This Course Is For

• School leavers targeting policy, campaigns or diplomatic careers.
• Career changers from journalism, communications or NGO roles.
• Working researchers seeking a full honours BA with integrated political methods.
• International applicants wanting a UK-recognised interdisciplinary political BA.
• Public-affairs officers building analytical depth across political fields.
• Applicants moving into the degree route from a UK Access to HE Diploma, a mature-applicant portfolio or a related LSLPE credential.

Career Pathways

• Political Analyst in a policy consultancy or think tank.
• Foreign Policy Adviser in a Parliamentary committee or NGO.
• Parliamentary Researcher in a constituency or committee office.
• Public Affairs Officer supporting a party, campaign or corporate policy team.
• International Affairs Officer in a diplomatic or NGO setting.
• Government Relations Manager for a corporate policy team.
• Political Communications Officer for a party or campaign.
• Strategic Intelligence Analyst in a defence or geopolitical risk firm.
• Support-role progression across think tanks, Parliamentary offices and public-affairs consultancies and political-policy adjacent teams in central London.

The LSLPE careers service coordinates placements with think tanks, government departments, NGOs and public-affairs consultancies concentrated in central London. The service runs at least one careers day each academic year specifically for degree students on the BA in Interdisciplinary Political Studies, connecting them with employers across Chatham House, Whitehall, think tanks, Parliamentary offices and public-affairs consultancies and the wider LSLPE alumni network.

Entry Requirements

• A-levels (or equivalent) at BBB or above, OR a UK Access to HE Diploma with 45 credits at Level 3.
• GCSE English at grade 4/C and Mathematics at grade 4/C or equivalent.
• IELTS 6.5 overall (no band below 6.0) for non-native English speakers.
• Two academic references and a personal statement on your political interests.
• International applicants receive dedicated visa and accommodation support from LSLPE admissions.

Why Study at LSLPE

The London School of Law, Politics and Economics teaches political studies within a short tube ride of Parliament, Whitehall, Chatham House, the Institute for Government, the Political Studies Association and the wider UK think-tank ecosystem. BA students engage directly with the analysts and officials running the same political processes their syllabus interprets.

Every intake, on-campus or remote, joins the same weekly seminar structure with named programme-tutor support, and curriculum alignment is refreshed annually against Political Studies Association guidance.

Study skills teaching is embedded across the BA in Interdisciplinary Political Studies, covering scholarly referencing, timed writing under committee-style time pressure and the reading of published UK political materials. International applicants receive additional English-language coaching from the LSLPE admissions team, and mature applicants without recent formal study join a bridge-week before term begins to consolidate written English and note-taking habits. Tutors provide named written feedback on every submission, and every graded piece is reviewed by a second tutor for consistency across cohorts and study modes. Students shadow LSLPE tutors on structured observation sessions at select-committee evidence sessions and Chatham House public events where relevant, and are encouraged to follow live UK debate through the UK foreign-affairs press and the Whitehall correspondents corps.

Apply for BA in Interdisciplinary Political Studies

Applications for the BA in Interdisciplinary Political Studies are reviewed on a rolling basis and admissions responds within one working day. Apply for the LSLPE Bachelor's programme, placement year in chambers, government or a think tank included. International applicants receive dedicated visa and accommodation guidance from the LSLPE admissions team throughout the enrolment cycle, and progression maps into an LSLPE Master’s programme are set out in writing at offer stage. Enrol Now.