Politics
Studying politics means understanding how ideas, institutions, actors and power relations, shape practices and outcomes in society. Typical challenges that political scientists seek to address include how to design effective political institutions, conceptualise justice or issues of inequality, and address global challenges through policy or international cooperation. Our politics academics specialise in a wide range of areas from political theory to international relations, strategy and security, public policy, electoral studies, political communication and media, political participation, gender and LGBT politics, environmental politics and more.
By joining our pluralistic department you will become part of one of the largest and most highly rated departments in the UK, working with world-leading researchers and passionate teachers to explore and tackle some of the biggest global challenges of our time.
11th for Politics in The Complete University Guide 2025
Opportunities to study abroad in Europe, the US, Australia and elsewhere
Top 100 for Politics in The QS World University Subject Rankings 2024
We are in the Top 10 in the UK for our world-leading Politics and International Studies research*
* Based on research rated 4* in REF 2021
Study with us
Our students are at the heart of what we do, and we have developed a suite of programmes and modules to challenge you and equip you with the knowledge and skills needed to enable you to go on to make a difference to the world and to succeed in your career. We encourage students to become active learners and explore their own passions and interests, facilitated through our wide range of teaching and learning approaches including research projects, applied data analysis, policy simulations and case studies, along with lectures and seminar discussions.
Our politics education is not confined to the classroom and our modules provide varied opportunities for learning such as taking part in field trips, work placements and conducting reports for external organisations. Guest talks, debates and departmental social activities all add to the vibrancy of the Exeter Politics experience. We are a diverse department that welcomes and encourages applications from students from all backgrounds and walks of life.
Postgraduate taught
Postgraduate research
Exeter provides an ideal place to undertake a MPhil/PhD in Politics and International Relations, Security, Conflict and Human Rights, or Strategy and Security.
There are opportunities at both the Streatham Campus in Exeter and at the Penryn Campus near Falmouth.
Our research
Our academics are leading experts who produce theoretical and empirical work that engages with core political concepts and ideas, and addresses society’s big challenges. One of our strengths is our size and our diversity – we have specialists working in areas such as international relations, security and foreign policy, elections, parties, media and political participation, political theory, public policy and administration, political economy, environmental politics, youth politics, political psychology, international development, gender and LGBT politics, all of which are reflected in our multiple research centres. We have area specialists working on the politics of Central and South Asia, the Middle East, Europe, USA, Politics, Russia, China, Latin America as well as the UK.
Our academics publish widely, and are actively involved in research projects and grants, some examples here, with many of our academics editing leading journals and acting as advisors to international and governmental bodies. We are as pluralistic in our methods and approaches as we are our subject expertise, using diverse methods from surveys and computational social sciences through to experiments, brain imaging, ethnography, interviews and focus groups, as well as engaging in critical conceptual and theoretical work that pushes the boundaries of our discipline.
