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Politics courses

Whether you’re seeking to understand the decision-making behind the headlines or looking to develop the analytical skills and knowledge of global systems that come with studying politics, we have the right qualification for you. Choose below from our range of politics courses at degree, diploma and certificate level.

Exterior of a polling station

PoliticsDegrees 

Stage 1120 credits
Stage 2120 credits
Stage 3120 credits
Total of 360 credits 

How long will it take?

Part time: 16–18 hours per week for 6 years
Full time: 32–36 hours per week for 3 years


PoliticsDiplomas 

Stage 1120 credits
Stage 2120 credits
Total of 240 credits 

How long will it take?

Part time: 16–18 hours per week for 4 years
Full time: 32–36 hours per week for 2 years


PoliticsCertificates 

Stage 1120 credits
Total of 120 credits 

How long will it take?

Part time: 16–18 hours per week for 2 years
Full time: 32–36 hours per week for 1 year

Why study Politics with The Open University?

The Politics and International Studies team at The Open University are well versed in opening up seemingly inaccessible topics and communicating them clearly. We regularly collaborate with the BBC to deliver innovative and informative radio and television programmes, and our courses are made equally engaging and exploratory.

Study politics with The Open University to:

  • Gain insight into debates that dominate the news and an understanding of the underlying issues.
  • Be taught by faculty members committed to an innovative agenda in both teaching and research supervision.
  • Explore how policies are constructed in theory and tested in practice.
  • Increase your employability across the private and public sectors.

Careers in Politics

An understanding of politics is central to knowledge of how modern societies are organised and governed. Studying this subject will give you a combination of skills highly in demand across the private, public and non-profit sectors.

Some of the employers which politics graduates go on to work for include:

  • Local and national government
  • Charities
  • Law firms
  • Media organisations

Looking for something other than a qualification?

The majority of our modules can be studied by themselves, on a stand-alone basis. If you later choose to work towards a qualification, you may be able to count your study towards it.

See our full list of Politics modules

All Politics courses

Browse all the Politics courses we offer – certificates, diplomas and degrees.

See our full list of Politics courses