Help ASAP! International development/international relations

Hey guys,

Just want to start of by saying I’m in year 12 and it is around the time of considering uni courses and unis in general to go to. I am currently studying 3 btec subsidiaries in business, IT and sport, where I am predicted Distinction and above (well I assume).

I also carried out the extended project qualification and received a grade A, hopefully putting me in good stead for the future . The EPQ was about the development of struggling DR Congo. I looked at social, political and economic factors contributing to the downfall of their economy.

I have 10 GCSEs with B/Cs, no fails


Ultimately, I made this thread to discuss what I should apply for. I have international development and international relations in mind, but I don’t know how hard international relations will be with the political parts? And is international development a invaluable degree? Also, for a uni like KCL for international development where I need a B in English or maths for it (can’t remember which one), but I have got a 4 in both English and maths... is there still anyway I could attend this course? Or will my application get automatically rejected? And would I need to be politically astute to hand the IR courses, but I didn’t think I would since the grade requirements aren’t that high and also which course will put me in better stead for future general jobs? Thanks.

Unis I have for each course:

ID:

-Uni of Leeds
-UEA
-Sussex
-SOAS

IR:

-York
-Sheffield
-Southampton
—Lancaster


A response would be very much appreciated

Hey there!

There's a lot to think about here, and it seems like you're primarily interested in the employable aspect of your degree - I study at UEA, so I can only speak for them, but here's my thoughts ;

It's hard to say for definite whether IR or ID will put you in a better stead for future jobs - that comes entirely down to how you interact with the opportunities that a degree can offer you, as well as the kinds of jobs you actually want to apply for, so perhaps its best to take some time to consider where you want your degree to take you. You don't need to come up with a detailed plan for the rest of your career, but just having a vague idea will make choosing your course so much easier.

When I refer to 'opportunities that a degree can offer you', I'm talking about the additional perks and skills you can pick up outside of your core studies which come as part of your degree. For instance, at my university IR students are offered the chance to take up a 1 month internship at the East of England Office in Brussels, whilst Development students can benefit from practical skills training sessions which can give you useful experience in financial management for development projects, geographic information systems and other professional skills. Check out the other options here

Your choice of EPQ topic will be a great boost to your personal statement if you do go ahead and apply for International Development courses, not least because you got an A (well done!)

I hope this post has helped - let me know if you'd like to ask me anything else (particularly if you have questions about IR, as I have studied a few IR modules in my time )

Fred - UEA PG Rep

I also had UEA in mind too & thanks for the good advice, but is IR hard to learn if I have no previous politician knowledge

Hey again,

Getting to grips with IR is absolutely doable without previous training in politics! Provided that you have a genuine interest in the subject and keep on top of your assigned reading for lectures and seminars, you will be absolutely fine.

You'll find that a lot of people in a 1st year IR class will have never studied anything politics related before, as politics is not as widely taught as more conventional subjects at a pre-university level. In your first year, everyone will be starting on a level playing field.

Besides, your tutors will be more than happy to clear things up if you don't understand something; most lecturers will have weekly office hours where you can go and chat about anything to do with their module. Meeting with tutors has always been the thing that has got me out of holes when writing an essay

Fred - UEA PG Rep

Hey again,

Getting to grips with IR is absolutely doable without previous training in politics! Provided that you have a genuine interest in the subject and keep on top of your assigned reading for lectures and seminars, you will be absolutely fine.

You'll find that a lot of people in a 1st year IR class will have never studied anything politics related before, as politics is not as widely taught as more conventional subjects at a pre-university level. In your first year, everyone will be starting on a level playing field.

Besides, your tutors will be more than happy to clear things up if you don't understand something; most lecturers will have weekly office hours where you can go and chat about anything to do with their module. Meeting with tutors has always been the thing that has got me out of holes when writing an essay

Fred - UEA PG Rep

Hi again,

You say some some people will be on level playing fields, but I mean I don’t really know about stuff within politics etc, but I just like the thought of studying an international degree where I can learn about the world, how does that sound?

Hey guys,

Just want to start of by saying I’m in year 12 and it is around the time of considering uni courses and unis in general to go to. I am currently studying 3 btec subsidiaries in business, IT and sport, where I am predicted Distinction and above (well I assume).

I also carried out the extended project qualification and received a grade A, hopefully putting me in good stead for the future . The EPQ was about the development of struggling DR Congo. I looked at social, political and economic factors contributing to the downfall of their economy.

I have 10 GCSEs with B/Cs, no fails


Ultimately, I made this thread to discuss what I should apply for. I have international development and international relations in mind, but I don’t know how hard international relations will be with the political parts? And is international development a invaluable degree? Also, for a uni like KCL for international development where I need a B in English or maths for it (can’t remember which one), but I have got a 4 in both English and maths... is there still anyway I could attend this course? Or will my application get automatically rejected? And would I need to be politically astute to hand the IR courses, but I didn’t think I would since the grade requirements aren’t that high and also which course will put me in better stead for future general jobs? Thanks.

Unis I have for each course:

ID:

-Uni of Leeds
-UEA
-Sussex
-SOAS

IR:

-York
-Sheffield
-Southampton
—Lancaster


A response would be very much appreciated

I can't say this for certain but you may find that your BTEC subject choices could be an issue with some of the higher ranked universities like York. The EPQ could help though.

In terms of which degree to do, you need to go with the one you will find the most interesting. It's not the degree that makes someone employable its the individual - by getting work experience, putting together a strong application e.c.t