Study politics and international relations within a broader social science context in the UK and France. This challenging but rewarding bi-lingual and bi-national programme is offered in partnership with the Institut d'Etudes Politiques (IEP) de Lille, one of France’s most prestigious grandes écoles.
You spend your first and fourth years of study on the Science Po Lille campus, where teaching is in French, and your second and third years at Kent.
After four years, successful students gain their BA degree from the University of Kent and go on to complete a fifth year of study, normally at Lille or one of their partner institutions, to graduate with a Sciences Po diplôme.
You learn to explore the challenges facing the world, utilising the different concepts and approaches of political theory. You benefit from the expertise of staff who have advised governments and conducted conflict mediation exercises, deepening your understanding, and developing solutions to a range of issues, from terrorism to the impact of the pandemic on politics, and political polarisation. Your time spent studying at Lille develops your proficiency in French and offers an exceptional insight into European political thought.
The University will consider applications from students offering a wide range of qualifications. All applications are assessed on an individual basis but some of our typical requirements are listed below. Students offering qualifications not listed are welcome to contact our Admissions Team for further advice. Please also see our general entry requirements.
ABB including French grade A
The University welcomes applications from Access to Higher Education Diploma candidates for consideration. A typical offer may require you to obtain a proportion of Level 3 credits in relevant subjects at merit grade or above.
The University will consider applicants holding BTEC National Diploma and Extended National Diploma Qualifications (QCF; NQF; OCR) on a case-by-case basis. Please contact us for further advice on your individual circumstances.
A typical offer would be to achieve Distinction, Distinction, Merit plus A Level French at Grade A
34 points overall or 16 at Higher, including French HL A1/A2/B at 4/5/5 or SL A1/A2/B at 5/6/6
N/A
The University will consider applicants holding T level qualifications in subjects closely aligned to the course.
In order to be considered for this programme applicants will have to attend a Bi-diplome selection day which includes a two-part written test and an interview in English and in French. Upon receiving your application if you meet our initial entry requirements, you will be invited to attend a selection day. In order to be considered for the programme it is mandatory to attend one of the selection days.
If you are an international student, visit our International Student website for further information about entry requirements for your country, including details of the International Foundation Programmes. Please note that international fee-paying students who require a Student visa cannot undertake a part-time programme due to visa restrictions.
Please note that meeting the typical offer/minimum requirement does not guarantee that you will receive an offer.
Please see our English language entry requirements web page.
Please note that if you do not meet our English language requirements, we offer a number of 'pre-sessional' courses in English for Academic Purposes. You attend these courses before starting your degree programme.
Duration: 4 years full-time for BA, plus one additional year to obtain the Diplôme of the IEP
The BA in Politics and International Relations (Bi-diplome) is composed of compulsory and optional modules. You may also be able to take ‘elective’ modules from other programmes so you can customise your programme and explore other subjects that interest you.
The modules below are indicative of those offered on this programme. This list is based on the current curriculum and may change year to year in response to new curriculum developments and innovation.
Modules offered at Sciences Po Lille will be taken in Stages 1 and 4. For details of the modules available at Stage 5 please see the Sciences Po Lille website.
The first year of study is spent at Sciences Po Lille.
"This module is used for the School's Bi-diplome students' first year (Stage A1) marks for their time in Lille."
While studying this programme you alternate between the University of Kent and Sciences Po Lille. The first and fourth years are spent at Sciences Po Lille, the second and third years at Kent.
After four years of studies, successful students gain their BA degree (from the University of Kent). You can then choose to spend your fifth year of study in either Canterbury or Lille. If you complete your studies in Lille you graduate with a Sciences Po diplôme. If you complete the fifth year at Kent you graduate with an MA degree from the University of Kent as well as the Sciences Po diplôme.
The fourth year of study is spent at Sciences Po Lille.
This module is used for the School's Bi-diplome students' fourth year (Stage A2) marks for their time in Lille.
This module is used for the School's Bi-diplome students' fourth year (Stage A2) marks for their time in Lille.
This module is used for the School's Bi-diplome students' fourth year (Stage A2) marks for their time in Lille.
This module is used for the School's Bi-diplome students' fourth year (Stage A2) marks for their time in Lille.
The 2023/24 annual tuition fees for this course are:
For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.
For students continuing on this programme, fees will increase year on year by no more than RPI + 3% in each academic year of study except where regulated.*
The University will assess your fee status as part of the application process. If you are uncertain about your fee status you may wish to seek advice from UKCISA before applying.
Fees for undergraduate students are £1,385.
Fees for undergraduate students are £1,385.
Students studying abroad for less than one academic year will pay full fees according to their fee status.
There are no compulsory additional costs associated with this course. All textbooks are available from the library, although some students prefer to purchase their own.
Find out more about accommodation and living costs, plus general additional costs that you may pay when studying at Kent.
We have a range of subject-specific awards and scholarships for academic, sporting and musical achievement.
Search scholarshipsKent offers generous financial support schemes to assist eligible undergraduate students during their studies. See our funding page for more details.
At Kent we recognise, encourage and reward excellence. We have created the Kent Scholarship for Academic Excellence.
The scholarship will be awarded to any applicant who achieves a minimum of A*AA over three A levels, or the equivalent qualifications (including BTEC and IB) as specified on our scholarships pages.
Our main teaching methods are lectures, seminars, working groups, PC laboratory sessions and individual discussions with your personal tutor or module teachers. Assessment is through continuous feedback, written examinations, assessed essays and oral presentations.
We hold a weekly extra-curricular Open Forum organised by our School research groups, where students and staff have the opportunity to discuss and debate key issues of the day that affect higher education and politics in the world today.
For a student studying full time, each academic year of the programme will comprise 1200 learning hours which include both direct contact hours and private study hours. The precise breakdown of hours will be subject dependent and will vary according to modules. Please refer to the individual module details under Course Structure.
Methods of assessment will vary according to subject specialism and individual modules. Please refer to the individual module details under Course Structure.
The programme aims to:
You gain knowledge and understanding of:
You gain intellectual skills in how to:
You gain subject-specific skills in:
You develop transferable skills in the following areas:
As part of your degree, you develop critical thinking and transferable knowledge and skills that enable you to work in a variety of professions.
Our graduates have gone on to work in:
The University has a friendly Careers and Employability Service, which can give you advice on how to:
You complete a mandatory internship of at least six weeks before the start of your fourth year. Past students have had internships with international organisations, NGOs, think-tanks, governments, museums and media across Europe and beyond.
Our graduates develop substantial transferable skills that are valued in a range of professions.
These skills include:
You can also gain extra skills by signing up for our Kent Extra activities, such as learning a language or volunteering
We are no longer taking applications for the 2023/24 academic year. Please visit the 2024 online prospectus for a list of current undergraduate courses.
T: +44 (0)1227 768896
T: +44 (0)1227 823254
E: internationalstudent@kent.ac.uk
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