BA Politics and Economics

Compulsory modules

Politics of Climate Change

Explore the political challenges and debates on climate change, analysing how and why decisions are made, their consequences, and underlying ethical issues. Through analysing climate change across various interconnected settings, you’ll reflect on the relevance of climate change across the wider discipline of political science.

Introduction to Contemporary Democracy

Delve deeper into how democracy works, or does not work, around the world today, and explore different types of democracies. You’ll examine topics such as the Arab Spring, varieties of executive and electoral systems, political parties, voting behaviour, and the welfare state.

Introduction to Political Ideas

Explore some of the major debates in political theory through the study of four themes: authority, freedom, democracy, and social justice. You’ll focus on conceptual and normative debates about politics and critically analyse, deconstruct, and develop arguments.

Principles of Economics 1

Gain an analytical introduction to the modern concepts of economics. You'll learn how the real world works by developing your understanding of key economics concepts, mathematical tools and, microeconomics. 

Principles of Economics 2

Gain an analytical introduction to the modern concepts of economics and develop your understanding of key economics concepts and mathematical tools. You’ll learn concepts of macroeconomics and how they overlap with microeconomics. You’ll also consider key topics such as what can markets do and cannot do, and when can government improve economic performance.

Quantitative Methods and Data Analysis

Learn quantitative techniques that are useful in economics and build a foundation for understanding more specialised techniques.

These are the modules that we current offer for 2024/2025 entry. They may be subject to change as we regularly review our module offerings to ensure they're informed by the latest research and teaching methods. 

Please note that the University cannot guarantee that all optional modules will be available to all students who may wish to take them. 

You can also register your details with us to receive information about your course of interest and study and life at the University of Reading.

Compulsory modules

The Study of Politics

Learn how to identify different methods and approaches to the study of politics and international relations. You’ll study qualitative and quantitative methods of research, as well as methods of political theory, to prepare you for more advanced study in the subject. 

Intermediate Microeconomics

Develop an in-depth and rigorous understanding of the core concepts and methods of microeconomics. You’ll learn more about consumer and producer theory, and discover new topics including game theory, bargaining, market competition, general equilibrium and welfare.

Intermediate Macroeconomics

Develop in-depth understanding of the fundamental principles and analytic concepts related to economic growth, inflation, unemployment and interest rates. You’ll gain a deeper appreciation of the interrelationship between macroeconomic variables and government policy, and be able to analyse relevant issues discussed by news and politicians.  

Optional modules

Comparative Government and Politics

Examine and compare the origins of political systems, political institutions, regime formation, and democratisation from all regions of the world. You’ll learn how to nuance, unpack, and conceptualise some of the contemporary challenges that democratic nation-states face.

Global Order

Discover what international order is, how orders function, and the variety of different ways that relations among political communities can be, and have been, organised. You’ll explore key dilemmas and trade-offs that characterise international relations and how contemporary problems are best addressed.

American Government and Politics

Discover how ideas and values, such as liberty and individualism, influence the American system of government and politics, both at national and local level. You’ll learn about all the institutional actors in the US political landscape, and explore central policy issues such as gun control, immigration, and environmental policy.

Political Thinking

Deepen your understanding of the ethical dimensions of contested political issues, from how societies should deal with statues of historical wrongdoers, to whether inheritances should be taxed. You’ll explore how political decisions are made and the substance of such decisions, with weekly focus on a concrete policy question. 

Model United Nations

Explore the structure and function of the United Nations in a changing global context. You’ll put your knowledge, understanding, and diplomatic skills to the test as you analyse, debate, and strive to reach collective agreement on key global issues, via in-class simulation and representation of the University at a Model UN conference in the UK.

War and Peace since 1800

Examine the high and low points of human conflict over a 200-year period, using historical evidence to analyse strategic ideas. You’ll explore the theory and practice of war and peace, with a focus on both force and its social and political context. 

Work Placement and Project

Undertake a work placement or an internship with an external organisation broadly related to the general sphere of your degree studies. You’ll deliver an oral presentation directly based on your experience, including findings from a project undertaken within the placement. 

Political Classics

Discover thinkers, ideas and traditions that have always played a central role in the study of politics. Through the writings of a selection of classic thinkers, you’ll explore difficult debates around private property, democracy, individual autonomy, and other topics that have never been resolved. 

Contemporary Strategy

Explore a series of contemporary problems and how they stand in the field of modern strategy. Through examples and practical simulations, you’ll gain an understanding of strategic problems and their relevance in the contemporary world.

Global Politics and History

Learn how the study of history and the analysis of past events influence the study, contemporary debates, and practice of world politics. 

The Media and Politics

Develop your understanding of the role and influence of media in contemporary politics and society through a combination of lectures and media. You’ll refine your ability to engage broad audiences in political debate by producing a pre-recorded documentary that you’ll present as part of a radio broadcast. 

British Government and Politics

Discover the workings of British government and parliament and explore a range of related topics, such as elections, political parties, and the relationship between government and the judiciary. You’ll discuss current events and put your knowledge into practice through a micro-placement. 

Business Economics

Develop your understanding of a number of areas of business economics, with a focus on theory. Topics include Economics of entrepreneurship, small business, international business and theories of the firm.

Games and Economic Behaviour

In this module, you’ll actively participate in one or more models of economic phenomena through an online gaming platform. You’ll gain greater insight into the assumptions and mechanisms underlying models of economic behaviour with the game-based versions of each model.

Economics of Social Policy

Develop your understanding of how economic analysis can be applied to the real-world problems faced by policy makers. You’ll study socioeconomic problems and the role of Government policy. You’ll learn techniques from both microeconomics and macroeconomics to analyse topics such as poverty and inequality, housing, crime, health and education. economics.

Economic History

Understand how the world economy got to be where it is today, focusing on significant periods of economic change from the commercial revolution of the medieval period through to the modern digital revolution.   

These are the modules that we current offer for 2024/2025 entry. They may be subject to change as we regularly review our module offerings to ensure they're informed by the latest research and teaching methods. 

Please note that the University cannot guarantee that all optional modules will be available to all students who may wish to take them. 

You can also register your details with us to receive information about your course of interest and study and life at the University of Reading.

Compulsory modules

Dissertation

Produce your own piece of work in consultation with an expert supervisor. You’ll plan and execute a project of your own devising, making use of ideas, materials and methods  introduced  in the first half of the year.  

Optional modules

Karl Marx

Explore the Marxist interpretation of history and its political implications with a focus on the questions of alienation, ideology, exploitation, class struggle, and revolution. Discover where Marxist thought has continuing value and where its more vulnerable to criticisms.

Risk

Delve deeper into a wide range of issues in the ethics and politics of risk, focusing on the debates around how societies and individuals should act in the face of risk. You’ll explore the links between theoretical arguments and real-world cases and apply your knowledge to concrete problems, such as self-driving cars, and pandemic policy responses.

International Terrorism

Learn what terrorism is and what distinguishes it from other forms of conflict and warfare in the international system. You’ll discover the causes and consequences of terrorism throughout history, which factors influence terrorist target selection and modus operandi, and the options available to counterterrorism. 

US Foreign Policy

Analyse how American foreign policy decisions are made, who influences them, and how they have evolved over time. You’ll gain an understanding of crucial events such as the Vietnam War or the response to 9/11, while also exploring salient challenges faced by US foreign policymakers today.  

War, Peace and International Ethics

Examine the ethical questions involved in war through real-world case studies and philosophical thought-experiments. You’ll discuss different moral issues, such as humanitarian intervention, the role of individual and collective self-defence, civilian immunity, terrorism, torture, and the punishment of war crimes.  

Feminism and Political Theory

Explore the role of feminism in the political landscape and the theoretical controversies surrounding it. You’ll examine a range of pressing issues in feminist politics, such as abortion, surrogacy, pornography, marriage, and the body.

Democracy, Division and Disagreement

Discover how contemporary democracies are marked by deep disagreement, intense divisions, anger, hate, disinformation, and distrust. You’ll explore how we should respond to public disagreement and division from an ethical perspective.

The Politics of Nuclear Weapons

Examine the historical and political contexts for nuclear policy making, with an emphasis on the political and technical considerations affecting national choices. You’ll explore the issues surrounding non-proliferation strategies, nuclear security, and next steps for arms control.

Politics and International Relations of the Middle East

Gain a nuanced understanding of the politics of Middle Eastern states and how they relate with international tensions and conflicts of the region. You’ll study the history of these countries and their state-civil society relations, as well as the international politics, roles of superpowers, and their interests in the area.

Global Justice

Explore some of the main debates around justice at a global level, focusing on how theoretical arguments are applied to real-world challenges. You’ll examine discussions around various topics, including open borders, climate change and countries’ responsibilities, colonialism and reparations, and economic globalisation.

International Political Economy

Explore the interaction between states and markets, and between winners and losers, at domestic and international levels. You’ll discover the major theoretical approaches to international political economy through a range of topics, including international trade and finance, development, the effects of globalisation on the welfare state and the environment, and the use of economic sanctions.  

Public Economics

The module aims to examine the rationale for government intervention in the economy. You’ll apply microeconomic theory to contemporary policy issues, analysing some of the principles involved in tax design and the equity and efficiency implications of taxation.

Environmental Economics

Get an overview of the theories, methodological tools, and evidence to understand contemporary environmental problems such as climate change, pollution, and sustainable development. You’ll learn the framework to evaluate various important policy questions.

Behavioural Economics

Understand the limitations of the neo-classical theory in explaining many economic phenomena. You’ll become familiar with the common biases and their implications on decision-making. You’ll also gain knowledge of basic theories of behavioural economics and an understanding of games used to test these theories.

Industrial Organisation

Learn from theoretical industrial economics to understand corporate decision-making, such as price-setting, output-setting,  advertising, product differentiation,  and collusive behaviour. In this context, you’ll learn about the role of industrial competition, reflecting on market structure and competition policy intervention.

Financial Economics

Learn about the economic reasoning that underpins much of modern finance, including portfolio theory and asset pricing. You’ll apply neoclassical financial analysis to financial decision-making in the world of uncertainty and market imperfections. You’ll also learn about the role of financial intermediation in facilitating investment.

International Economics

This module is concerned with economic interactions among sovereign nations in terms of trade in goods and services as well as investment in financial and real assets. You’ll explore answers to questions such as fair distribution of benefits, regulation of trade, and financial relations. You’ll also learn to apply the theoretical concepts and models introduced to the policy context of Brexit and EU integration.

Development Economics

Apply economic tools to the study of issues that are of particular importance to low-income countries, such as microeconomic theory to understand the causes and consequences of underdevelopment. You’ll be equipped with an understanding of relevant economic theory, evidence, and implications for policy. 

Money and Banking

Build on your knowledge of intermediate macroeconomics as you study the economics of money, banking, and financial markets. You’ll gain in-depth knowledge about financial markets and institutions, central banking and monetary policy, with a focus on analysing the role of money and understanding the financial structure of financial institutions, businesses and the process of banking.

These are the modules that we current offer for 2024/2025 entry. They may be subject to change as we regularly review our module offerings to ensure they're informed by the latest research and teaching methods. 

Please note that the University cannot guarantee that all optional modules will be available to all students who may wish to take them. 

You can also register your details with us to receive information about your course of interest and study and life at the University of Reading.