Overview
BSc Politics and Global Sustainability reflects the needs of our time. The course reimagines the knowledge, skills and attributes that are critical to creating a sustainable future for humanity and nature.
You will examine questions that are integral to making sense of politics today: How can we build a sustainable world where there is fairness between generations, class and gender equality, environmental restoration, and peace within and between countries?
Our excellent and highly qualified teaching team will guide and support you as you interrogate themes such as power, security, ethics, inequality, sustainability, leadership, development, governance and justice. Our innovative teaching includes simulations, role-playing and student conferences.
This truly interdisciplinary degree equips you to understand, respond to and lead your communities in a challenging, changing world. You will benefit from approaches including behavioural economics, political economy, international relations, sociology and political philosophy.
You will develop critical, innovative and interdisciplinary thinking, and professional skills as compassionate advocates of sustainability. You will graduate with the knowledge, skills and understanding required for a wide range of career pathways, ready and empowered to tackle global challenges.
CCCU has a stimulating learning environment where you can share your knowledge, deepen your understanding and polish your debating skills. You will also have networking opportunities with our graduates to find out how you can build a career in the civil service, international business, the NGO sector, or academia.
We know employers are looking for dynamic, open-minded graduates who can adapt, innovate, and collaborate. So we have designed a new way of teaching and learning to ensure that you are work-ready for when you graduate.
My course was amazing, and I loved every minute... I honestly don't think I would be doing the job I am doing today without the support of staff and the subject matter of the course itself.BronwenHead of Strategy at UK Space Agency
Entry requirements
112
UCAS Tariff Points
Accepted qualifications
We accept a wide range of general qualifications that attract UCAS Tariff points either on their own or in combination with others. Below are some common examples.
| Qualification | Grades |
|---|---|
| A Levels | BBC |
| BTEC | DMM |
| Access | 15 Distinctions and 30 Merits |
| International Baccalaureate | 29 Points |
The grades in this table provide an indication of what is required to study this course. If you have qualifications that are not present in the table or want to tell us more about you specific situation then please contact our friendly Course Enquiry Team.
More information
Contact us
Module information
We know employers are looking for dynamic, open-minded graduates who can adapt, innovate, and collaborate. So we have designed a new way of teaching and learning to ensure that you are work-ready for when you graduate. Alongside the modules below you will choose from our new curriculum that will help you achieve student success, engage with contemporary topics and work with industry or the community.
As well as the core modules, you will also have the opportunity to study a number of option modules. The availability of specific option modules may vary from year to year. This will be subject to a minimum number of students choosing the module and staff availability. It means we cannot guarantee the availability of a particular option module. However, we will ensure you have a choice of option modules.
Core/optional modules
*Modules subject to approval
How you’ll learn
Our innovative pedagogy encompasses active learning (e.g. simulations, role-playing, student conferences) and decolonised teaching approaches. These active, industry-relevant, inclusive and compassionate pedagogies enhance student attainment, experience, engagement and outcomes.
We want you to be able to engage in politics and apply your knowledge to real world cases. Using innovative teaching methods, we bring the outside world into our degree. You will be learning through political role plays, simulations, policy brief writing, blogging, case study analysis, and interactive learning via workshops, webinars and other digital platforms. You may also have opportunities to visit places relevant to the world of politics.
Teaching is structured to allow for flexibility. Your actual contact hours will depend on the optional modules you select. However, typically you will have 9-12 hours of structured contact time per week. Your actual contact hours will depend on the optional modules you select.
We use the following learning and teaching approaches and methods:
- Lectures where the module leader delivers key material to you
- Seminars where you'll discuss and debate the material being studied in smaller groups
- Workshops which combine lectures, and seminars when the class size is smaller.
The lectures and seminars will also involve sessions on skills development, with specific focus on your assignments, elaborating ways in which you can best address these, and thereby helping you to excel in your modules.
Our degree has a strong focus on career development. You can build your experience by developing transferable skills together with our partners from the political arena (journalists, diplomats, parliamentarians, civil servants, NGOs), who are actively involved with the curriculum.
When not attending timetabled sessions, we expect you to continue your learning through self-directed study. Typically, this involves undertaking research in the library, working on projects, and preparing coursework for assessments, workshops and seminars.
Your lecturers will indicate specific readings and/or activities to complete before class. We will also provide reading lists for further study. Discussions are enriched when all students have completed their independent reading, allowing everyone to interact with this learning and benefiting the whole group.
The Major Project in your final year is a significant piece of independent research, where you may select a topic of special interest. You will be guided by a supervisor, but the main direction of the work will be decided by you.
Teaching is structured to allow for flexibility. Your actual contact hours will depend on the optional modules you select. However, typically you will have 9-12 hours of structured contact time per week.
For every hour of contact, you'll be expected complete two to three hours of independent study (e.g. research, reading, completing tasks set by the lecturer, preparation for presentations or class discussion etc.).
Our teaching team is highly qualified and exceptionally well placed to deliver a cutting-edge, research-led curriculum. You will be taught by academics at all stages of their careers, from doctoral researchers to professors.
Every member of our teaching team is committed to innovative and engaging approaches to teaching and members of the team hold excellent teaching qualifications (Higher Education Academy accredited) and academic qualifications (PhDs in Politics or International Relations). We have also been nominated for or awarded with a range of teaching awards and prizes.
Our modules are research-led, shaped by our ongoing projects. We love to test our ideas in discussion with students. We publish our research in prestigious academic journals and books, engage in work with academic and professional bodies, and feature in the media when our expertise is required. Our students tell us how much they value the opportunities they have to be taught by experts in particular areas.
More information about our teaching team can be found in the Meet the Team section of our school webpage.
Politics isn’t something that happens to other people in other places. We are all part of the story, and that ethos is central to how we design our teaching.Dr Laura CashmanCourse Director
How you’ll be assessed
We recognise that people learn differently, and our assessments are designed to be as varied as possible to maximise the opportunities for students to demonstrate the knowledge they have acquired. The assessments are also designed to enable you to enhance your knowledge and to develop and polish the skills which employers are looking for.
You will be assessed through a range of methods, including essays, individual and group presentations, practical assignments and reports, active simulations which recreate political scenarios, social media blogs, and research projects. These will evaluate your acquisition of relevant knowledge and understanding and the development of academic style and practical skills. The balance of assessment depends on how you select your options.
You are required to undertake a 30 credit “Major Project” in your final year which explores a theme related to Politics of your own choosing.
To progress from one level of study to the next you must pass 120 credits (typically four 30 credit modules). The standard pass mark for a module is 40%.
Your future career
In a competitive job market, it is crucial that as a graduate you have all the core skills that employers are looking for. Our Politics and Global Sustainability degree emphasises transferable skills at each level of study, with a strong focus on career development. You can expect to gain skills in critical thought and analysis, working independently and as part of a team, networking, and the ability to communicate complex ideas clearly and persuasively.
Our graduates work in a wide variety of roles and sectors:
- United Nations development agencies
- Supporting MPs in parliament
- Diplomacy and Civil Service
- Local government
- Charities and non-governmental organisations
- Public Relations
- Law
- Consultancy
- Graduate training schemes in the public and private sectors.
A high proportion of our students continue their studies at postgraduate level in the UK and internationally.
We arrange networking opportunities each year where our students can get to know experts from a range of fields and careers. Our active alumni community encourage our students to aim high after graduation. Their successes demonstrate the industry relevance of our degrees. Furthermore, their willingness to maintain close links and contribute to our curriculum speaks volumes about the authenticity of our teaching approach, which always keeps students at its heart.
Throughout your time studying us you will have access to our Careers and Enterprise team who offer a wide range of services and support to help you kick start your career and meet your goals.
My degree helped my career in many ways. My clients are banking institutions, asset management and law firms. They are all tied to international developments around the globe. Conflicts, trading regulations and political instabilities shape our global society and affect everyone. Thanks to my degree I can relate with my clients, track potential opportunities and understand my clients' preoccupations.WilliamGraduate
Fees
The 2025/26 annual tuition fees for this course are:
| UK | Overseas | |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time | £9,535 | £15,500 |
Tuition fees for all courses are payable on an annual basis, except where stated. The fees represented here are for study with Canterbury Christ Church University. If you are looking to study at a partner institution, please visit their website for fees information.
Please read the 2025/26 Tuition Fee Statement for further information regarding tuition fees and year on year fee increases.
Home (UK) Fees
The Government has announced that it will increase the tuition fee cap by 3.1%, in line with inflation, for the 2025/26 academic cycle. Subject to parliamentary approval, the University intends to increase our tuition fees in line with this and as per our terms and conditions. This means that from September 2025 our undergraduate home tuition fees are expected to be £9,535.
Overseas/International Fees
Undergraduate / PGCE tuition fees for international students are not set by the UK Government.
- Read advice about funding your degree
- See information about the financial support available for undergraduate studies
- If you would like information about paying your fees, please contact accounts.receivable@canterbury.ac.uk
- For specific fee queries, please contact fees@canterbury.ac.uk
Regulated by the Office for Students
The Office for Students (OfS) regulates Canterbury Christ Church University. The OfS is the independent regulator of higher education in England. It aims to ensure that every student, whatever their background, has a fulfilling experience of higher education that enriches their lives and careers. Further details about its work are available on the OfS website.
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Duration:
3 yearsUCAS code:
L258Location(s):
CanterburyStudent life
Any questions?
*We are advertising this course as ‘subject to approval.’ When we add new courses or update existing courses, we advertise the course as ‘subject to approval’. We do this to let you know the University still needs to agree to run the course. It is rare for a course not to gain approval, but it is not guaranteed. There may be changes to course and module titles, content and assessment, but we will tell you about these if there is a change. You can still apply to study a course subject to approval. We have prepared some questions and answers to tell you more.