Explaining the differences between Politics and International Relations

University courses Politics
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A Politics degree and an International Relations (IR) degree have overlapping themes but differ in scope, focus, and the subjects they emphasize. Here are the key differences:

Scope and Focus

  • Politics: Primarily focuses on political systems, theories, and institutions within countries. It delves into how governments function, political ideologies, public policy, political theory (e.g., democracy, justice, freedom), and domestic political affairs.
    • Examples of topics: Political parties, voting behaviour, constitutions, and governance structures.
  • International Relations: Focuses on the relationships between countries and global entities. It covers diplomacy, international organizations (e.g., the UN, WTO), global security, foreign policy, and transnational issues like human rights, climate change, and terrorism.
    • Examples of topics: International law, global power dynamics, conflict resolution, and international trade.

Level of Analysis

  • Politics: More centred on internal or domestic politics, analysing the political behaviour within a country and how citizens interact with their government.

  • International Relations: Broadens the scope to the international level, analysing how states interact, global governance, and how international actors like multinational corporations and NGOs shape world politics.

  • Key Theories and Approaches

  • Politics: Includes political philosophy (e.g., Marxism, liberalism, conservatism), comparative politics, and policy analysis.

  • International Relations: Includes theories like realism, liberalism, and constructivism that explain the behaviour of states and international institutions.

Career Prospects

  • Politics: Graduates often go into public administration, political consultancy, journalism, law, or NGOs focused on domestic issues.
  • International Relations: Graduates may work in diplomacy, international organizations, global NGOs, multinational corporations, or areas like security and development.

Both degrees can complement each other, and many universities offer combined Politics and International Relations degrees, blending these elements to offer a broader perspective.

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This is really interesting! Do you think one degree offers better career opportunities than the other, or does it depend on what you want to do?

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This is really interesting! I’ve always been curious about how politics within a country influences international relations. Do you think studying both Politics and IR together could give a better understanding of how domestic policies shape a country’s foreign policy? And for career prospects, which field do you think offers more opportunities for working internationally?

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I think it depends what you want to do, personally I do a combined degree with Politics and International Relations. I think both degrees provide analytical skills that allow students to go for very similar jobs. There is also a big amount of overlap which means students can expect to work in similar jobs.

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Yes, I think studying Politics and IR helps students understand the bigger picture and the relationship between domestic policy and foreign policy. International relations is probably better for international work especially on specific issues like foreign policy, international law and diplomacy but that is not to say someone who studies politics cannot get into this line of work.

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