Subject guide to Politics

Politics at Manchester

Politics is the study of power. Who wields power? What do they do to project, communicate and legitimise their authority? What can others do to challenge it?  

Studying Politics alongside a language enriches students’ understanding of both disciplines. Speaking a second language enables students to engage more deeply with political cultures outside the anglophonic world. The analytical and critical tools gained through studying Politics enables students to better understand the cultures studied through their chosen language.

Students can choose from a wide range of topics, which are drawn from the academic expertise and research interests of the Politics department in the School of Social Sciences. Course units available to Joint Honours degree students are also taken by Single Honours students. Consequently, seminar discussions are both interdisciplinary and lively as students bring knowledge and understanding gained from other subjects into the debate.   

Many students choose Manchester because of the city, which has a long history of political activism. 60-62 Nelson Street, the home of Emmeline Pankhurst, was the heart of the suffragette movement. The People’s History Museum is the UK’s national museum of democracy. The city continues to be at the forefront of regional and UK politics with elected representatives and a wide range of community and lobbying groups raising issues and campaigning for change.

I knew I wanted to study a language alongside Politics because it was important to me to gain new skills and the opportunity to study Italian was one I didn’t want to miss.

Isabella Macaraeg / Politics and Italian, 2026.

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Courses - 2027 entry

BA Politics and Modern Languages is a 4-year degree course, with an integrated Residence Abroad year. Students can study Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian or Spanish. the degree title will state the language studied. For example, BA Politics and Modern Languages (Japanese).

For information about entry requirements, tuition fees, scholarships and bursaries, please visit the online prospectus.

There are also 3-year course options for Politics, which can be taken as a single honours subject or combined with Economics, Philosophy, PPE (Politics, Philosophy and Economics), Criminology, Modern History, Social Anthropology, or Sociology.

Course structure

BA Politics and Modern Languages provides students with a range of choices. When considering the choices you’d like to make, please note:

  • Each year, all students study 120 credits of course units. Each course unit is 20 credits unless indicated.  
  • The course unit titles for each year of study have been listed. 
  • Joint honours. The number of credits taken from Politics varies each year. Year 1 is 60 credits. Years 2 and 4 can be 40, 60 or 80 credits. If a student chooses 80 credits in Years 2 or 4, 20 credits must be taken from free choice units.  The remaining credits for each year of study are taken from your chosen language.
  • Essential course information for students studying a 4-year degree.

Course content

Our courses

See our Politics courses for 2027 entry.

Course listings

Politics

Find out more about the Department, teaching staff and our research.

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