.jpg)
Why Study Politics at Manchester?
At a glance
- Study at a University ranked in the top ten in the world for Politics and International Studies (Times Higher Education World University Rankings by Subject 2025).
- Develop within one of the largest Politics departments in the UK.
- Learn from experts who bring their experience into your studies, from advising policymakers and contributing to election studies to media commentary.
- Explore five specialist areas of expertise and progressively shape your degree around the political questions that interest you most.
Video: Why Study a Humanities Degree at The University of Manchester?
Frequently asked study questions
Whether you’re interested in political theory, international politics, comparative politics, public policy, political economy or other areas of contemporary political research, you’ll be able to engage with the topics that interest you most and learn from academics working at the forefront of their fields.
Our research-active academics have expertise across five specialist research clusters, giving you access to a broad range of perspectives and approaches to studying Politics.
Our research-active academics have expertise across five specialist research clusters:
- Comparative Politics
- Critical Global Politics
- Democracy and Elections
- Global Political Economy
- Manchester Centre for Political Theory (MANCEPT)
These clusters give you access to a broad range of perspectives and approaches to studying Politics.
In your first year, you’ll gain a grounding in different areas of the subject, before having more opportunities to shape your studies around your interests in your second and third years.
A Politics degree can open the door to a wide range of careers across the public, private and voluntary sectors. You’ll develop valuable skills in critical thinking, research, analysis, communication and problem-solving that can be applied to many different roles and industries.
Politics graduates often pursue careers in areas such as:
- government and public policy
- civil service
- journalism and media
- international organisations
- charities and NGOs
- business
- consultancy
- education
- and research.
You will learn from a diverse community of academics whose expertise spans a wide range of political issues and approaches.
Our academic staff include:
- Professor Rob Ford, whose research focuses on political sociology, immigration politics, the extreme right and elections.
- Professor Rachel Gibson, an expert in political communication, elections, political campaigns and digital politics.
- Professor James Pattison, who specialises in international political ethics, humanitarian intervention, Just War Theory and global security.