MA Politics

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Please note, due to the high volume of applications we receive, an early application is advised.

If you meet our entry requirements but we are unable to make you an offer, you may be placed on a waiting list.

Candidates on a waiting list will receive an offer only if places become available.

Everything is political, and politics is everywhere. Our MA in Politics (Standard Route) is designed with flexibility in mind, allowing you to explore politics across diverse themes without restricting yourself to a single specialism.

Drawing on inspiring academic expertise, you will explore the latest perspectives in political analysis and theory, alongside research methodologies in Political Science. With a strong emphasis on classroom debate and diverse theoretical perspectives, this course equips you to analyse politics in its many forms.

Through your core course units, you will engage with the latest perspectives in political theory, analysis, and research methodologies.

Once enrolled on the MA Politics, you can tailor your course by selecting a specially designed Stream to enhance your learning experience. Streams collate highly specialised set of course units which aim to develop your skills in your chosen area of expertise. Our five specialised Streams are: Environmental Politics, Political Theory, European Politics and Policy, Comparative Politics and Politics Research Methods.

Our Political Theory Stream has been designed to equip you with the specialist skills and knowledge that will allow you to both rigorously critique arguments about a range of political issues and also to construct your own position in its strongest possible form. Through specially designed course units, tackling topics such as inequality, democracy, human rights, war, gender and sexuality, you will engage with key areas of contemporary debate and learn to master methods of argumentation and rebuttal. You will hone those skills in-class with your peers and staff, and by engaging with the most sophisticated cutting-edge research at our fortnightly research seminar.

In a world where global politics is orchestrated by a handful of powerful countries, the study of European politics has never been more vital. Our European Politics and Policy Stream develops the knowledge and insights you need to understand this influential yet ever-changing region. This MA stream has been specifically designed to confront and examine contemporary political dynamics, featuring courses across capitalisms, policymaking, diplomacy, and governance. By taking this wide-ranging yet comprehensive stream, you will be ideally positioned to analyse European politics. Your teaching will be led by world-leading scholars at a university with an international reputation in the field that co-hosts the Manchester Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence.

Our Politics Research Methods Stream will equip you with the skills you need to both evaluate and implement the core methods used in politics research. Your course units will introduce you to the principles of designing research studies in the social sciences; qualitative methods such as interviews, focus groups, and creative methods; and quantitative methods such as survey design and analysis, regression analysis, and experimental designs. You’ll be able to understand your studies in practice, by applying research methods to contemporary questions across the study of politics.

Many nations have entered periods of political uncertainty and systemic change. Our Comparative Politics Stream provides you with the essential knowledge and skills about how to understand these changes. You will learn to use comparative methods to examine types of nation-states, core features of their governance systems, political institutions, and economies. From populism and democratic backsliding to feminist political analysis and revolutions, you will learn to analyse the political forces at work in the current era.

Tackling climate change and environmental degradation is one of the greatest challenges facing humanity and the natural world. Our Environmental Politics Stream features a selection of course units focusing on how we govern the transition to a sustainable economy and society. These units are designed around the intersection of the study of national and global governance mechanisms and the requirements of making the transition away from polluting consumption and industries. There’s no better place to learn from leading environmental politics researchers than a university recognised globally for its commitment to sustainability.

See a full list of mandatory and optional course units below.

Throughout your studies, you will acquire subject area expertise as well as highly transferable skills in research design, critical inquiry, and writing and communication, setting you up for multiple career paths in the public, private, or third sectors.

Standard Route

On the Standard Route, in addition to your Dissertation, you will take two core course units and six optional course units (see below for an indicative list of optional courses on our bespoke streams). Core units on this route are:

• POLI70872 Democracy: Theory and Practice;
• POLI60312 Research Design and Skills.

This course aims to:

• Provide an advanced and critical understanding of issues at the forefront of political studies while offering maximal flexibility in the choice of course units.
• Provide established professionals - such as teachers, journalists, policymakers and researchers in the public or private sectors - with an opportunity to undertake advanced study in the field of politics according to their ongoing professional career needs and interests.
• Facilitate the advanced study of politics across established intra-disciplinary boundaries.
• Provide an advanced critical awareness of the location of political science within the wider field of social science, both in terms of its subject matter and the most prominent theoretical and methodological orientations within it.
• Provide research practice through a required dissertation and supervised by an active researcher.
• Train you to become independent and self-aware life-long learners, able to apply your existing knowledge and skills in innovative ways in a variety of contexts.
• Enable you to communicate their acquired knowledge and research findings to specialist and non-specialist audiences.

Prestigious department

The University of Manchester boasts one of the largest and best-known Politics departments in the UK. We are home to some of the world’s leading experts and academics in the subject. At the heart of our research is a commitment to social and global responsibility and to ensuring that our research makes a difference. Our research expertise addresses some of the key challenges of the 21st century, from redistributing wealth and rebuilding after conflict to the rise of right-wing populism and the growing climate emergency. In keeping with the proud traditions of Manchester, we often take a critical stance, challenging existing orthodoxies and articulating new ways of understanding political issues from the local to the global.

Unique city

In our biased opinion, there’s no better place to study politics than Manchester. Politics and history, revolutionary ideas and radical reform, are etched into the city’s streets and character, from workers' rights to feminism, Marxism to devolution.

Interdisciplinary approach

Interdisciplinary study is actively pursued at Manchester, with many course units involving expertise and contributions from different schools and departments at the University, such as Economics, Social Statistics, and Global Development.

The MA Politics is taught by an interdisciplinary team using a variety of delivery methods:

• lectures;
• workshops;
• student-led presentations and debate;
• group work;
• individual research.

Most course units are assessed by written assignments and essays. Some course units may differ and may be assessed by methods relevant to the units’ contents, such as presentations or research design documents.

Part-time students

Part-time students complete the full-time course over two years. There are no evening or weekend course units available on the part-time course.

You will be supported by first-class resources, in addition to the networked study areas and with access to one of the best-resourced academic libraries in the country.

The University of Manchester is one of the most targeted universities by the UK’s top graduate employers (High Fliers, The Graduate Market Report 2026).

Our MA Politics gives you the specialist knowledge and skills required for a range of careers across the public, private, and third sectors, such as in:

• local and central government;
• international and supranational institutions, such as the UN and the EU;
• research, policy, think-tanks, institutes, and NGOs;
• management and policy consulting.

You will also acquire vital skills relevant to many different sectors and roles, such as data analysis, qualitative and quantitative research design, academic writing, and communication and teamwork. Recent graduates from our Politics department have succeeded in organisations such as:

• British Red Cross;
• Home Office;
• The House of Commons;
• National Health Service;
• KPMG;
• BNY Mellon;
• Boeing;
• Princeton University.

Another popular option is to continue specialising for a career in research and universities through a PhD in Politics or in another related field.

The University has its own dedicated, award-winning Careers Service where you can benefit from tailored careers support, practice interviews, CV and application support, job listings for Manchester students, and much more. Better yet, you will have access to our Careers Service both during your course and for two years after you graduate, so we know you’re on the right path.