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Overview
- Degree awarded
- Master of Arts (MA)
- Duration
- 1 year
- Entry requirements
-
We require a UK bachelor's degree with a First or Upper Second classification or the overseas equivalent, in any discipline.
When assessing your academic record we consider your degree subject, grades you have achieved and the standing of the institution where you studied your qualification.
- How to apply
- Apply online
Course options
Full-time | Part-time | Full-time distance learning | Part-time distance learning | |
---|---|---|---|---|
MA | Y | Y | N | N |
Course overview
- Study a master’s in Politics at a university ranked top 10 in the UK and top 40 worldwide for the subject (Times Higher Education World Rankings by Subject 2025).
- Explore a range of topics and develop your expertise in your areas of interest on our most flexible and generalist politics course.
- Gain the latest subject area knowledge through our research-led teaching, and develop vital skills in political science research methodologies.
- Join one of the UK’s largest and most prestigious politics departments, situated in a uniquely political city.
- Seamlessly transition from master's to PhD study through a fully-funded 1+3 pathway with our prestigious ESRC North West Social Sciences Doctoral Training Partnership (NWSSDTP).
- Graduate from one of the UK’s most targeted universities by top employers (High Fliers, The Graduate Market Report 2024).
Open days
The University holds regular open days, where you will have the opportunity to find out more about our facilities and courses.
During the open day, you will have the opportunity to find out more about the School, our resources, and meet academic and admissions staff who will be able to answer any questions you have.
For more information, see open days and visits .
Fees
For entry in the academic year beginning September 2026, the tuition fees are as follows:
-
MA (full-time)
UK students (per annum): £16,300
International, including EU, students (per annum): £29,400 -
MA (part-time)
UK students (per annum): £8,150
International, including EU, students (per annum): £14,700
Further information for EU students can be found on our dedicated EU page.
The fees quoted above will be fully inclusive for the course tuition, administration and computational costs during your studies.
All fees for entry will be subject to yearly review and incremental rises per annum are also likely over the duration of courses lasting more than a year for UK/EU students (fees are typically fixed for International students, for the course duration at the year of entry). For general fees information please visit: postgraduate fees . Always contact the department if you are unsure which fee applies to your qualification award and method of attendance.
Self-funded international applicants for this course will be required to pay a deposit of £1000 towards their tuition fees before a confirmation of acceptance for studies (CAS) is issued. This deposit will only be refunded if immigration permission is refused. We will notify you about how and when to make this payment.
Policy on additional costs
All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's Policy on additional costs incurred by students on undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes (PDF document, 91KB).
Scholarships/sponsorships
For information on available scholarships please visit: Master’s Fees and Funding
Contact details
- School/Faculty
- School of Social Sciences
- Contact name
- School of Social Sciences Admissions Office
- Telephone
- +44 (0) 161 306 5500
- pgt-politics@manchester.ac.uk
- Website
- https://www.socialsciences.manchester.ac.uk/politics/
- School/Faculty overview
-
See: School Subjects
Courses in related subject areas
Use the links below to view lists of courses in related subject areas.
Entry requirements
Academic entry qualification overview
We require a UK bachelor's degree with a First or Upper Second classification or the overseas equivalent, in any discipline.
When assessing your academic record we consider your degree subject, grades you have achieved and the standing of the institution where you studied your qualification.
English language
Applicants whose first language is not English should meet the following language requirements:
- IELTS Academic test score of 7 overall, including 7 in writing with no further component score below 6.5
- TOEFL IBT 100 with 25 in writing and no further score below 22 in each section. TOEFL code for Manchester is 0757
- Pearson Test of English (PTE) score of 76 overall, with 76 in writing and no further score below 70
Priority will be given to applicants who have provided evidence of meeting these scores when making offers.
Further information on accepted language requirements can be found here .
Pre-Sessional English Courses
We will consider applicants who do not meet these scores but you will be required to complete a pre-sessional English language course at the University of Manchester prior to the start of the course.
To be considered for a pre-sessional English language course for this programme we require the following minimum IELTS (Academic) scores:
6 Week Pre-Sessional Course : IELTS 6.5 overall with 6.5 in writing and no more than one sub-skill of 6.0.
10 Week Pre-sessional Course : IELTS 6.0 overall with 6.0 or above in each sub-skill
If you have not yet completed your current academic study and are interested in studying a pre-sessional course, you must hold an IELTS for UKVI (Academic) test certificate to ensure that you are eligible for a separate visa for the English language course.
English language test validity
Some English Language test results are only valid for two years. Your English Language test report must be valid on the start date of the course.
Applicants from Majority English-speaking countries
If you are a national of a majority English-speaking country (or have studied for a full bachelor's degree or higher from one of these countries) you may be exempt from submitting further evidence of English language proficiency.
Other international entry requirements
We accept a range of qualifications from across the globe. To help international students, the university provides specific information for many individual countries. Please see our country-specific information page for guidance on the academic and English language qualifications which may be accepted from your country.
Application and selection
How to apply
Advice to applicants
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.
Re-applications
Course details
Course description
Our MA in Politics was designed with flexibility in mind. It’s built for generalists who want to study a course in Political Science but do not want to specialise in a particular area, such as International Relations or Political Economy.
Drawing on inspiring academic expertise, you will explore the latest perspectives in political analysis and theories, alongside research methodologies in political science.
You will then tailor your course to fit your interests, exploring over 20 optional course units in topics such as:
- The Politics of Money and Finance;
- Critical Globalisation Studies;
- The European Union;
- Critical Environmental Politics;
- Chinese Ethnic Politics;
- Quantitative Analysis and Data Science in Politics.
See a full list of mandatory and optional course units below.
Through the course, you will develop subject area expertise as well as highly transferrable skills such as research design, critical inquiry, and writing and communication skills, setting you up for multiple career paths in the public, private, or third sectors.
You will also be well-placed to continue developing and using your research expertise, either professionally or in PhD study as this course is eligible for the 1+3 studentship offered by the Economic and Social Sciences Research Council (ESRC) North West Social Sciences Doctoral Training Partnership (NWSSDTP), offering a unique, fully-funded route into postgraduate research. If your application is successful, you’ll be able to seamlessly transition from master's-level study to a PhD. Find out more on our 1+3 ESRC NWSSDTP webpage.
Special features
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, and co-hosts (with Oxford) of the British Election Study, one of the longest-running election studies in the world and the longest-running social science survey in the UK.
Unique city
In our biased opinion, there’s no better place to study politics and economics 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 a number of different schools and departments at the University, such as economics, social statistics, and global development.
Teaching and learning
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.
Coursework and assessment
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.
Course unit details
A master’s degree is formed of 180 credits.
120 of these credits are made up by a mix of mandatory and optional course units, worth 15 credits each. You will need to select eight of these course units. On the MA Politics, there are two mandatory course units:
- Research Design and Skills;
- Comparative Political Analysis.
You will also choose six optional course units – see the full list below.
The availability of individual optional course units may be subject to change. Information that is sent to you in August about registration onto the course will clearly state the course units that are available in the academic year ahead.
The remaining 60 credits are awarded through a compulsory research component in the form of a 12,000-to-15,000-word dissertation. Your dissertation must be within the area of one of the course units you have chosen.
Course unit list
The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.
Title | Code | Credit rating | Mandatory/optional |
---|---|---|---|
Comparative Political Analysis | POLI60301 | 15 | Mandatory |
Research Design and Skills | POLI60312 | 15 | Mandatory |
Dissertation | POLI72000 | 60 | Mandatory |
Comparing Capitalisms in the Global Political Economy | POLI60031 | 15 | Optional |
The Politics of Money & Finance | POLI60081 | 15 | Optional |
Political Parties in Contemporary Britain | POLI60121 | 15 | Optional |
Governing in an Unjust World: Justice and International Relations | POLI60182 | 15 | Optional |
The Ethics Of Killing | POLI60221 | 15 | Optional |
European Capitalisms: Crises, Transformations and Contestations | POLI60292 | 15 | Optional |
Tools and techniques of applied quantitative analysis | POLI60341 | 15 | Optional |
Displaying 10 of 27 course units | |||
Display all course units |
Facilities
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.
Disability support
Careers
Career opportunities
The University of Manchester is one of the most targeted universities by the UK’s top graduate employers (High Fliers, The Graduate Market Report 2024).
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 have succeeded in organisations such as:
- The House of Commons;
- Manchester City Council;
- The British Army;
- 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.