International Relations and American Studies, BA (Hons)

At Swansea, you will benefit from a high-quality, research-informed education that combines a range of effective and inclusive teaching methods, carefully tailored to suit the needs of your course. Most courses are taught in person, on campus, giving you the opportunity to actively engage with other students, academic staff, and the wider university community.

You can expect a mix of lectures, seminars, workshops, and practical sessions - including laboratory work, skills training, or studio-based teaching where relevant to your discipline. These sessions are designed to encourage active participation, collaboration, and the development of both subject-specific and transferable skills.

Digital learning tools are also used to enhance your learning experience. These may include:

• Recorded lectures to support flexible study and revision.
• Virtual labs or simulated environments, particularly in science, healthcare, and technical disciplines.
• Online resources on the university’s virtual learning environment (Canvas), including videos, reading materials, quizzes, and discussion forums.

This approach enables you to engage with and review content at your own pace while benefiting from the structure and support of in-person teaching.

This course may offer some modules taught through the medium of Welsh or bilingually for students who consider themselves to be fluent Welsh speakers. For more details on the provision available see the Welsh Provision expander below.

N.B If you are an international student studying with a Student Route Visa, please note that your timetabled activity, along with any additional supervisory activity (with Swansea University staff present) will take place on campus. In line with UKVI protocol, these sessions will be monitored and data made available on request.

No Provision

Unfortunately, there is currently no formal Welsh-medium provision on this course. If you would like to let us know that you are interested in pursuing an element of your course through the medium of Welsh, please email astudio@abertawe.ac.uk to indicate your interest along with your year of entry and we will do our best to see what is possible.

Whilst this course does not offer academic content delivered in Welsh, the University can provide you with the following, and Academi Hywel Teifi is here to support you:

• An interview through the medium of Welsh when applying for a place.
• The option to receive your personal correspondence in Welsh, English or bilingually.
• The option to write and submit your coursework or exams through the medium of Welsh (even if you have chosen to study in English), and your work will be marked in Welsh.
• A Welsh-speaking Personal Tutor.
• One-to-one support to improve your academic Welsh language skills.
• An opportunity to gain an additional free qualification that serves as evidence of your Welsh language ability for future employers.
• Opportunity to be a member of the Swansea University Branch of the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol.

To learn more about the above and all the opportunities available to you through the medium of Welsh, visit Academi Hywel Teifi's undergraduate pages.

Our degrees are taught by experts, who have a wealth of knowledge to pass on to our students.

You can find out more about our academic expertise on our staff pages.

Fees for full time undergraduate UK students may increase in subsequent years of study in line with the maximum regulated fee level set by the Welsh Government

You can find further information of your fee costs on our tuition fees page.

You may be eligible for funding to help support your study. To find out about scholarships, bursaries and other funding opportunities that are available please visit the University's scholarships and bursaries page.

Current students: You can find further information of your fee costs on our tuition fees page.

You may be eligible for funding to help support your study.

To find out about scholarships, bursaries and other funding opportunities that are available please visit the University's scholarships and bursaries page.

Academi Hywel Teifi at Swansea University and the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol offer a number of generous scholarships and bursaries for students who wish to study through the medium of Welsh or bilingually. For further information about the opportunities available to you, visit the Academi Hywel Teifi Scholarships and Bursaries page.

Access to your own digital device/the appropriate IT kit will be essential during your time studying at Swansea University. Access to wifi in your accommodation will also be essential to allow you to fully engage with your programme. See our dedicated webpages for further guidance on suitable devices to purchase, and for a full guide on getting your device set up.

You may face additional costs while at university, including (but not limited to):

• Travel to and from campus
• Printing, photocopying, binding, stationery and equipment costs (e.g. USB sticks)
• Purchase of books or texts
• Gowns for graduation ceremonies

The Careers and Employability Team will support you at each stage of your career journey helping you build a bright future.

Our career support services include:

• Employability workshops, employers’ talks, bespoke events and careers fairs
• Individual advice and guidance from professionally qualified Careers Advisers
• Help with finding jobs, internships, work placements and volunteering opportunities
• Access to information resources on a wide range of career management topics
• Advice and guidance on postgraduate study and funding
• Funding to support student internship opportunities and Student Society/Club events.

We also provide help and advice for Swansea University Alumni up to two years after you graduate.

Students on this course typically develop excellent oral and writing skills and you will learn to present your ideas in a range of formats, along with strong research, analytical and problem-solving skills.

Our graduates enter careers in a wide range of sectors including:

• Education
• Marketing
• Government
• Research
• Events management

As well as subject specific support by college teaching staff and your personal tutor, the Centre for Academic Success provides courses, workshops and one-to-one support in areas such as:

• Academic writing
• Maths and statistics
• Critical thinking
• Time management
• Digital skills
• Presentation skills
• Note taking
• Revision, memory and exam techniques
• English language skills (if English is not your first language).

In addition, if you have a Specific Learning Difficulty (SpLD), disability, mental health or medical condition, the Centre for Academic Success have Specialist Tutors to support your learning, working alongside the Disability Office and Wellbeing Service to support all your needs and requirements whilst studying at Swansea University.

We care about our students and our aim is to ensure that you achieve the best degree classification. We have a personal mentoring system where you will be allocated a personal tutor. We also have an “open door” policy where our academic teachers are available to talk to you at any time about any queries or academic concerns you may have.

To learn more about study abroad, visit our Go Global webpages. Enrolment on a programme with a semester/year abroad does not guarantee you a semester/year abroad placement. Spaces are limited and subject to a competitive selection process. In the event you do not secure a semester/year abroad placement, you will be transferred to the standard variant of your degree scheme without a semester or year abroad.

International summer programmes are open to students from all schools. Programmes typically range from 2 to 6 weeks, across destinations such as Sri Lanka, South Korea, Fiji, Bali, the USA and across Europe. For more information about programmes and eligibility visit our Summer Abroad webpages.

This is a degree that supports you to study in the United States or Canada. You will have the opportunity to study at a wide variety of institutions, to take new courses, and will benefit from the wider opportunity to travel, undertake internships and experience your subject first hand.

Apply now – UK, EU and international students.

For further guidance please visit our how to apply pages.

EU students - visa and immigration information is available and will be regularly updated on our information for EU students page.

We recommend that you submit your application to our courses as early as you can in advance of our application deadlines. Courses will close earlier than the application deadlines listed if all available places are filled. You can find further information on our Application Deadlines webpage.

Make an undergraduate enquiry 

International students contact our International Team 

Our students have the option of study abroad. Our 4-year programmes offer a full-year abroad and we also offer a semester abroad for 3-year degrees, during your second year from January to May in Hong Kong, Singapore and the USA. The semester abroad is an exchange programme so you will pay UK tuition fees and be responsible for accommodation and living costs at the semester partner institution.

International summer programmes are open to students from all colleges. Programmes typically range from 2 to 6 weeks, across destinations such as China, Zambia, South Korea, Japan, Canada and across Europe. For more information about programmes and eligibility visit our Summer Abroad webpages.

To learn more about study abroad, visit our Go Global webpages.

This course offers you the opportunity to spend a Year In Industry, in the UK or overseas*, giving valuable workplace experience. The University advocates for only paid placements which on average have a salary of over £20,000. Unpaid placements are considered on a case-by-case basis.

Although securing a placement is the responsibility of the student, we work with a number of organisations who provide a range of placement opportunities. Students are also supported throughout their application journey with advice, guidance and additional resources. If you are unable to secure a placement by the end of the second year of your studies, you will transfer onto the equivalent degree programme.

*overseas locations are dependent on VISA restrictions per country