Politics and International Relations degrees with AAB entry requirements for 2027
Politics and International Relations degrees with AAB entry requirements for 2027
Many of the Politics and International Relations degrees that students list first ask AAA for 2027 entry, among them those at Bath, Bristol, Durham, LSE, Manchester, St Andrews, UCL and Warwick. King's College London asks A*AA for Politics, and Edinburgh publishes a range of A*A*A* to AAA. For a student aiming at those courses, the back-ups usually sit at AAB, and for a student predicted AAB this is where most of the list will sit.
We checked the 2027 entry requirements on each university's own pages in September 2026. Nine universities give AAB, or a range that starts at AAB, as the typical offer for single honours Politics or International Relations: Birmingham, Essex, Exeter, Glasgow, Leeds, Newcastle, Nottingham, Sheffield and York. Across single and joint honours, 128 courses at 25 universities ask AAB for a degree that includes Politics or International Relations.
Single honours Politics and International Relations at AAB
The table lists each single honours course with its UCAS code and the typical offer, along with any contextual offer and any alternative offer that counts the Extended Project Qualification. Courses marked † in any table show 2026 entry figures because the 2027 page had not been published when we checked.
Swipe the tables sideways to see every column.
| University | Course | Typical offer | Contextual offer | EPQ or other alternative | IB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham | International RelationsUCAS L250 | AAB | ABB | ABB plus a grade B in the EPQ | 6,6,5 at Higher Level, 32 points overall |
| Birmingham | PoliticsUCAS L200 | AAB | ABB | ABB plus a grade B in the EPQ | 6,6,5 at Higher Level, 32 points overall |
| Birmingham | Politics and International RelationsUCAS L256 | AAB | ABB | ABB plus a grade B in the EPQ | 6,6,5 at Higher Level, 32 points overall |
| Essex | Politics and International RelationsUCAS L234 | 136 UCAS tariff points from a minimum of the equivalent of 2 full A-levels | 33 points in the IB Diploma or 136 UCAS tariff points to include a minimum of 2 Higher Level subjects | ||
| Exeter | International RelationsUCAS L250 | AAB | BBB | 34/665 | |
| Exeter | PoliticsUCAS L200 | AAB | BBB | 34/665 | |
| Exeter | Politics and International RelationsUCAS L292 | AAB | BBB | 34/665 | |
| Glasgow | International RelationsUCAS L250 | AAB to BBB | 36 (6,6,5), English HL6 or Humanities HL6 with English SL6 | ||
| Glasgow | PoliticsUCAS L202 | AAB to BBB | 36 (6,6,5), English HL6 or Humanities HL6 with English SL6 | ||
| Leeds | International RelationsUCAS L254 | AAB | BBB | ABB including A in the EPQ | 35 overall (6,5,5 at Higher Level) |
| Leeds | PoliticsUCAS L200 | AAB | BBB | ABB including A in the EPQ | 35 overall (6,5,5 at Higher Level) |
| Newcastle | International RelationsUCAS L250 | AAB | 34 points | ||
| Newcastle | PoliticsUCAS L200 | AAB | 34 points | ||
| Newcastle | Politics and International RelationsUCAS L290 | AAB | 34 points | ||
| Nottingham | Politics and International RelationsUCAS L290 | AAB | One grade lower than the standard offer with an A in the EPQ, Core Maths, or the IB Extended Essay | 32 points overall or 665 in 3 Higher Level subjects | |
| Nottingham | Politics and International Relations - Quantitative MethodsUCAS LX29 | AAB | One grade lower than the standard offer with an A in the EPQ or Core Maths (Additional Qualifications Offer Reduction Scheme) | 32 points overall or 665 in 3 Higher Level subjects | |
| Sheffield | Politics and International RelationsUCAS L201 | AAB | ABB | ABB + B in the EPQ or ABB + B in Core Maths | Standard 34, 33, with B in the extended essay. Access Sheffield 33. |
| York | International RelationsUCAS L250 | AAB | BBB | One A level grade below the typical offer with grade C or higher in the EPQ | 35 points overall |
| York | PoliticsUCAS L200 | AAB | BBB | One A level grade below the typical offer with the EPQ | 35 points overall |
| York | Politics with International RelationsUCAS L201 | AAB | BBB | One A level grade below the typical offer with the EPQ or Core Maths (detail not specified on the page) | 35 points overall |
At most of these universities the choice between Politics, International Relations and the two together makes no difference to the grades. Birmingham, Exeter, Newcastle and York each offer three versions at AAB, and Glasgow and Leeds offer two, so the decision can rest on the content. As such, the first-year modules are worth comparing, since an International Relations degree usually begins with how states behave towards one another, while Politics begins with political ideas and the study of government.
Essex is the exception in this table, because its course at this level is a four-year integrated master's with an offer of 136 UCAS tariff points. Its BSc in Politics and International Relations asks 128 points, which ABB meets, and its BA degrees in the same subjects ask 112.
Joint honours with Politics or International Relations at AAB
Glasgow supplies the longest list, with 34 courses at AAB to BBB that pair Politics or International Relations with subjects ranging from Archaeology to Theatre Studies. Birmingham follows with 12, York with nine and Exeter with eight.
| University | Courses | Typical offer |
|---|---|---|
| Bath | International Politics and Modern Languages | AAB |
| Birmingham | History and Politics · International Development and Politics · International Relations and Development · International Relations with Economics · International Relations with French · International Relations with Spanish · Philosophy, Politics and Law · Policy, Politics and Economics · Politics and Philosophy · Politics and Social Policy · Politics and Sociology · Politics, Philosophy and Economics | AAB |
| Bristol | Politics and Modern Languages · Politics and Sociology · Social Policy and Politics | AAB |
| Exeter | History and International Relations · History and Politics · International Relations and Modern Languages · Law with Politics (Cornwall) · Philosophy and Politics · Politics and Law (Cornwall) · Politics and Modern Languages · Politics and Sociology | AAB to ABB · AAB |
| Glasgow | Ancient History/Politics · Business Economics/Politics · Economic & Social History/International Relations · Economic & Social History/Politics · Economics/Politics · History/Politics · International Relations with Quantitative Methods · International Relations/Central & East European Studies · International Relations/Social & Public Policy · International Relations/Sociology · Philosophy/Politics · Politics with Quantitative Methods · Politics/Archaeology · Politics/Business & Management · Politics/Central & East European Studies · Politics/Classics · Politics/Digital Media & Information Studies · Politics/English Language & Linguistics · Politics/English Literature · Politics/Film & Television Studies · Politics/French · Politics/Geography · Politics/German · Politics/Greek · Politics/History of Art · Politics/Music · Politics/Portuguese · Politics/Scottish Literature · Politics/Social & Public Policy · Politics/Sociology · Politics/Spanish · Politics/Theatre Studies · Scottish History/Politics · Theology & Religious Studies/Politics | AAB to BBB |
| Kent | Law and Politics | AAB |
| King's College London | Sociology, Politics and Religion | AAB |
| LSE | International Social and Public Policy with Politics | AAB |
| Lancaster | History and International Relations · History and Politics · History, Philosophy and Politics | AAB † |
| Leeds | Philosophy and Politics · Social and Political Sciences | AAB |
| Leicester | Law with Politics | AAB |
| Liverpool | Philosophy, Politics and Economics | AAB |
| Loughborough | Politics, Philosophy and Economics | AAB |
| Newcastle | Philosophy, Politics and Economics · Politics and Economics · Politics and History | AAB |
| Nottingham | Politics and Philosophy | AAB |
| Royal Holloway | Economics with Political Studies · Economics, Politics and International Relations · Law with International Relations · Law with Politics | AAB to BBB · AAB to ABB |
| SOAS | International Relations and Law · Politics and Law | AAB † |
| Sheffield | Economics and Politics · History and Politics · Politics and Philosophy | AAB |
| Southampton | Philosophy, Politics and Economics | AAB |
| Sussex | Law with International Relations · Law with Politics · Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) | AAB to ABB |
| Swansea | Law in Practice with International Relations · Law in Practice with Politics · Law with International Relations · Law with Politics | AAB to CCC |
| UCL | History and Politics of the Americas · Politics, Sociology and East European Studies · Sociology and Politics of Science | AAB |
| Warwick | Politics and International Studies with Chinese · Politics and Sociology · Politics, International Studies and French · Politics, International Studies and German · Politics, International Studies and Hispanic Studies · Politics, International Studies and Italian | AAB |
| York | Economics and Politics · English Literature and Politics · International Relations and French (with a year abroad) · International Relations and German (with a year abroad) · International Relations and Italian (with a year abroad) · International Relations and Spanish (with a year abroad) · Philosophy and Politics · Philosophy, Politics and Economics · Social and Political Sciences | AAB |
Several universities ask a grade less for a joint degree than for single honours. Warwick asks AAA for Politics but AAB for Politics and Sociology and for its pairings of Politics and International Studies with a language. Bristol, UCL and Bath all ask AAA for Politics and International Relations, yet Bristol's Politics and Sociology, UCL's History and Politics of the Americas and Bath's International Politics and Modern Languages ask AAB.
Of course, the language pairings come with conditions, since Warwick's advanced routes require the language at A-level and its beginner routes ask for a strong grade in another modern language. Several of the joint degrees are Law degrees with Politics or International Relations, at Exeter, Kent, Leicester, Royal Holloway, SOAS, Sussex and Swansea. That being said, a Law degree with some Politics is a different commitment from a Politics degree, so a student weighing the two would do well to check how much of each course is Law.
Courses where AAB sits within the published range
Edinburgh's single honours Politics and International Relations do not reach AAB, but eight of its related degrees do, among them Philosophy and Politics and Social Policy and Politics, with ranges that start at AAA or A*AA. Cardiff's Law with Politics and International Relations runs from AAA to ABB, so a student expecting AAB sits in the lower half of each of these ranges.
| University | Courses | Published range |
|---|---|---|
| Cardiff | Law with Politics and International Relations | AAA to ABB |
| Edinburgh | French and Politics · German and Politics · Government, Policy and Society · Government, Policy and Society with Quantitative Methods · Philosophy and Politics · Social Anthropology and Politics · Social Policy and Politics · Sociology and Politics | AAA to AAB · A*AA to AAB · AAA to ABB |
Reading the offers
Contextual offers at this level are usually one or two grades lower, with ABB at Birmingham and Sheffield and BBB at Exeter, Leeds and York. Moreover, the EPQ can lower the offer at most of these universities. Birmingham and Sheffield accept ABB with a B in the EPQ, and Leeds accepts ABB with an A. Nottingham lowers its offer by one grade for an A in the EPQ or in Core Maths, and York does the same for the EPQ.
Politics rarely requires a particular A-level. Leeds states that A-level Politics is not required, and Birmingham, Nottingham, Sheffield and York name no required subjects. Despite this, a few ask for a type of subject, with English or another humanities subject at Glasgow and an essay-based subject for Bristol's joint degrees.
Choosing an AAB course
We would choose between these courses on their content before their grades. Departments differ in where their strengths lie, some leaning towards political theory and others towards comparative or quantitative work, as Nottingham's degree in Quantitative Methods and Glasgow's Politics with Quantitative Methods show. Our guide to reading the syllabus before you apply sets out what to look for.
For a student predicted AAB, we would normally put two or three of the five choices at AAB, with one at AAA as an ambition and one at ABB. Subsequently, once offers arrive, an AAB firm pairs best with an ABB insurance, so that one dropped grade does not leave the student without a place.
How we checked
We read the 2027 entry requirements on each university's own course pages in September 2026, and the single honours table links to the page we used for each course. Lancaster and SOAS had not published 2027 figures for some of these courses when we checked, so those rows show the 2026 offers, marked †. Glasgow sets joint-degree offers by a published rule rather than a page per course, and for those we applied the rule it states. Requirements can change during the cycle, so the course page should be the final word before you apply.
If you would like a second view on a list of five, we can go through it with you. The initial consultation lasts 30 minutes, costs nothing, and carries no obligation.
Also in this series: Politics and International Relations degrees with ABB entry requirements, and PPE degrees and alternatives from AAA to ABB, for 2027.
