Introduction
International Relations and Spanish & Latin American Studies at Aberdeen puts you at the forefront of contemporary debate on world events, with highly-developed skills in a modern European language and culture adding value to a broad exploration of our complex international world and the developments which are making history today. You will graduate ideally prepared for a wide range of careers in politics, media, local and national government, NGOs and many other fields.
Study Information
At a Glance
- Learning Mode
- On Campus Learning
- Degree Qualification
- MA
- Duration
- 60 months
- Study Mode
- Full Time
- Start Month
- September
- UCAS Code
- RLK2
Spanish & Latin American Studies at Aberdeen has an outstanding reputation, with the highest possible rating of ‘Excellent’ in the last national Teaching Quality Assessment.
Aberdeen is one of the most dynamic place to study the Spanish language and the cultural frameworks in countries where it is spoken. We will equip you with the skills to communicate in a global language, spoken by 350 million native Spanish speakers in 19 Latin American states, the Spanish Peninsula and increasingly in the US.
You will also study historical, anthropological, literary and cultural texts, films and visual culture in Spain and Latin American countries.
In International Relations, you will look closely at how nations and organisations interact, what contributes to global wealth and poverty and persisting inequalities.
You will study regional and international tensions, nationalism, concepts of democracy – and ever-present concerns of conflict and peace and be taught by internationally renowned academics with strong track records in publishing international papers and articles, and who appear regularly in the media, analysing and explaining national, European and world developments.
As an integral part of your 5-year programme, you will spend the whole of year three taking your language and cultural skills to a very high level as a teaching assistant or visiting student in a Spanish-speaking country.
You will gain the perfect foundation for international career possibilities including international business, NGOs and international development, plus local and national government, politics, and journalism, with transferable skills including critical analysis and communication ideally suited to a range of careers.
What You'll Study
- Year 1
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Compulsory Courses
- Academic Writing for Language & Literature (AW1008)
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This compulsory evaluation is designed to find out if your academic writing is of a sufficient standard to enable you to succeed at university and, if you need it, to provide support to improve. It is completed on-line via MyAberdeen with clear instructions to guide you through it. If you pass the evaluation at the first assessment it will not take much of your time. If you do not, you will be provided with resources to help you improve. This evaluation does not carry credits but if you do not complete it this will be recorded on your degree transcript.
- Politics & International Relations 1: Democracy and Governance (PI1018)
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15 Credit Points
Politics and International Relations impacts on all parts of our lives, with more specifically it being the study of ideas, events, institutions and choice. Studying these provides us with both knowledge of the world and also how it operates and functions. It also changes our perception of our surroundings and makes us aware of an ever changing global context. This course will introduce students to concepts and ideas that form the basis for the study of these disciplines while simultaneously also helping us understand our own place within a global context.
- Politics & International Relations 2: Power and Conflict (PI1518)
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15 Credit Points
Politics and International Relations impacts on all parts of our lives, with more specifically it being the study of ideas, events, institutions and choice. Studying these provides us with both knowledge of the world and also how it operates and functions. It also changes our perception of our surroundings and makes us aware of an ever changing global context. This course will introduce students to concepts and ideas that form the basis for the study of these disciplines while simultaneously also helping us understand our own place within a global context.
- Getting Started at the University of Aberdeen (PD1002)
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This course, which is prescribed for level 1 undergraduate students (and articulating students who are in their first year at the University), is studied entirely online, takes approximately 5-6 hours to complete and can be taken in one sitting, or spread across a number of weeks.
Topics include orientation overview, equality and diversity, health, safety and cyber security and how to make the most of your time at university in relation to careers and employability.
Successful completion of this course will be recorded on your Enhanced Transcript as ‘Achieved’.
Optional Courses
Select ONE of the following options:
Beginner
- Spanish Language 1 (SP1027)
- Spanish Language 2 (SP1528)
Intermediate
- Spanish Language 2 (SP1028)
- Spanish Language 3 (SP2525)
Advanced
- Spanish Language 3 (SP2525)
All options will select:
- Spain: A Cultural History (SP1538) AND/OR Latin America: A Cultural History (SP1032)
Plus, select 45 or 60 credit points from courses of choice.
- Spanish Language 1 (SP1027)
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15 Credit Points
This is a fast-paced and intensive language course for students with very little or no previous knowledge of Spanish who have been allocated onto this course by our diagnostic test. It is aimed at students intending to pursue an honours (single or joint) degree in Spanish and Latin American Studies but is also suitable for students on other degree programmes.
- Spanish Language 2 (SP1528)
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15 Credit Points
This is a fast-paced language course for students with some previous knowledge of Spanish who have been allocated onto this course by our diagnostic test. It is aimed at students intending to pursue an honours (single or joint) degree in Spanish and Latin American Studies but is also suitable for students on other degree programmes.
- Spanish Language 2 (SP1028)
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15 Credit Points
This is a fast-paced language course for students with some previous knowledge of Spanish who have been allocated onto this course by our diagnostic test. It is aimed at students intending to pursue an honours (single or joint) degree in Spanish and Latin American Studies but is also suitable for students on other degree programmes.
- Spanish Language 3 (SP2525)
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15 Credit Points
This course follows Spanish Language 2 or can be taken by students who have the required level of Spanish as determined by the diagnostic test (see below).
- Encountering the Other in Iberia and the Americas (SP1538)
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15 Credit Points
The course introduces students to colonial encounters ranging from Muslim Iberia to the pre-conquest Americas and continuing into the period of the Spanish Empire. From the nineteenth century, conquest and colonial encounters continued as newly-independent Spanish American states seized indigenous territories, while colonial mentalities re-surfaced in contexts as diverse as the Spanish Civil War and Southern Cone dirty wars. These examples show how colonial encounters helped shape contemporary Spain and Spanish America.
- Latin America: A Cultural History (SP1032)
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15 Credit Points
This course will introduce students to Latin American history, culture and society from the pre-Hispanic period to the present through a selection of archaeology, historical and contemporary writings, visual culture and music. All texts studied will be available in English translation.
- Year 2
-
Compulsory Courses
- Ideas and Ideologies in Politics and International Relations (PI2009)
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30 Credit Points
Ideas and ideologies are core to teaching, learning and research in Politics and International Relations. Theoretical developments are at the forefront of academic debates within the discipline, demonstrated by the appearance of a number of new approaches as more traditional theories have struggled to account for an ever changing world. This course will introduce students to these with profound questions and struggles over identity, belonging, justice and rights underpinning these theoretical debates.
- Global Politics: Equality and Inequality (PI2508)
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30 Credit Points
Equality and inequality are at the forefront of many debates within contemporary Politics and International Relations. This course will examine the historical context, theoretical underpinnings, and also key concepts which continue to uphold equality and inequality on a global scale.
Optional Courses
Select ONE of the following options:
Beginner
- Spanish Language 3 (SP2025)
- Spanish Language 4 (SP2526)
Intermediate/Advanced
- Spanish Language 4 (SP2026)
- Spanish Language 5 (SP2531)
Both options will then select:
- Spain: Texts and Contexts (SP2538) AND/OR Latin America: Texts and Contexts (SP2036)
Plus, select further credit points to make up 120 credits.
- Spanish Language 3 (SP2025)
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15 Credit Points
This course follows Spanish Language 2 or can be taken by students who have the required level of Spanish as determined by the diagnostic test (see below).
- Spanish Language 4 (SP2526)
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15 Credit Points
This course aims to prepare intending Honours students of Spanish and Latin American Studies for their compulsory period abroad in a Spanish-speaking country.
The course will develop further Spanish language skills, both receptive and productive. Classes on grammatical and linguistic analysis will contribute to the development of both sets of skills. In addition students will complete a structured self learning programme of audio-visual study and grammatical reinforcement study.
- Spanish Language 4 (SP2026)
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15 Credit Points
This course aims to prepare intending Honours students of Spanish and Latin American Studies for their compulsory period abroad in a Spanish-speaking country.
The course will develop further Spanish language skills, both receptive and productive. Classes on grammatical and linguistic analysis will contribute to the development of both sets of skills. In addition students will complete a structured self learning programme of audio-visual study and grammatical reinforcement study.
- Spanish Language 5 (SP2531)
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15 Credit Points
This course follows Spanish Language 4 and aims to prepare non beginners intending Honours students of Spanish and Latin American Studies for their compulsory period abroad in a Spanish-speaking country.
The course will develop further Spanish language skills, expanding on the vocabulary and introducing formal documents and letters. Classes on grammatical and linguistic analysis will contribute to the development of both sets of skills. In addition students will complete a structured self learning programme of vocabulary and grammatical reinforcement study.
- Spain: Texts and Contexts (SP2538)
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15 Credit Points
This course takes a broad look at different texts spanning from the late 15th century to the present day. We will study these texts in the original language but with the help of English translations, providing a smooth introduction into reading Spanish language literature. The first half of the course concentrates on the late medieval and early modern eras, through two highly entertaining texts: Celestina and Life Is Dream. The second half concentrates on the 20th century through a combination of poetry, short fiction and film.
- Latin America: Texts and Contexts (SP2036)
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15 Credit Points
This course uses texts, which can include plays, films, novels, music, letters and an etiquette guide, to understand issues, concerns and themes in Latin American history. The course is organised chronologically and each week classes focus on texts from a particular country as a means to discuss bigger questions, such as how to make a new nation after three hundred years of colonial rule and a decade of warfare, how to demonstrate your honourability in an anonymous city and what cultural models are the best source of inspiration. The course also focuses on 'context' shared throughout Latin America.
- Year 3
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Compulsory Courses
- Residence Abroad Project (SP30AB)
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15 Credit Points
The aim of the Residence Abroad Project is to develop an in-depth understanding of a specific aspect (anthropological, political or cultural) connected with one of the Spanish and Latin American countries in which students are staying. Students are expected to study a topic in its socio-and to complete a report in Spanish of c. 2000-2500 words.
- Year 4
-
Compulsory Courses
- Spanish Language 6 (SP30A3)
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15 Credit Points
This is a core prescribed course open only to Junior Honours Spanish and Latin American Studies students and a selected range of other programmes at the appropriate level. This course aims to enable you to identify and use, accurately, fluently, and with an appropriate level of sophistication, a range of vocabulary and linguistic registers at advanced level.
- Researching in the 21st Century (PI3069)
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30 Credit Points
Research methods and techniques are fundamental to the study of Politics and International Relations. In addition, they are highly desired by employers. This course will introduce students to a number of different research techniques which they will use throughout their studies at Honours and in particular their Honours dissertation. Moreover, they will also constitute a significant part of their graduate attributes.
Optional Courses
Select ONE second-half session level 3 Politics and International Relations course from the options provided below.
Plus select 45 credits from level 3 courses in Spanish.
- Working Together: Employability for Arts and Social Sciences (ED3536)
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30 Credit Points
This course provides the opportunity for students to work in small groups to develop solutions for projects posed by industry, businesses and the public sector. It involves workshops on employability skills along with site visits. Students will experience the issues that surround the work environment, including the pressures of working to a deadline, explore the challenges of working with a group of colleagues towards a common aim, and reflect upon their own strengths and areas for development. They will explore how the graduate attributes they have acquired in the course of their degree map onto the experience of work.
- International Security (IR3518)
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30 Credit Points
This course explores salient concepts of security and conflict, focusing on contemporary issues and problems. It examines traditional, state-centred topics ie. interstate and intrastate war, as well as the ‘new security agenda’ involving issues like terrorism, organized crime, environmental security, health security and population trends. Students will gain knowledge of international security and its role in contemporary International Relations through analysis of conceptual factors and case studies. In addition, students will develop critical thinking skills, communication skills and analytical skills, including being able to formulate lucid, concise and rigorous accounts of international security affairs
- Political Parties in Britain (PI3562)
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30 Credit Points
The course involves a detailed examination of Britain’s party system and the individual political parties. Through this course, students should acquire a knowledge and understanding of a number of inter-related themes, including the role and democratic function of political parties in Britain, the development of party philosophies and how these relate to the realities of party policy, the organisation and distribution of power within Britain’s political parties, and elections and party campaigns. In this way, the course examines the contested and changing nature of political debate in British politics.
- International Terrorism Counterterrorism & International Relations (PI3567)
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30 Credit Points
International terrorism and counterterrorism are at the top of today’s agenda – of scholarly debates in International Relations (IR) as well as of policy discussions on international politics. The course focuses on both the (individual and/or structural) causes and different manifestations of terrorism and reviews the debates on how to respond to terrorism not only effectively but also without violating humanitarian principles and international law. The course is interdisciplinary and will provide both an overview on current research on international terrorism and counterterrorism in IR and also with in-depth knowledge of core aspects of the issue.
- Memory and Politics of the Past (PI3570)
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30 Credit Points
This course examines the ways in which societal understandings of the past shape political outcomes in the present. Introducing students to the concept of ‘Collective Memory’, the course engages with key theoretical and empirical debates in this emerging field of Politics and IR. It asks such questions as: How can narratives of the past reproduce or challenge contemporary power relations? To what extent do political actors and institutions engineer particular historical narratives that serve their current interests? To what extent are societal ideas of the past malleable? What is the relationship between ‘remembering’, ‘forgetting’ and political power?
- Human Rights in Global Politics (PI3572)
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30 Credit Points
Human Rights have long been at the epicentre of heated debates in contemporary global politics. This course will examine the theoretical and philosophical foundations of human rights within their historical context, along with the key controversies that shape current implementation and enforcement of the human rights regime in global politics. This course is suitable for specialist and non-specialist alike. No prior knowledge is required.
- Three Lies: Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics (PI3577)
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30 Credit Points
This course is a how-to-guide to enquiring research questions in politics and international relations using quantitative methods. We uncover lies and damned lies about statistics in reporting about politics and international relations and learn how to correctly analyse different kinds of quantitative data using statistical software package Stata. We will learn how to produce analyses that is replicable.
- Digital Politics: Political Communication in the Internet Age(S) (PI3579)
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30 Credit Points
This course is about political communication - how media, politicians and citizens interact, and how parties run their election campaigns - in the digital age(s). Students will learn topics like how journalism is changing, who social media empower, whether echo chambers divide, how populists treat the media, who runs campaigns, how parties target citizens, and whether digital media jeopardise democracy. These themes are explored through cases from the UK and US, but also from across the globe.
- Global Challenges in an Ethnographic Perspective (SL3504)
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30 Credit Points
This course addresses major global challenges of the contemporary world as they emerge is specific local contexts. It offers an understanding of these challenges from a local point of view. The challenges the course will discuss include: global warming and rising sea levels; the ecological crisis; oil and energy; war and terrorism; religion and politics; sexual violence; the economic crisis; mining in post-colonial contexts; animal rights; the war on drugs; human rights and global justice; animal rights; science and the state.
- Year 5
-
Compulsory Courses
- Spanish Language 7 (SP40A5)
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30 Credit Points
This is the final Spanish language course within the degree that will provide students with advanced comprehension and writing skills in general and specialised registers.
Optional Courses
Select ONE of the following dissertation options:
- Dissertation (International Relations) (IR4031) plus ONE second-half session level 4 Politics and International Relations course (see options below)
- Dissertation in Hispanic Studies (SP4039) plus ONE first-half session AND ONE second-half session level 4 Politics and International Relations course (see options below)
Select further credit points from level 4 courses in Spanish and Latin American Studies to gain a total of 60 credits in the discipline.
- Dissertation (IR4031)
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30 Credit Points
This course affords students the opportunity to apply their knowledge/research skills in the field of Politics & International Relations to an individual piece of research, focusing on a topic selected by the student and approved by the Dissertation supervisor. Over the course of the project, with guidance from a supervising member of staff, the student will conduct a literature review of relevant material, select appropriate research methods, gather data where necessary, analyse data, and write a final analysis in the form of the Dissertation. Particular emphasis will be given to helping students develop their own skills.
- Dissertation in Spanish (SP4039)
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30 Credit Points
This year-long course unit combines dissertation research with research methods training. The dissertation is a piece of extended independent research (8,000-10,000 words long), structured as a critical evaluation, analysis or argument, about a topic germane to Spanish and Latin American Studies. The topic is chosen by the student, in conjunction with the dissertation coordinator and an individual Departmental supervisor, both of whom approve the topic. Students are encouraged to design their topic building on their previous studies, especially honours courses. The dissertation offers a chance for students to carry out in-depth independent study in Spanish and Latin American Studies, and to acquire and develop valuable research skills. The course begins, in the first half session, with workshops on diverse research methods and the creation of peer support groups. The second half session includes structured meetings with the dissertation supervisor and meetings with the peer support group, as well as independent research and writing.
- The Constitutional Imagination (AT4025)
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30 Credit Points
This course will examine anthropological theories of the state, political organization and violence. Through an analysis of both modern and historical case studies from Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas, we will critically examine theories of state of modern and non-modern state formation and organisation, and the nexus of religion and colonial history. In the second half of the course, particular attention will we paid to the ethnography of violence as a mode of state and proto-state political action.
- Global Politics from the Middle East (IR4032)
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30 Credit Points
The course draws on key debates in global political theory to examine the politics of the modern and contemporary Middle East. The course focuses first on theoretical debates (e.g. sovereignty, security and surveillance, revolution, democracy, debt, poverty), and then encourages the development of an analysis of those debates, their applicability, strengths, weaknesses and possible innovation by exploring them through concrete problems in Middle East politics, from the region's experience with colonialism and neocolonialism to the emergence of nationalism and 'political Islam', from the Palestinian-Israeli question to the Arab Uprisings.
- Science, Technology & International Relations (IR4034)
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30 Credit Points
This course investigates the international relations of science and technology, focusing on both the causes and effects of technology in terms of domestic and global governance. It examines issues such as ‘big science’ projects, technology transfer, the regulation of technology, competition in technology, and state policies toward technology using examples such as the nuclear industry, biotechnology, the internet, and others.
- Extreme Right in Western Europe (PI4060)
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30 Credit Points
This course will provide an in-depth analysis of a European party family which is growing in electoral support as well as political influence. Individual countries and parties will be covered, as well as key concepts such as fascism, racism, xenophobia and populism. Students will also be familiarised with different theoretical approaches explaining the growth of extreme right parties, and responses from the political environment. The course will be beneficial to future study and work in a wide range of areas and contexts, and has relevance to social and political challenges such as integration, internationalisation, globalisation and social cohesion.
- Global Power Shifts, Hegemony and Knowledge (PI4081)
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30 Credit Points
While the discourse over the transfer of power from West to East is gaining momentum, this course provides a rethink of global power shifts throughout history on the one hand, and explores the relations between hegemony and knowledge on the other.
- Between Peace and Conflict: Societies in Transition (TR4004)
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30 Credit Points
This course utilises a range of disciplinary and theoretical approaches to analyse the concept of ‘transition’ as a fundamental condition of world history. It examines this through two related processes: the transition from peace to conflict and from conflict to peace at both a macro and micro level. Topics include how states transition through revolutionary violence or through peaceful means, how individuals are radicalized into terrorist groups or become involved in non-violent movements, and transitions in global institutions, norms and technology that generate local and individual changes.
- The Political Anthropology of Indigenous Rights (AT4547)
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30 Credit Points
Indigeneity is one of the more controversial relations created by globalisation. Widely criticised for being ‘essentialist’ and ‘anti-liberal’, it is one of the more quickly growing identities recognized by the United Nations and defended in the constitutions of many nation-states. Using anthropological insight, this course survey the history of the term, study its expansion from the ‘salt-water colonies’ and ‘settler states’ to the heartland of Europe, and explore some of the challenges and advantages of the term. The seminar will explore how the term has come to be used in different post-colonial situations from the classic “heartlands” if indigeneity in North America, Latin America, and Northern Fennoscandia, to new contexts in China, India, Africa. The course will also explore how the politics of aboriginal rights has become closely linked to struggles for recognition, environmentalism, and collective struggles against neo-liberalism. The course is run in a seminar format with students encouraged to weigh and evaluate the results of their reading.
- Maritime Security (IR4535)
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30 Credit Points
This course aims to introduce students to Maritime Security from a strategic perspective. As a result, students are introduced to maritime strategic thinkers, maritime (naval) power and contemporary issues in Maritime Security. This course is a multidisciplinary course that combines elements from Maritime and International Law, Environmental Politics and Security, Economics (Blue Economy) and International Relations. The senior honours variant of this course will include an element of Policy analysis (Maritime Security Policy).
- Political Islam: Islamist Ideologies and Practices (PI4573)
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30 Credit Points
Taking a historical approach, the course will trace the key events that have led to current Political Islam (Islamism) concentrating on the ideology and practice of various movements and groups. It will explore contemporary constructs of identity and political arrangements within Islamism and encourage critical analysis and independent thought in relation to the challenges Islamist poses to existing theoretical paradigms. Areas to be explored will include: the political construct of early Islam, the Sunni/Shia divide, key ideologues, and contemporary movements such as the Muslim Brothers, Hamas and Hizbullah.
- Dirty War and Its Aftermath (PI4577)
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30 Credit Points
The term 'dirty war' has gained currency within both popular and academic discourse, especially within the realm of conflict and terrorism. Popular and academic interest in the terms can be traced to the deployment of the tactics of 'dirty war' in a number of notorious cases by states seeking to quell internal conflict. This course will address the historical, social and political conditions in which 'dirty war' arose in specific contexts while analysing both its form and consequences.
- International Migration and Europe (PI4579)
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30 Credit Points
International Migration has recently gained increased academic and policy interest. This course, while introducing the main analytical concepts concerning migration, addresses the policy dimension in the European context. Additionally the course will assist students in becoming active citizens in an ever changing world.
- Devolution and Constitutional Change (PI4582)
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30 Credit Points
Constitutional change in the UK has been at the centre of political debate for close to two decades. Most recently, referendums in Wales (2011), Scotland (2014) and the UK-wide EU referendum (2016) have provided significant impetus to these discussions. This course will place these changes in a historical and comparative context and consider why these methods of decentralisation have been followed.
- Gender and Politics (PI4584)
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30 Credit Points
This course introduces students to key ideas utilised in the analysis of gender and politics. It engages students with scholarship from the fields of Political Science and International Relations, offering an in-depth analysis of cases ranging from the racial politics of the #MeToo campaign to discussion of gender quotas, the politics of gendered labour, body and emotions, the causes and implications of gendered violence, political apologies and peace.
We will endeavour to make all course options available. However, these may be subject to change - see our Student Terms and Conditions page.
How You'll Study
Learning Methods
- Individual Projects
- Lectures
- Research
- Tutorials
Assessment Methods
Students are assessed by any combination of three assessment methods:
- Coursework such as essays and reports completed throughout the course.
- Practical assessments of the skills and competencies they learn on the course.
- Written examinations at the end of each course.
The exact mix of these methods differs between subject areas, years of study and individual courses.
Honours projects are typically assessed on the basis of a written dissertation.
Why Study International Relations and Spanish & Latin American Studies?
Why Spanish & Latin American Studies
- The opportunity to study visual culture, literature, history, politics and anthropology in relation to Spain and/or Latin America.
- Special areas of research expertise include 20th century Spain, contemporary and historical Mexico, visual culture, gender studies, history of science in Latin America, and studies of citizenship and society.
- Multicultural north-east Scotland, with many Spanish speakers working or studying in this region due to its role as a world centre for oil and gas.
- The spectacular, award-winning Sir Duncan Rice Library, with top-class study facilities, state-of-the-art learning technology, and extensive Spanish and Latin American works to inspire your studies.
- A packed campus programme of events, exhibitions, film showings, and the annual WayWORD literary festival which welcomes international figures, experts, writers and scientists to campus every spring, including authors writing in Spanish.
Why Politics and International Relations
- A core curriculum with topical themes of conflict and security, representation and democracy, comparative politics and policy.
- Special focus on the Middle-East, Latin America, North and South Asia, the Nordic Countries, Central and Eastern Europe – as well as Scotland, the UK and the EU.
- Staff with specialist expertise in political parties and elections, democracy, energy politics, European integration and regionalism, human rights and development issues, interest groups, nationalism, conflict resolution and more.
- Opportunities to take advantage of spending your second year studying abroad, in Europe, Japan, Hong Kong or North America.
- The spectacular, award-winning Sir Duncan Rice Library, combining a top-class study environment with state-of-the-art technology, and extensive reference collections for your studies.
- A packed campus programme of events, seminars, invited speakers and the annual May festival, engaging prominent influencers, interest groups and public in debating major political issues such as Scottish independence and EU membership.
- All the history and legacy of being part of a university developed over 500 years of national and international political turbulence, social change, and emerging democracy.
Aberdeen Global Scholarship
The University of Aberdeen is delighted to offer eligible self-funded international on-campus undergraduate students a £6,000 scholarship for every year of their programme.
View the Aberdeen Global ScholarshipEntry Requirements
Qualifications
The information below is provided as a guide only and does not guarantee entry to the University of Aberdeen.
General Entry Requirements
- 2024 Entry
-
SQA Highers
Standard: AABB
Applicants who have achieved AABB (or better), are encouraged to apply and will be considered. Good performance in additional Highers/ Advanced Highers may be required.
Minimum: BBB
Applicants who have achieved BBB (or are on course to achieve this by the end of S5) are encouraged to apply and will be considered. Good performance in additional Highers/Advanced Highers will normally be required.
Adjusted: BB
Applicants who achieve BB over S4 and S5 and who meet one of the widening access criteria are guaranteed a conditional offer. Good performance in additional Highers/Advanced Highers will be required.
More information on our definition of Standard, Minimum and Adjusted entry qualifications.
A LEVELS
Standard: BBB
Minimum: BBC
Adjusted: CCC
More information on our definition of Standard, Minimum and Adjusted entry qualifications.
International Baccalaureate
32 points, including 5, 5, 5 at HL.
Irish Leaving Certificate
5H with 3 at H2 AND 2 at H3.
Entry from College
Advanced entry to this degree may be possible from some HNC/HND qualifications, please see www.abdn.ac.uk/study/articulation for more details.
- 2025 Entry
-
SQA Highers
Standard: BBBB
Applicants who have achieved BBBB (or better), are encouraged to apply and will be considered. Good performance in additional Highers/ Advanced Highers may be required.
Minimum: BBC
Applicants who have achieved BBC at Higher and meet one of the widening participation criteria above are encouraged to apply and are guaranteed an unconditional offer for MA, BSc and BEng degrees.
Adjusted: BB
Applicants who have achieved BB at Higher, and who meet one of the widening participation criteria above are encouraged to apply and are guaranteed an adjusted conditional offer for MA, BSc and BEng degrees.
We would expect to issue a conditional offer asking for one additional C grade at Higher.
Foundation Apprenticeship: One FA is equivalent to a Higher at A. It cannot replace any required subjects.
More information on our definition of Standard, Minimum and Adjusted entry qualifications.
A LEVELS
Standard: BBC
Minimum: BCC
Adjusted: CCC
More information on our definition of Standard, Minimum and Adjusted entry qualifications.
International Baccalaureate
32 points, including 5, 5, 5 at HL.
Irish Leaving Certificate
5H with 3 at H2 AND 2 at H3.
Entry from College
Advanced entry to this degree may be possible from some HNC/HND qualifications, please see www.abdn.ac.uk/study/articulation for more details.
The information displayed in this section shows a shortened summary of our entry requirements. For more information, or for full entry requirements for Arts and Social Sciences degrees, see our detailed entry requirements section.
English Language Requirements
To study for an Undergraduate degree at the University of Aberdeen it is essential that you can speak, understand, read, and write English fluently. The minimum requirements for this degree are as follows:
IELTS Academic:
OVERALL - 6.0 with: Listening - 5.5; Reading - 5.5; Speaking - 5.5; Writing - 6.0
TOEFL iBT:
OVERALL - 78 with: Listening - 17; Reading - 18; Speaking - 20; Writing - 21
PTE Academic:
OVERALL - 59 with: Listening - 59; Reading - 59; Speaking - 59; Writing - 59
Cambridge English B2 First, C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency:
OVERALL - 169 with: Listening - 162; Reading - 162; Speaking - 162; Writing - 169
Read more about specific English Language requirements here.
Fees and Funding
You will be classified as one of the fee categories below.
| Fee category | Cost |
|---|---|
| RUK | £9,250 |
| Tuition Fees for 2025/26 Academic Year | |
| EU / International students | £20,800 |
| Tuition Fees for 2025/26 Academic Year | |
| Home Students | £1,820 |
| Tuition Fees for 2025/26 Academic Year |
Additional Fees
- In exceptional circumstances there may be additional fees associated with specialist courses, for example field trips. Any additional fees for a course can be found in our Catalogue of Courses.
- For more information about tuition fees for this programme, including payment plans and our refund policy, please visit our Tuition Fees page.
Scholarships and Funding
UK Scholarship
Students from England, Wales and Northern Ireland, who pay tuition fees may be eligible for specific scholarships allowing them to receive additional funding. These are designed to provide assistance to help students support themselves during their time at Aberdeen.
Aberdeen Global Scholarship
The University of Aberdeen is delighted to offer eligible self-funded international on-campus undergraduate students a £6,000 scholarship for every year of their programme. More about this funding opportunity.Funding Database
View all funding options in our Funding Database.
Careers
There are many opportunities at the University of Aberdeen to develop your knowledge, gain experience and build a competitive set of skills to enhance your employability. This is essential for your future career success. The Careers and Employability Service can help you to plan your career and support your choices throughout your time with us, from first to final year – and beyond.
- More information on employability at the University of Aberdeen
- More information on the Careers and Employability Service
Our Experts
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University of Aberdeen
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