Third Year Students
In your third year in Politics and International Relations, you may choose to offer four papers, or three papers and a dissertation. HSPS students who are taking Part II over two years take POL 9, while History and Politics students take Theory and Practice. There are separate guidelines for those taking HSPS Part II in one year. The choices available in both Triposes enable you to extend your knowledge of political thought, certain themes of modern world politics, such as gender or international security, and to study the politics of a particular region such as the Middle East or Africa.
Papers for 2025-26
POL9: Conceptual Issues and Texts in Politics and International Relations
POL11: Political Philosophy & the History of Political Thought Since c.1890
POL12: The Politics of the Middle East
POL13: British and European Politics
POL14: International Security
POL15: The Politics of Africa
POL16: The Politics of Conflict and Peace
POL17: Politics and Religion
POL18: The Politics of the International Economy
POL5/ 19: Themes and Issues in Politics and International Relations
POL20: The Politics of Latin America
POL21: Politics of Gender
Dissertations
The deadline for submitting the dissertation is Thursday 30 April 2026 at 12.00 noon.
- Each year the Department publishes a guide to dissertations which sets out the expectations of content, layout, and submission. It is important that you read this guide whilst working on your dissertation and before submitting
- Dissertation application, deadline to be submitted for 25-26 is Wednesday 15 October 2025
- Ethical approval form, deadline to be submitted for 25-26 is either 4th July 2025 (required if wanting to do research that requires Ethical Approval over the summer) or 24th October 2025
- Further information about Ethics, Risk and Fieldwork: a quick guide is available here
More information
For the most up to date information on marking and classing criteria, guidance on plagiarism and more on exams/assessment as well as useful study resources and more about track changes please refer to the HSPS website.