Aberystwyth University

We offer students high-quality teaching on a wide range of modules (around twenty to choose from in years 2 & 3), an intellectually stimulating but friendly environment and a real sense of community. On this course, you will learn about the concepts, policies and histories that make up international relations as a discipline. You will learn to assess global events from a range of perspectives and to look ‘behind the headlines’ to discover the deeper dynamics which drive the actions of countries, leaders and activists. You can study political dynamics like nationalism or the global economy, learn about development and colonial legacies, consider different perspectives like liberalism or gender, or analyse key security problems. In addition, you have the opportunity to study international institutions or regions like the Middle East, Africa or the Americas.

As well as honing your academic skills, our modules will equip you with the know-how you’ll need for life after Uni, like writing blogs and policy briefs, giving presentations and using your creativity to solve problems. We even run role-play simulation modules every year which develop skills in negotiation, persuasion, collaboration and teamwork. Our graduates go into a wide range of careers, such as diplomacy, journalism, or working for political parties, NGOs or international organisations like the UN, as well as graduate pathways in business, industry, education and the public sector.

Opportunities – Politics and IR students at Aberystwyth can:

Join our renowned ‘Crisis Games’ – a 3-day role playing exercise in political and diplomatic manoeuvres and a highlight of the course.

Apply for our prestigious Parliamentary Placement Scheme, a six-week internship for second years working alongside an MP in Westminster or an MS in Cardiff.

Getting involved in Department activities, like the regular ‘Roundtable’ discussions on key global events, Interpol Society activities, the student journal Interstate and our popular pizza & quiz nights.

Veterinary Biosciences at Aberystwyth University is dedicated to the biology underpinning veterinary medicine. You will explore the biology of farm animals, horses, and companion animals. This degree programme will also provide a suitable pathway to a veterinary medicine course, with other exciting career options including veterinary laboratory diagnostician, nutritionist or animal health researcher.

This course is accredited by the Royal Society of Biology.

Why study Veterinary Biosciences at Aberystwyth University?

You will be taught and mentored by veterinary surgeons and world-class veterinary scientists.

Our collaboration with the Wales Veterinary Science Centre and other organisations allows you to understand the wider veterinary field.

The University has over 100ha of farmland, including lowland and upland sheep farms, a 500 cow dairy herd, intensive and extensive beef production systems, an equine centre.

All students have access to our fantastic modern laboratories, dissection rooms and microscopy suites on campus. This degree is very much 'hands on' with practicals involving molecular, cellular, anatomical and behavioural aspects of veterinary health.

Learn and Live in an exceptional environment where you will have marine, moorland, mountain, grassland and coast right on your doorstep.

International Opportunities

If you’re feeling adventurous, why not take the chance to study abroad during your degree? We have exchange agreements with universities in Europe, USA, Canada, and elsewhere, so you can apply to spend all or part of your 2nd year studying veterinary biosciences overseas. You’ll miss Aberystwyth, but you’ll love the new perspectives that international study can bring!

The BSc Marine and Freshwater Biology degree at Aberystwyth University is one of only a few nationally to provide you with an integrated catchment to ocean understanding of the biology, ecology and stressors affecting these intimately interconnected ecosystems. This is crucial, given that they support some of the most threatened species and habitats on the planet.

Situated on the coast of Cardigan Bay, Aberystwyth is one of the best places in the UK to study marine and freshwater biology. You will have easy access to rocky and sandy shores, estuaries of conservation importance, as well as near-pristine rivers and lakes. Cardigan Bay is also home to the largest residential population of bottlenose dolphins in the UK.

On this course you will develop practical skills in the sampling techniques used in the aquatic environment, the critical analysis of data and literature, and the presentation of your findings to a variety of stakeholders. This will ensure you are well prepared for professional roles that seek to understand and address the various challenges facing marine and freshwater organisms and ecosystems.

To support your learning, you will have access to two research vessels enabling you to gain real hands-on experience of the sampling techniques used by professional marine and freshwater biologists as well as use of our aquarium systems for experimental studies of marine and freshwater organisms.

Fieldwork and practical classes form an integral part of the course throughout. An optional residential two-centre field course in your final year, currently based in Portugal and Scotland, will allow you to immerse yourself in the study of marine and freshwater biology further afield.

This course is accredited by the Royal Society of Biology.

The BA in Cultural Heritage Studies at Aberystwyth University seeks to introduce you to the cultural heritage aspects of the library, archive and heritage professions. If you are interested in any aspects of library, archive or museum work, including looking for information, helping others in information seeking, and how our heritage and knowledge is stored, shared and preserved - then this degree at Aberystwyth University is for you.

The Cultural Heritage Studies degree has received professional accreditation from CILIP: the library and information association.

The Cultural Heritage Studies course has a strong history component and allows you to combine an interest in history with practical and theoretical understandings of how information is valued and utilised in all walks of life – historical, educational and social. Offered jointly by the Department of History and Welsh History and the Department of Information Studies, this degree draws upon our established strengths in professional training in information and library studies, archives and records management, alongside History and Welsh History.

You will receive training in the management and use of information, heritage resources, archives and records in both digital and physical formats. You’ll also develop skills in the application of information technology in this field. This degree scheme promotes your ability to conduct research, to investigate and analyse, and to articulate your ideas.

Opportunities for students of Cultural Heritage Studies at Aberystwyth include:

Studying in a historically ‘information rich’ town that includes the National Library of Wales (one of only five copyright libraries in the UK, and home to the National Screen and Sound Archive of Wales, and a regular host of exhibitions relating to Welsh culture and heritage); the Welsh Books Council

The Royal Commission for Ancient and Historical Monuments, Ceredigion Museum, the University libraries and archives, and a range of other relevant resources and organisations

Being taught by experts in their field.

The History degree course at Aberystwyth University combines your passion for learning about the past with skills that will equip you for a successful future. Do you want to discover how medieval peasants reacted to the Black Death, the role of the Tudors as a European Dynasty or why the world was thrown into two highly destructive wars in the twentieth century? Then our History degree is for you.

This degree course, offered by our Department of History and Welsh History gives you the flexibility to study the medieval through to the contemporary period and a broad range of themes such as power, violence, migration, gender and ideas, amongst others. Come and join us on a journey through history.

Alongside learning new and exciting information about the past, our History degrees also provide you with a range of skills, from analysis, fact-checking and communication, through to critical thinking and debate. In a world where the ability to quickly evaluate and analyse information is paramount, a degree in History will equip you with the tools for success whichever career you choose.

Why study History at Aberystwyth University?

History has been taught in Aberystwyth since 1872, making our department the most established in Wales and one of the foremost in Britain.

Our teaching is innovative, research-based and designed to train you in the skills of interpretation, analysis, and communication - skills that are valued in the workplace.

Our subject specialisms enable you to follow your historical interests from the medieval period to the present day, ranging across four continents, and embracing political, social, economic and cultural history.

In choosing Aberystwyth, you will become part of a close-knit and supportive community of students and staff, and you will have access to excellent teaching and research facilities.

Our commitment to getting to know all our students sets us apart and is integral to our degree schemes. We provide teaching in small groups, including one-to-one tutorials and seminar-only courses, such as our skills and special subject modules.

As well as learning about the past, you will actively engage in the process of building new understandings of history.

By studying primary sources and working closely with our lecturers, you will be contributing to our research community.

As an Aberystwyth History student, you will have plenty of opportunity to get 'hands-on' experience and access to the world-class resources that are available in Aberystwyth. These include the National Library of Wales - one of the five Copyright Libraries of the UK and Wales’s leading archive repository.

As part of your degree course, you will have the opportunity to study abroad at a partner university, to undertake Heritage sector work placements and to plan for your future career.

If you are interested in enhancing, broadening, and developing your voice and, if you want to explore, discover and immerse yourself in the words that have shaped our world, then a degree in Creative Writing in the Department of English and Creative Writing at Aberystwyth University is for you. Our cross-disciplinary degree will introduce you to an ever-expanding industry, providing you with a promising and advantageous start after graduation. Learn the craft of writing poetry, fiction, non-fiction, screenplays and more. You will also develop the critical and analytical skills necessary for a career in a broad array of creative industries. Under the expert guidance of a team of award-winning writers you will discover hidden talents and find out what sort of writer you are. On completion of this degree you will have not only a portfolio of exceptional creative material but also the skills and attributes to flourish in any workplace that demands dexterity with the written word.

Why study Creative Writing at Aberystwyth University?

Our degree offers a broad curriculum that crosses the traditional boundaries of genre, form, and function. You will be immersed in a supportive and vibrant community of creative and critical thinkers, industry experts, and published authors from every field.

Become a student in a flourishing creative scene with a long and successful history as the spring for aspiring new talent.

Explore connections between creative and critical thinking and develop a deep understanding of the relationship between professional practice and imaginative thought.

In your final year you will have the opportunity to take part in a writing retreat at a country house in mid Wales - an amazing opportunity to spend time with fellow students and staff, developing your final year projects and dissertations, in a splendid rural setting.

Benefit from our unique collaborative relationship with Aberystwyth Arts Centre. This on-campus facility is an excellent resource for staff and students alike.

Benefit from unlimited access to the National Library of Wales (one of the UK’s five copyright libraries).

American academic entry requirements

o Foundation: Final GPA 2.5 – 2.7

o UG: Final FGPA 3.0 – 3.2 plus one or a combination of the following:
- 2 AP test with scores of 3+
- 2 High School Honors classes with B grades
- 2 College Level classes with B grades

o PG: minimum GPA 2.6 – 3.10