Portuguese/Politics MA
AAB – BBB at A level, A-level English or Humanities subject; graduates earn a median £25,500 three years on.
Typical A level offer
AAB – BBB
A-level English or Humanities subject · 84% of entrants came with A levels · 92% stay on after year 1 · Glasgow course page, Discover Uni
Year 13 · applying
What do you need to get in?
AAB – BBBtypical A level offer
Typical offer — the grades most applicants are asked for. A contextual offer can be lower for applicants from under-represented backgrounds; none is published for this course.
Glasgow course page, read 19 September 2026 · Discover Uni entry profile
- 1A-level English or Humanities subject
Who actually got in: 84% with A levels, 3% with the IB, 7% via Access courses, 4% with other higher education. 42% arrived with 208 or more UCAS tariff points — roughly A*A*A or better. Based on 255 entrants.
UCAS tariff points — a points scale for grades: A* = 56, A = 48, so A*A*A = 160. Entrants’ totals include extra subjects.
Other qualifications2
| Qualification | Typical offer | Required subjects |
|---|---|---|
| Scottish Highers | AAAAAAminimum from S5: AAABB | Higher English and a Higher Humanities subject at AA. (AB may be considered) |
| IB | 36 (6,6,5) | English HL6 or Humanities HL6 with English SL6. |
Years 1–5
What do you study?
4compulsory modules in year 1
Compulsory modules this year: social & cultural skills 68% · arts & humanities 25% · mathematics & statistics 4% · transversal skills 3%.
Module — one course unit, usually a term or a year long; “core” means everyone takes it. One UK credit is about ten hours of study; a full year is 120 credits.
Glasgow course page · optional modules vary by year
Year 1 · 4 core · 80 credits ≈ 800 hours
- Politics 1A: Introduction to Politics
What you learn (6)
- identify key institutional components of liberal-democratic systems
- distinguish primary from secondary functions of political institutions
- compare effects of individuals on political institutions and vice versa
- distinguish empirical from normative political arguments
- analyse political concepts and theories
- interpret quantitative political data
- Politics 1B: Introduction to International Relations
What you learn (8)
- describe key international relations theories
- explain core concepts used in international relations
- identify key actors and institutions shaping global politics
- evaluate the influence of actors and processes on world politics
- assess the scope and nature of contemporary global challenges
- analyse the causes of major global political problems
- evaluate policy responses to global challenges
- apply theoretical frameworks to analyse global political issues critically
- Politics 2A: History Of Political Thought
What you learn (3)
- explain key concepts and arguments in historical political texts
- evaluate the validity of political concepts and arguments
- identify complexities and nuances within political arguments
- Politics 2B: Introduction to Comparative Politics
What you learn (9)
- explain key theoretical approaches used in comparative politics
- critique theoretical approaches through written analysis and discussion
- differentiate between regime types and their internal variations
- describe the political characteristics of selected country case studies
- compare and contrast political systems across different countries
- assess how state formation shapes political outcomes across countries
- evaluate the influence of political institutions on national political outcomes
- analyse how state-society relations affect political outcomes
- justify the value of case study analysis in political research
Year 3 · 47 core · 920 credits ≈ 9,200 hours
- American Politics
What you learn (5)
- differentiate between US political institutions in policy-making
- assess how US institutions exercise checks and balances within federalism
- evaluate cultural factors that sustain key American political institutions
- assess challenges facing US political institutions amid rising polarisation
- compare the American political system with Western European systems
- Government and Public Policy in the UK
What you learn (8)
- compare political systems across different countries or contexts
- analyse differences and similarities in policy-making processes
- analyse the structure and role of the UK executive branch
- analyse the functions of UK legislatures at Westminster and Edinburgh
- critique policy-making processes within devolved and central government
- situate major UK public policy changes within their historical context since 1945
- evaluate academic arguments on UK government structures
- appraise scholarly perspectives on UK policy-making
- Global Environmental Politics
What you learn (8)
- apply political and economic concepts to analyse environmental governance interactions
- interpret quantitative data on global environmental problems
- interpret qualitative research on global environmental problems
- evaluate competing goals of environmental policy and governance
- identify trade-offs in environmental policy-making
- evaluate political, economic and social effects of environmental policy choices
- construct evidence-based arguments in written form
- present evidence-based arguments orally
- Human Rights In Global Perspective
What you learn (9)
- explain key human rights frameworks and conventions
- identify challenges to implementing human rights in specific contexts
- analyse contemporary debates in international human rights politics
- examine practical problems affecting human rights practice
- evaluate the roles of individuals, states and organisations in human rights protection
- develop independent learning strategies for academic study
- apply research and communication skills to academic tasks
- demonstrate critical thinking in analysing complex issues
- construct evidence-based arguments on human rights issues
- Issues In British Politics
What you learn (5)
- analyse major developments in british politics since 1979
- relate political developments to economic and constitutional theory
- situate political developments within international frameworks since 1945
- evaluate academic literature relevant to british political topics
- predict likely future political developments using acquired knowledge
- Issues In International Relations
What you learn (3)
- analyse global problems using different theoretical approaches
- relate theoretical analyses of global problems to policy options
- identify connections between global issues across different countries
- Latin American Politics
What you learn (5)
- apply comparative politics theories to Latin American case studies
- synthesise findings from multiple academic sources into a coherent argument
- construct a well-referenced written argument supported by diverse sources
- evaluate different models of democracy for explaining Latin American politics
- present arguments about democracy models clearly in discussion
- Political Parties and Democracy: Global Party Politics in Transition
What you learn (6)
- identify different types of political parties
- explain differences between types of party systems
- evaluate theories linking party systems to institutional design
- evaluate theories linking societal cleavages to party systems
- construct evidence-based arguments explaining variation in party systems
- construct evidence-based arguments explaining variation among political parties
- Politics Of The European Union
What you learn (6)
- describe the historical development of the European Union since the 1950s
- predict likely future directions for European integration based on evidence
- explain the reasons behind the establishment of EU institutions
- describe how EU institutions operate and interact
- evaluate the objectives underpinning key EU policy areas
- explain the significance of the EU's role in global affairs
- Scottish Politics
What you learn (5)
- analyse key dynamics shaping Scottish politics
- evaluate scholarly accounts of political institutions and actors in Scotland
- apply academic literature to discussion of political issues
- construct evidence-based arguments in written form
- present evidence-based arguments orally
- Citizenship And Democracy
What you learn (4)
- evaluate republican, elitist, participatory and deliberative democratic theories
- explain the relationship between democracy and citizenship
- evaluate policy strategies that aim to boost citizen engagement
- assess proposals for democratic reform
- Comparative European Politics
What you learn (11)
- explain key theories used in comparative politics
- apply comparative politics theories to european contexts
- construct arguments explaining national political outcomes
- evaluate causes of rising populism in european democracies
- evaluate causes of political polarisation in europe
- examine effects of different electoral systems on political outcomes
- identify the significance of electoral system design
- explain the role of independence movements in european states
- describe how independence movements challenge state legitimacy
- compare advantages and disadvantages of european political systems
- present oral comparisons between one's own and other political systems
- Politics, Communication and Democracy
What you learn (8)
- appraise theories on relations between political actors, citizens and media
- evaluate research findings on media influence over politics and public opinion
- apply media research to analyse real-world case studies
- assess how modern political communication affects democratic processes
- deliver individual presentations on political communication topics
- collaborate with peers to analyse political communication issues
- construct coherent analytical arguments in written form
- present coherent analytical arguments orally
- International Political Communication
What you learn (5)
- interpret empirical research on patterns in foreign news coverage
- explain how media influences outcomes in international politics
- apply theories and evidence to analyse state strategic communication
- construct well-informed arguments on political communication issues
- justify judgments made under conditions of incomplete information
- Feminist Perspectives on Politics
What you learn (6)
- describe a range of distinct feminist theoretical perspectives
- evaluate feminist contributions to theories of politics
- critique how feminist thought reframes definitions of the political
- analyse how feminist approaches address intersections of race, class and gender
- analyse feminist approaches to sexuality and disability within political debates
- reflect on how feminist perspectives shape one's own everyday political engagement
- Global Inequality and International Development
What you learn (8)
- assess the motives behind donor allocation of foreign aid
- describe mechanisms used by donors to deliver foreign aid
- evaluate the economic effects of development policies on developing countries
- evaluate the social effects of development policies on developing countries
- examine how international organisations promote development
- examine how key states influence international development
- examine the role of multinational corporations in driving development
- examine the role of non-governmental organisations in driving development
- Equality and Justice
What you learn (4)
- distinguish between different principles of equality
- evaluate competing justifications for equality and inequality
- explain how key course concepts relate to one another
- apply texts from political theory and related disciplines to arguments
- Chinese Politics
What you learn (6)
- describe the structure and foundations of the Chinese political system
- evaluate political changes in China under Xi Jinping's leadership
- evaluate social changes in China under Xi Jinping's leadership
- apply political theories and concepts to analyse contemporary Chinese politics
- construct a reasoned, evidence-based argument in written form
- present a reasoned, evidence-based argument orally
- Social Movements
What you learn (7)
- define repertoires of collective action used by social movements
- explain the concept of participatory democracy
- describe the role of social movement organisations
- explain resource mobilization theory of social movements
- explain political process theory of social movements
- explain cultural approaches to social movements including framing
- construct evidence-based arguments on the emergence of social movements
- Radical Politics: Marx, Marxism and Anarchism
What you learn (6)
- explain core concepts underpinning radical political traditions
- compare different radical approaches to politics
- critically analyse the strengths and weaknesses of radical political approaches
- apply radical political theories to interpret contemporary political debates
- evaluate radical political approaches as forms of practical action
- assess the role of radical politics in driving transformative social change
- War and International Security
What you learn (8)
- explain key theories on the causes of war
- describe conditions associated with peace
- apply security theories to analyse historical conflicts
- apply security concepts to analyse contemporary conflicts
- assess how states balance self-interest against collective goals
- identify state contributions to building a peaceful world order
- evaluate shifts in the character of modern warfare
- evaluate developments in international security frameworks
- Comparative Public Opinion
What you learn (22)
- describe how public opinion is formed
- identify key debates in public opinion research
- explain theoretical perspectives underpinning public opinion debates
- analyse current problems and new insights at the forefront of public opinion research
- evaluate current research and scholarship in the discipline
- critique research methodologies used in the field
- propose new hypotheses where appropriate
- reflect on personal learning progress
- apply feedback to improve performance
- write clearly using discipline-specific conventions
- address complex issues systematically and creatively
- make sound judgements despite incomplete information
- demonstrate originality in solving problems independently
- plan and implement tasks autonomously at a professional level
- develop new knowledge and skills continuously
- communicate ideas effectively in written form
- communicate ideas fluently in spoken form
- apply sound decision-making skills
- organise and manage own work independently
- collaborate with others to achieve shared objectives
- use digital tools to retrieve and present information
- demonstrate independent learning for professional development
- Authoritarianism: Concepts, Theories and Comparative Analysis
What you learn (8)
- summarise key findings from authoritarianism research literature
- evaluate the methodological design of authoritarianism studies
- critique how authoritarianism research is carried out in practice
- identify factors driving authoritarianism today using comparative data
- use relevant databases to investigate political trends
- analyse political science sources rigorously to draw conclusions
- construct evidence-based arguments in written reports
- present reasoned arguments supported by evidence orally
- Securitisation and the New Security Agenda
What you learn (14)
- assess challenges from recent empirical and theoretical developments in security studies
- explain the core principles of securitisation theory
- describe how issues become prioritised on the security agenda
- explain the implications of prioritising certain security issues
- assess the scope, nature and extent of contemporary security challenges
- analyse the causes of contemporary security challenges
- formulate appropriate national and international policy responses to security challenges
- evaluate trade-offs associated with security policy responses
- use bibliographical and electronic sources to gather relevant knowledge
- analyse written texts to identify key arguments
- compose fluent written arguments conveying ideas effectively
- deliver concise presentations using visual aids within time limits
- collaborate with peers to develop a coherent line of argument
- manage time and motivation to meet assignment deadlines
- Global Distributive Justice
What you learn (2)
- describe key features of leading theories of global distributive justice
- evaluate theories of global distributive justice for internal coherence
- Narratives of War and Conflict
What you learn (7)
- evaluate approaches to narrative analysis within international relations
- evaluate the role of power in shaping war and conflict
- evaluate the role of emotions in shaping war and conflict
- evaluate the role of bodies in shaping war and conflict
- assess the political implications of war narratives
- construct evidence-based arguments in written form
- present evidence-based arguments orally
- Politics of the Middle East
What you learn (8)
- analyse the evolution of these trends from the 20th century to today
- assess factors driving state formation in the Middle East
- evaluate patterns of governance and political society in the region
- critique scholarly literature on Middle East politics
- discuss contemporary academic debates on the region
- identify dominant assumptions in mainstream narratives about the region
- challenge prevailing narratives using critical evidence
- construct historically-informed arguments grounded in empirical research
- US Foreign Policy
What you learn (9)
- describe the historical origins and evolution of us foreign policy
- explain theoretical and conceptual approaches used to study us foreign policy
- identify domestic and external sources shaping us foreign policy
- describe institutions and processes involved in us foreign policy making
- apply theoretical frameworks to analyse contemporary us foreign policy cases
- explain current us foreign policy issues using conceptual models
- construct evidence-based arguments on political issues
- apply broad and subject-specific research techniques
- apply relevant methodologies to analyse complex political problems
- Business and Politics
What you learn (9)
- compare theories explaining firm participation in politics
- evaluate competing theories of corporate political influence
- identify distinct national business systems
- describe varieties of capitalism across countries
- apply business-politics theories to real-world policy cases
- evaluate how globalisation reshapes firm-state relations
- explain the emergence of private authority governance
- explain the rise of political corporate social responsibility
- construct evidence-based arguments in spoken and written form
- International Political Economy
What you learn (5)
- describe how global economic and political power interact across scales
- apply classical IPE theories to current global economic trends
- evaluate the extent to which globalisation faces contemporary challenges
- construct analyses of shifting global economic and geopolitical power balances
- formulate persuasive arguments about contemporary globalisation politics
- Protest Politics in a Post-Political Age: Reform, Resistance or Revolution?
What you learn (10)
- compare competing theories of depoliticisation and post-politics
- evaluate how depoliticisation theories relate to neoliberalism
- apply depoliticisation and post-political theories to analyse contemporary protest
- assess specific protest case studies using theoretical frameworks
- appraise movements seeking reform within existing political institutions
- appraise movements seeking radical transformation of political systems
- situate depoliticisation and protest within historical shifts in global politics
- situate depoliticisation and protest within geographical shifts in global politics
- construct arguments about the opportunities for achieving political change
- construct arguments about the obstacles to achieving political change
- China's International Relations
What you learn (3)
- describe issues affecting China's potential rise as a great power
- evaluate competing explanations of China's foreign policy decisions
- apply international relations theories to assess China's foreign policies
- Post-colonial and De-colonial International Theory
What you learn (5)
- summarise core theoretical arguments of post-colonial and decolonial theory
- evaluate meta-theoretical claims within post-colonial and decolonial scholarship
- apply post-colonial and decolonial frameworks to analyse current global political issues
- explain how post-colonial and decolonial perspectives have shaped international politics
- assess the impact of post-colonial and decolonial movements on global affairs
- International Organizations
What you learn (1)
- apply international relations theories to the study of international organisations
- Politics of Terror
What you learn (9)
- identify key theoretical positions on terror and terrorism
- compare competing political debates on counterterrorism approaches
- explain difficulties in reaching agreed definitions of terrorism-related terms
- explain the ongoing relevance of terrorism concepts to global politics
- evaluate whether counterterrorism policies achieve their stated goals
- assess limitations in measuring counterterrorism success or failure
- situate terrorism studies within wider international relations scholarship
- conduct independent research on terrorism-related debates
- produce written analysis of key terrorism and counterterrorism debates
- The Politics of Immigration
What you learn (8)
- identify current problems and emerging insights in migration research
- explain causes and consequences of migration within established democracies
- apply migration theories and concepts to analyse contemporary debates
- evaluate current research and scholarly methodologies in migration studies
- propose new hypotheses based on critical analysis of existing research
- analyse complex migration issues systematically and creatively
- make reasoned judgements when data is incomplete
- construct reasoned and evidence-based arguments in written and oral form
- Politics and Popular Culture
What you learn (6)
- distinguish major schools of critical theory and cultural analysis
- compare differing theoretical approaches to interpreting cultural texts
- evaluate political meanings embedded in audio, visual or textual media
- apply different theoretical frameworks to analyse cultural texts
- explain how political actors use cultural objects to achieve their goals
- analyse the purposes behind political uses of cultural objects
- Comparative Perspectives on Populism
What you learn (6)
- evaluate major theoretical approaches to populism
- compare historical cases of populism with contemporary examples
- assess theoretical frameworks using historical evidence
- analyse varied contemporary forms of populism
- compare similarities and differences among populist movements
- construct reasoned arguments supported by evidence
- Contemporary Challenges in Politics
What you learn (5)
- evaluate competing theoretical positions in political theory
- describe key issues and debates within political theory
- analyse contemporary political issues using theoretical perspectives
- evaluate contemporary political issues against competing frameworks
- identify connections between political theory and policy practice
- The Psychology of Politics
What you learn (6)
- describe psychological theories of emotion, personality and identity
- explain psychological theories of cognition and information processing
- explain psychological theories of belief systems and authoritarianism
- apply psychological concepts to interpret political phenomena
- critique existing psychological explanations of political behaviour
- synthesise academic research findings on a political psychology topic
- The Politics of Borders
What you learn (4)
- analyse how borders shape political issues across different policy areas
- apply border-related concepts and theories to contemporary political debates
- describe the historical causes and effects of borders on global challenges
- combine theoretical and conceptual perspectives on border studies into a coherent argument
- Political Ideas that Changed the World
What you learn (6)
- describe historical and philosophical methods used in studying political thought
- interpret historical political texts using established methods
- evaluate the arguments presented in historical political texts
- compare how specific political concepts are used across different historical texts
- appraise arguments as they develop over different historical periods
- assess competing scholarly interpretations of historical political texts
- Defying Dictators:Political Opposition in Authoritarian States
What you learn (4)
- analyse current issues in authoritarian political systems
- generate research ideas on a chosen topic in authoritarian politics
- formulate a research question on authoritarian political opposition
- evaluate the research design used in academic studies of authoritarian politics
- Elections and Voters
What you learn (6)
- evaluate the competitiveness of particular elections
- assess how elections function within a political regime
- identify different theoretical models of voting behaviour
- apply voting behaviour models to explain individual electoral choices
- critique existing theories explaining voting and election outcomes
- synthesise academic research findings on a political behaviour topic
- Challenges to Democracy
What you learn (6)
- explain key challenges facing democratic systems
- critically appraise the significance of threats to democracy
- apply political theories to contemporary debates on democracy
- construct evidence-based arguments about threats to democracy
- evaluate domestic and international threats to democratic governance
- design responses to challenges facing democratic systems
- African Politics in Global Perspective
What you learn (4)
- explain key theories and concepts used to interpret african politics
- apply political theories to explain outcomes in specific african countries
- evaluate conflicting scholarly interpretations of african political phenomena
- assess the relevance of african political lessons to other global contexts
“What you learn” restates each module’s published learning outcomes in our own words, as short skill statements in the same form as the GCSE and A level curriculum, with the help of an AI model; fields of knowledge follow the twelve fields of the knowledge sphere. The university’s module page, linked from each title, is the authoritative description.
After graduating
Where does it lead?
£25,500median pay three years after graduating
Lower quarter£20k
Median£26k
Upper quarter£31k
Median — the middle earner: half earned more, half less. Pay is for graduates of this subject at this university who finished in 2016-18, not adjusted for inflation; based on 95 graduates.
Discover Uni dataset (HESA and Office for Students, CC BY 4.0, contains HESA data); earnings from the Longitudinal Education Outcomes data (Department for Education) · aggregation level 13, 23
Half of graduates earned between £20,000 and £31,000. Five years on, the median is £32,000. 81% were in work or further study 15 months after finishing; 60% of those in work were in professional or managerial jobs.
All outcome figures7
| Measure | Value | Based on |
|---|---|---|
| Continue after year 18% left | 92% | 215 |
| In work or study, 15 months on7% studying | 81% | 70 |
| Professional or managerial job | 60% | 45 |
| Pay 15 months on, median | £28,000 | 30 |
| Pay 3 years on, median | £25,500 | 95 |
| Pay 5 years on, median | £32,000 | 120 |
National Student Survey 2025-26
What do students say?
69%agreed the course was good overall (question 26)
NSS — a yearly survey of final-year students at every UK university; 64% of this course’s final year answered. Small groups can swing a lot year to year.
National Student Survey, via Discover Uni · 200 students answered
Highest: 96% agreed on question 1; lowest: 53% on question 24.
All questions26
| Question | Agree |
|---|---|
| Question 1 | 96% |
| Question 2 | 91% |
| Question 3 | 86% |
| Question 4 | 85% |
| Question 5 | 89% |
| Question 6 | 85% |
| Question 7 | 82% |
| Question 8 | 74% |
| Question 9 | 73% |
| Question 10 | 77% |
| Question 11 | 80% |
| Question 12 | 77% |
| Question 13 | 75% |
| Question 14 | 68% |
| Question 15 | 92% |
| Question 16 | 85% |
| Question 17 | 81% |
| Question 18 | 85% |
| Question 19 | 84% |
| Question 20 | 94% |
| Question 21 | 90% |
| Question 22 | 86% |
| Question 23 | 78% |
| Question 24 | 53% |
| Question 25 | 75% |
| Question 26 | 69% |
Question texts are published by the Office for Students; the dataset carries only the question numbers.
Modules, entry requirements and fees are facts read from University of Glasgow’s course page on 2026-09-19 and may change; the university’s page is authoritative. Descriptions are not reproduced. Outcome figures are from the Discover Uni dataset. University of Glasgow is a trade mark of the university; sch.today is independent of it.