A very warm welcome to the Department of Politics and International Studies (PAIS).

Congratulations on securing your place at one of the world’s leading Politics and International Studies Departments! We're really pleased that you chose Warwick and PAIS. We're here to support you!

We are a diverse cohort of lively, questioning, and curious minds who are studying and researching some of the most pressing issues in global politics today. Excellence in teaching and research are the long-standing hallmarks of PAIS, and our supportive and inclusive ethos is to equip every member of the Department to develop their own voice.

Ranked 1st in the UK for research environment in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework and 1st again among our Russell Group peers in the 2024 National Student Survey (NSS), we are very proud of PAIS and we hope that you will share this pride as you join our learning community.

As one of the largest, most dynamic, and highly ranked Politics and International Studies Departments in the UK and Europe, we offer a wide-ranging choice of research-led modules on almost every aspect of Politics – spanning across our pathways in Political Theory, International Relations and Security, International Political Economy, Comparative Politics and Quantitative Methods, and Environmental Politics. PAIS modules enable you to analyse cross-cutting contemporary themes of crucial policy importance in a global context – themes such as Brexit, climate change, migration, poverty, race, gender, conflict and war, to name only a few.

All of our academic staff are active researchers and many are internationally recognised in their respective fields. This means that they can bring to the classroom the most advanced and exciting political analysis and experience. It also means that your reading lists will be full of books and articles written by the people who teach you.

Over the past few years, PAIS has added new modules to the curriculum in quantitative methods, climate change, everyday political economy, the future of work, and appearance discrimination. We are working hard to liberate and decolonise the curriculum and to diversify reading lists in order that they are inclusive of a wide range of standpoints and experiences.

But a PAIS degree is so much more than just gaining expertise in the fascinating disciplines of Politics and International Studies. We make sure that you have plenty of opportunities for personal and professional development, including study abroad and enabling you to acquire transferable skills to enhance your employability. You can apply for the opportunity to work alongside academic staff on a research project to hone your analytical skills. We also have a thriving student-run Politics Society.

In PAIS, all teaching, research, and professional services colleagues are here to offer you strong academic support in your study choices and through personal tutoring. We listen carefully to the student voice – not only via the NSS, but also the Warwick Student Survey, PAIS module evaluation surveys, the Student-Staff Liaison Committees, and dedicated feedback sessions.

A PAIS degree will set you on the path to achieving your career ambitions. Whether you are looking to move into a wide array of professions or into further study at Masters or Doctoral level, you will find that PAIS alumni are in extremely high demand. We are consistently in the top 10 across all the major league tables in terms of graduate prospects and careers.

All of my colleagues and I look forward to seeing you develop academically in the Department, and we will be proud to see you successfully graduate in three or four years’ time.

I really hope that you enjoy your time in PAIS.

Matthew Clayton, Head of Department

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Activities and events designed to provide you with the best start to life at Warwick.

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More about modules on offer and how to register.

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Questions you may have before joining Warwick.