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Politics

MRes

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Key information

Key information for 2026-27

Start date:
October 2026
Study route:

  • One year full-time, on campus

  • Two years part-time, on campus

Status:
Fully approved
Location:
Birkbeck Campus, Central London
Awarding body:
University of London
Study options:
Full-time | Part-time | On campus

Course overview

Equipping you with the skills to design and conduct independent research, this MRes Politics is ideal for helping you to develop a research career or prepare for PhD study in politics, public policy and international relations.

  • Why choose this course?
    • It offers you training in research skills, including beginner to advanced social data analysis, qualitative methods and experimental design.
    • It allows you to specialise further, if you wish to, in international relations or public policy and management.
    • It is taught by leading researchers at the Birkbeck Institute for Social Research and the Birkbeck Centre for British Political Life.
    • It is recognised by the UK Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) for the award of 1+3 studentships which are designed to fund students for a course of postgraduate study combining a taught Master's degree and a PhD.

  • What will I learn?

    This course’s core modules are designed to strengthen your fundamental approaches to social and political research: statistical analysis and qualitative methods. You will then be able to make progress in more advanced methods, including social science experiments and advanced data analysis. 

    Option modules offer you further methods training and deeper understanding across a range of subjects within the broad field of political studies including politics, international relations and public policy.

    This course offers you the choice of focusing on politics and studying for the MRes Politics, or following a specialist pathway to be awarded either a:

    • MRes Politics and International Relations, or
    • MRes Politics and Public Policy and Management.

  • How will I learn?

    All core methods training modules can be studied either on campus or online. You will also have access to pre-recorded lectures, and the course benefits from coursework and seminars that will help you focus on mastering the craft of social research.

    Your studies culminate in the completion of a research dissertation in which you will apply the skills you have learned to tackle a research question of your choice.

    This course follows an evening timetable with all classes taking place in the evening.

  • How often will I attend classes?

    Full-time: Four evenings a week, October to July.

    Part-time: Two evenings a week, October to July.

  • Course disclaimer

    Birkbeck makes all reasonable efforts to deliver educational services, modules and programmes of study as described on our website. In the event that there are material changes to our offering (for example, due to matters beyond our control), we will update applicant and student facing information as quickly as possible and offer alternatives to applicants, offer-holders and current students.

    Most of our courses are taught in the evenings, however some of our courses offer a daytime timetable. Where there is an option to attend daytime teaching sessions, this is stated in the How will I learn? section.

More highlights

  • Birkbeck's MRes degrees are recognised by the UK Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) for the award of 1+3 studentships. These studentships fund students for a four-year, full-time (or six-/seven-year part-time) course of postgraduate study combining a taught Master's degree and a PhD.
  • Birkbeck is a world-renowned centre of original, influential research in politics. We organise a lively programme of seminars and conferences and are home to affiliated research centres, such as the Birkbeck Centre for British Political Life, which run seminars, conferences and other events where some of the world's best scholars present their latest research.
  • Our academic staff are international authorities in their respective fields, publishing and delivering stimulating teaching in a wide range of political topics including civil society and the state, public policy, development, gender, international security and terrorism, and social and political theory.
  • Our location in central London puts you at the heart of the UK’s political life and at the centre of academic London. You can walk down to Parliament and Whitehall, while Bloomsbury contains some of the world’s most famous libraries and centres of research. Our departmental building was once a key location for members of the Bloomsbury Group, so you could be studying in rooms that have hosted distinguished visitors, including T.S. Eliot, George Bernard Shaw and Maynard Keynes.
  • You can take advantage of the rich research collections nearby, including Senate House Library, which is right next door to Birkbeck, the British Library, which is five minutes’ walk away, and the British Library of Political and Economic Science at the London School of Economics, which is walkable from Birkbeck. Birkbeck Library has a large politics collection, including the major specialist journals, and provides you with access to an extensive range of online materials.

Modules and Teaching

School of Social Sciences

The school offers an invigorating and enriching educational experience, and students are taught by internationally renowned researchers with an exciting range of expertise. 

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Entry requirements

Our standard entry requirements for postgraduate courses are a second-class honours degree (2:2), or equivalent, in any area of study from a UK university, or an equivalent international qualification.

We welcome applicants without traditional entry qualifications as we base decisions on our own assessment of qualifications, knowledge and previous work experience. We may waive formal entry requirements based on judgement of academic potential.

On your application form, please list all your relevant qualifications and experience, including those you expect to achieve.

Apply now to secure your place. The earlier you apply, the sooner your application can be considered, and you can enrol. You do not need to have completed your current qualification to start your application.

  • What are the English language requirements?

    If English is not your first language or you have not previously studied in English, our usual requirement is the equivalent of an International English Language Testing System (IELTS Academic Test) score of 6.5, with not less than 6.0 in each of the sub-tests. We also accept other English language tests.

    If you don't meet the minimum English language requirements, please contact us or see our international study skills page for more details about how we can help.

    Visit the International section of our website to find out more about our English language entry requirements and relevant requirements by country.

  • What are the visa and funding requirements?

    If you are not from the UK and you do not already have residency here, you may need to apply for a visa.

    The visa you apply for varies according to the length of your course:

    • Courses of more than six months' duration: Student visa
    • Courses of less than six months' duration: Standard Visitor visa

    International students who require a Student visa should apply to study on our courses full-time as these qualify for Student visa sponsorship. If you are living in the UK on a Student visa, you will not be eligible to enrol to study part-time courses at Birkbeck (with the exception of some modules).

    As a Student visa student, you should also apply to study on campus only, as online and flexible options of study (if they are available for your course) may affect the conditions of your visa.

    For full information, read our visa information for international students page.

    Please also visit the international section of our website to find out more about relevant visa and funding requirements by country.

    Please note students receiving US Federal Aid are only able to apply for in-person, on-campus programmes which will have no elements of online study.

  • Student visa students: dependants

    This MRes is classified as a Postgraduate Taught (PGT) programme. Under UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) rules, Student visa students on this course are not eligible to bring dependants to the UK.

  • Credits and accredited prior learning (APL)

    If you have studied at university (or have an HND or Foundation Degree), you may have accumulated credits. It may be possible to transfer these from your previous study to Birkbeck or another institution.

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Fees

MRes: One year full-time or two years part-time, on campus, starting in October 2026

Academic year 2026-27

Part-time home students: £6,000 per year
Full-time home students: £12,000 per year
Part-time international students: £11,115 per year
Full-time international students: £22,230 per year

Students are charged a tuition fee in each year of their course. Tuition fees for students continuing their course may be subject to annual inflationary increases. For more information, please see the Fees Policy.

Discover the financial support available to you to help with your studies at Birkbeck.

Birkbeck's campus is located in the historic and vibrant Bloomsbury area of central London - named one of the best places to live in London 2025 by The Times.

Careers and employability

On successfully graduating from this MRes Politics, you will have gained an array of important transferable skills, including:

  • data analysis
  • research design
  • project management
  • critical evaluation.

Graduates can pursue career paths in government or advisory bodies where research skills are required, as well as policy research, higher education, the voluntary sector and journalism. Possible professions include:

  • Civil Service fast-streamer
  • higher education lecturer
  • government social research officer
  • politician’s assistant
  • local government officer
  • newspaper journalist
  • public relations officer.

We offer a comprehensive careers service - Careers and Enterprise - your career partner during your time at Birkbeck and beyond. At every stage of your career journey, we empower you to take ownership of your future, helping you to make the connection between your experience, education and future ambitions.

Student support

Birkbeck offers study, learning and wellbeing support to undergraduate and postgraduate students to help them succeed.

Our Learning Development Service provides a lively programme of free weekly workshops building essential academic skills - from writing and critical thinking to maths and referencing - offering flexible sessions, practical tips, and online resources to boost your skills and confidence.

Our Disability and Mental Health Service can support you if you have disabilities, specific learning differences, mental health conditions or neurodivergence, by providing practical support to help you achieve your academic potential.

Our Counselling Service aims to support you with any emotional and psychological difficulties that are affecting your experience and engagement with your studies at university. It is a free, non-judgemental and confidential service which consists of a consultation process followed by time limited counselling contact.

Find out more about the full range of student services we offer at Birkbeck.

How to apply

You apply directly to Birkbeck for this course, using the online application link.

You will need to prove your identity when you apply. Find out more about how to apply.

Related courses

Study routes for Politics (MRes)

Please select a study route below to continue your application.

Please note that international students who require a Student visa to study in the UK can only apply for full-time, on campus routes.

Starting in October 2026

Full-time

Part-time