Choosing a Course

There are plenty of individual courses for the study of politics, so look carefully at what options are available to you - there is a wide variance in the ways universities approach the concept and the teaching of politics. But be aware that if your motivation for getting into politics has been single-issue stuff, then the actual nitty gritty of politics may not be for you - the subject itself (environmental sciences perhaps) may be more pertinent.

How you view politics may help you choose where you study it. If you're a party (political) animal, then you'll want a course with strong elements of parliamentary and democratic studies. If you're more of a theorist, then check the option for political philosophy alternatives, poring over the works of Hobbes or Locke. In which case, it might be as well to examine the health of the related philosophy department. It's not a hard and fast rule, but the good health of one department can rub off on another. Many courses are now taking an increasingly global look at politics and its institutions, so consider those opportunities too - the study of systems entirely different to the western model can add a dimension to your studies which may not have occurred to you at sixth-form.

Take note too of the assessment options, and whether it's exams, continuous assessment, dissertations or coursework. Different methods work for different people so if part of your motivation is to actually succeed, then choose which is likely to suit you best.

Some universities do four-year courses which include a year working in Westminster, Washington or Ottawa, so try to seize that chance or any other possibilities for vocational work experience. The chances are that it'll be dogs-body stuff for an MP or lobby group, but that experience and the contacts you make could turn out to be invaluable. If you want to stay in politics, it really can he a case of who you know...