BA (Hons) POLITICS (SUSTAINABILITY)
Politics (Sustainability) - BA (Hons)
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Immersive approach
This exciting degree in Politics employs cutting-edge teaching and research methods to provide you with a unique insight into the political process. Delivered by experienced, expert and enthusiastic academics, it combines political concepts, ideas, values and institutions, and explores the relationship between political theory and practice. Your learning experience will go beyond observing and studying, and prepare you for engaging with politics in your career. Our core placement scheme offers opportunities that have seen former students work in parliament and MPS' constituency offices – seeing politics-making from the inside, and providing a great basis for professional development.
The impacts of climate change and environmental degradation mean that sustainability is one of the greatest challenges facing human society today. Students on the sustainability pathway will explore the relationships between environmental, social and economic systems, at every level from the local to the global. You will critically analyse the root causes of climate change and challenge the inadequacy of official responses, including COP26. In following this pathway, you will develop the skills required to contribute to the social and political change necessary for a sustainable future.
Why Politics (Sustainability) at LSBU?
Be part of an academic community dedicated to social justice and global responsibility – and be taught by experts with wide-ranging research interests: US foreign policy, Middle East politics, gender, sexualities and society, peacebuilding, transitional justice, colonialism, global political economy, visual politics, global sports, sustainability and climate change.
Interactive seminars and workshops encourage free and open debate, for you to share ideas and learn from each other.
The LSS Social Justice and Global Responsibility research centre offers inspiring guest speakers, events, volunteering opportunities, and a forum for the exchange of ideas.
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'Work placement' module and volunteering programme to enhance employability.
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Study politics at the heart of political power in the UK, at our campus on the doorstep of Westminster.
Application code
ModeFull-time Duration3 years Start dateSeptember Application codeL2L2 Application method UCAS
Southwark Campus
London South Bank University student union is located at 103 Borough Rd, London SE1 0AA.
If you are visiting our Southwark Campus, you may wish to use our downloadable campus map (PNG File 466 KB). For information on accessibility, see our DisabledGo access guides.
Walk or bicycle
The University is in easy walking distance of underground and leading overground stations. We are only 20 minutes away from the Thames. We encourage walking and cycling and have bicycle racks on campus. Please check the Transport for London cycling website for London cycling maps and route planners.
LSBU is very well connected, and a large number of buses travel to and connect in the Elephant and Castle area from across London.
By train or tube
The Bakerloo and Northern lines stop at Elephant & Castle underground station, which is right next to campus. The closest rail stations are Elephant & Castle, London Waterloo and London Bridge. To plan your train journey, visit the National Rail website.
London South Bank University does not provide public parking space. There is a limited amount of parking in the area, so we strongly advise using public transport.
Do consider the Congestion Charge if you are driving through London to reach the campus. Find out if you'll be crossing the Congestion Charge zone to reach our Southwark Campus.
TfL journey planner
You can travel to Southwark Campus by using public transport, plan your journey using the Transport for London journey planner.
Entry Level Requirements
UK Qualifications
A Level BCC or:
BTEC National Diploma MMM or:
Access to HE qualifications with 9 Distinctions and 36 Merits or:
Equivalent Level 3 qualifications worth 106 UCAS points
Applicants must hold 5 GCSEs A-C including Maths and English, or equivalent (reformed GCSEs grade 4 or above).
We welcome qualifications from around the world. English language qualifications for international students: IELTS score of 6.0, Cambridge Proficiency or Advanced Grade C.
Select country here:
If you have already completed some studies at another university, we may be able to consider you for advanced entry. Please see our advanced entry page for more information.
Accreditation and Course validation status
This course is validated by London South Bank University. Applications are being accepted.
For more information, including how and when to pay, see our fees and funding section for undergraduate students.
Please check your fee status and whether you are considered a Home, EU or International student for fee-paying purposes and for our regulatory returns, by reading the UKCISA regulations.
See our Tuition Fees Regulations (PDF File 391 KB) and Refund Policy (PDF File 775 KB).
Possible fee changes
The University reserves the right to increase its fees in line with changes to legislation, regulation and any government guidance or decisions.
The fees for international students are reviewed annually and the University reserves the right to increase the tuition fees in line with the RPIX measure of inflation up to 4 per cent.
We offer several types of fee reduction through our scholarships and bursaries. Find the full list and other useful information on our scholarships page.
The course is not currently open to international students.
International (non Home) applicants should follow our international how to apply guide.
Home/EU applicants
Mode Full-time Duration 3 years Start date September Application code L2L2 Application method UCAS
For full-time courses, please send your applications through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) using our code L75. UCAS is the organisation responsible for managing applications to higher education courses in the UK.
For part-time courses, you can apply directly to the University.
For more details on how to apply (full-time and part-time) see our how to apply page.
International students can either apply through UCAS or directly to LSBU. See the international how to apply page for details.
Once we have made you an offer, you can apply for accommodation. You can rent from LSBU and you'll deal directly with the university, not third party providers. That means we can guarantee you options to suit all budgets, with clear tenancy agreements and all-inclusive rents that include insurance for your personal belongings, internet access in each bedroom and on-site laundry facilities.
Or, if you'd rather rent privately, we can give you a list of landlords – just ask our Accommodation Service.
Read more about applying for accommodation at LSBU.
You don't need to wait for a confirmed place on a course to start applying for student finance. Read how to pay your fees as an undergraduate student.
Prepare to start
Applicant events
After you've received your offer we'll send you emails about events we run to help you prepare for your course.
Before you start your course we'll send you information on what you'll need to do before you arrive and during your first few days on campus. You can read about the process on our Enrolment pages.
If it's a key political issue that's relevant to the world today, this course covers it. You'll study areas such as genocide, human rights, religious activism, sustainability, war, terrorism and migration amongst others, building a detailed understanding of the myriad factors that make our world what it is today, and the complex interactions between them.
International Society: Conflict, Revolution and Empire
This module examines key moments in international history to introduce some of the building blocks that make up the current international system. The module is concerned with historical events from around the globe and seeks to include perspectives and experiences from the global south. Such events and concepts include the emergence of democracy and the Glorious Revolution, empire-building and colonialism, struggles for liberation, such as the Haitian revolution, and 9/11 and the war on terror.
Political Ideas in Practice
This module introduces students to key concepts in political thought and contextualise them in contemporary political events, movements, systems and institutions. These include power, justice, race/racism, rights and equality. These ideas and concepts are explored with reference to the social and historical contexts in which they developed, and students will also be encouraged to explore the way that these ideas and concepts have been transformed historically and the manner in which they are mobilised in contemporary political debates. Part of the module will be devoted to the exploration of the contribution that political theory can make to contemporary issues and controversies.
Social Sciences in the Contemporary World: Themes, Concepts, and Higher Education Skills
This module provides an introduction to the study of social sciences and their global significance through an examination of key concepts and approaches to the subject. Each year, the subject matter will explore topical issues, current examples of which include the rise of #BLM, COP26 and climate change and sustainability. The selected issues will form the basis for the development of academic literacy and higher education skills in weekly workshops.
International Relations in Theory and Practice
This module introduces students to contemporary global issues and theoretical perspectives of International Relations that will be further developed during their studies. Each theoretical perspective will be studied alongside a real-world issue to illustrate how the theory works, how theory informs our ideas about the world and teach students the usefulness of theories in IR. The content is not fixed but will be amended each year to reflect innovation in the discipline of IR as well as real-world controversies and events, such as Brexit, the global management of COVID-19, the Global Right and the rise of populist leaders and conspiracies.
State, Society and Institutions
This module engages with political institutions and decision making at local, national and international levels to develop students' understanding of and engagement with political processes. Key state institutions, and their relations with civil society, are analysed and evaluated. The module also explores democracy and political processes beyond the formal realm, including the role of media and pressure groups in shaping governance and policy making. While the focus of the module is largely national, the impact of the international sphere is also explored.
This module develops students' understanding of the concept of social justice (as a goal and a process) and its wider implications. The module also encourages students to focus on their interests, motivations, skills and abilities in employability terms and make connections between their studies and their future careers. Central to the module is a career and networking event. This event will provide students with the opportunity to meet and speak with individuals working in organisations concerned with social justice, particularly individuals who have themselves overcome challenges relating to their gender, race, class, age, sexuality, religion etc. Front line staff such as police officers, probation officers, social workers; activists, campaign work, researchers to voluntary sector representatives will be involved.
Decolonisation and Legacies of Empire
The module explores the contested legacies of the British empire and how they shaped both Britain and the spaces it formerly colonised. This module allows students to explore the social, cultural, political and economic impact of British imperialism across a range of geographies, as well as their interconnectedness past and present. The post-colonial theory will serve as a basis for understanding how the history of colonialism has shaped ideas about race and nation, and material realities in the colonies and the metropole. Students will consider the impact of empire on the colonised communities that lived through and with it, including the issues relating to religious and ethnic identities, the division of land and the establishment of new nations. Students will also consider how the experience of empire has shaped the politics of whiteness in the present.
Social Research Methods
This module introduces students to key concepts, methods and techniques used in social research. Students learn how to evaluate the methodological choices of researchers and to conduct their own social research. Students are introduced to both qualitative methods in the first half and quantitative methods in the second half. Within each half the module focuses on evaluative criteria (e.g. ethics and measurement validity) for social research, data collection methods (e.g. qualitative interviews and surveys) and data analytic methods (e.g. grounded theory and statistical methods).
Plus one optional module from:
Contemporary Policy Making
This module introduces students to social policy, covering the mechanisms, actors, and organisations involved in policymaking. It will look at the frameworks within which policy makers act. The module will encourage students to apply and develop their understanding of policy through following contemporary social policy issues as they unfold during the module. Students will analyse and critique the developments in their areas of interest during the course of the module. By engaging with policymakers and policy processes, students will gain practical experience of seeking to make and shape policy.
Foreign Policy Analysis
This module introduces students to the study of decision-making in international relations and foreign policy case-studies. It looks at how international, domestic and individual pressures shape the decisions leaders make toward other states, regional and non-state actors. The module will discuss conceptual matters, gradually building a toolkit of theoretical approaches that explain how foreign policy is imagined and implemented. Later the module works through a series of detailed case studies, covering the foreign policy of key international actors and regions like the US, the UK, the EU, China, Israel and Latin America.
Gender, Sexualities and Society
This module focuses on sociological understandings of the related concepts, gender and sexuality. It offers comprehensive theoretical overviews of gender and sexuality. It challenges the binary distinction of gender construction by exploring alternatives such as transgender and gender fluidity. The module explores the intersections of gender and sexuality with race, ethnicity, social class and geographic location and how they can reproduce inequalities. An in-depth approach to the study of gender and sexuality is provided by covering the following areas: masculinities, femininities, bodies and sexualities: homosexuality, heterosexuality, bisexuality and their historical, cultural, social and political dimensions.
The module explores what is meant by 'ideology' in academic debate as well as in concrete political and social settings. While considering the challenges inits definition it aims to encourage students to reflect upon the relevance and importance of ideology as an organising principle in contemporary societies across the global north and south. The module will enable students to understand and analyse different political arguments in their wider contemporary national and international context ideological context and gain nuanced understanding of the of the cultural, and social embeddedness of political actions, discourses and rhetoric.
Working in the Social Sciences
This module provides an opportunity for students to work in settings related to their studies and, more generally, gain meaningful workplace experience in which to apply their social scientific learning. It will also reinforce their studies through the application and integration of relevant workplace experience into the academic context. Voluntary and community sector organisations, charities, academic research and most political organisations are particularly suitable for work placements, although much can also be learned from placements in commercial settings. Students who do not secure a formal external placement will form groups to work on an applied project related to LSBUs 9 identified UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Environmental Justice, Sustainability and Climate Crisis
This module addresses the social and political dimensions of ecology. It examines defining features of the concept of (environmental) sustainability, introducing various political perspectives. We will see how local and global environmental risks demand new forms of urban, national and international governmentality. The module will discuss how societies affect and are affected by changes in the natural environment. Finally, we will engage with how climate change impacts on our understanding of time, including how we imagine the end of the world. Throughout the module, we will research and look at the activities of organisations and movements involved in environmental sustainability.
Research project (double module running across two semesters)
This level six double module covers two semesters and consists of the research for and completion of an academic project with a 9,000-word limit. Each student chooses a subject relevant to the study of International Relations in which they wish to specialize, and then uses the skills and knowledge that they have accumulated and developed through modules studied at previous levels to undertake and complete the project. During the whole process, from a choice of subject to final submission, each student will have the support and guidance of a supervisor allocated for this purpose.
Black Political Thought and Activism
This module explores Black political thought and the ways in which it has shaped different forms of activism over time. You'll critically examine concepts relating to the construction of race including theories of 'political blackness', the 'Black Atlantic', 'Pan-Africanism', 'intersectionality' and 'decolonisation'. You will explore key areas of political campaigning including antislavery, decolonisation, civil rights, education, criminal justice and Black Lives Matter. Films, documentaries, music and political speeches will be analysed. You'll visit libraries and archives including the Black Cultural Archives.
Sustainability: Agents for Change
This module offers a learning space to develop an understanding of the climate crisis, explore links between ecology and human activity and examines individual and institutional behavioural change. The module begins with the individual self and moves the introspection to the local and then to the global, providing a sense of place for the individual in the global context. The module themes will include: philosophical overview, global ecology; carbon literacy; lifestyle impact, individual and global impact; eco-psychology, mental health and the psycho-cultural causes of ecological breakdown, ecological and social justice and institutional organisational change using the SDG framework.
Research Project (continued)
Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution
This module examines the historical, theoretical, normative and practical aspects of diplomacy and conflict resolution. Having defined the key concepts, the module explores a range of approaches to the subject, including political, economic and legal approaches. Whilst the module considers the role of traditional actors, such as states and international institutions, this also closely examines a broad range of actors (e.g. civil society and youth) and approaches (e.g. memory, arts and local justice responses). Key topics covered include the nature, practice and history diplomacy and conflict resolution, and of mechanisms aligned with this, such as peace accords, negotiations, humanitarian intervention, peacebuilding and transitional justice.
Sustainability: Reimagining a Future for Everyone
This module is divided into two parts: Students take a deep dive to develop their own narratives going beyond treating symptoms to understanding the psychological and cultural root causes of ecological breakdown, and its implications for action. The second part moves students to reimagine a future that is ecologically, socially and culturally equitable, and defining their contribution to this new world. This module combines good practice case study examples with an exploration into new innovative technological solutions to unsustainable practices.
Employability Service
At LSBU, we want to set you up for a successful career. During your studies – and for two years after you graduate – you'll have access to our Employability Service, which includes:
An online board where you can see a wide range of placements: part-time, full-time or voluntary. You can also drop in to see our Job Shop advisers, who are always available to help you take the next step in your search.
Our Careers Gym offering group workshops on CVs, interview techniques and finding work experience, as well as regular presentations from employers across a range of sectors.
Our Student Enterprise team can also help you start your own business and develop valuable entrepreneurial skills.
Graduates are in demand for their skill-mix, including analysis, critical thinking, research, and strong communication skills.
As a graduate you'll be able to appreciate that problems are often multi-faceted and require thoughtful, creative and logical approaches. Such graduates are highly valuable (in both commercial and Not-for- Profit sectors) because of their ability to contribute to strategic decision making.
Typical careers are:
voluntary sector project management
work in NGOs, local and central government
general commercial businesses
national delegations at the United Nations
Students will complete a work-based learning module as part of their second year where they will complete an optional work placement or take part in other forms of work-based learning. In the past, our students have volunteered with charities and criminal justice agencies, with local authorities, on programmes ranging from rehabilitation of offenders to victim support and campaigner groups. Through these, students contribute to real world situations linked to their subject of interest. In many cases, students maintain a relationship with the organisation they volunteer for. Placements ground a student's experience, provide confidence and bolster a CV immeasurably.
Our students have taken up work placements at:
Chance UK – a unique early intervention mentoring organisation who provide adult volunteer mentors to work with children aged 5-11 years at risk of developing anti-social behaviour in later life.
Kairos in Soho – a pan-London LGBT Community Development Organisation.
The Naz project London – a sexual health organisation that works to mobilise Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) communities in relation to HIV and other sexual health concerns.
Richmond Advice and Information on Disability (RAID)
Women's Royal Voluntary Service (WRVS)
You can expect to be taught through a mix of innovative and traditional teaching methods:
Our central London location means that our you can benefit from London's rich resources:
Institute of Historical Research
Wiener Library
Women's Library @LSE
Black Cultural Archive
As an undergraduate Law and Social Science student, you will be allocated a named tutor during your first semester at LSBU. The role of your tutor is to be your primary contact for academic and professional development support.
Your tutor will support you to get the most of your time at LSBU, providing advice and signposting to other sources of support in the University. They should be the first person at the university that you speak to if you are having any difficulties that are affecting your work. These could be academic, financial, health-related or another type of problem.
Dr Adrian Budd
Law and Social Science
Dr Clara Eroukhmanoff
Course Enquiries - UK
International team enquiry
Chat with a course student
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