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Why Study Politics?

When you study politics, you will not be taught what to think, but how to think. In other words, you will learn:

• How to collect evidence and marshal it in logical and clear argument
• How to deepen your understanding of a range of political situations and contexts
• How to form independent judgements about major controversies in contemporary times (the causes of the collapse of the Celtic Tiger, the impact of globalisation, the consequences of war in Iraq and so on...)

You will also learn how concepts central to the study of politics are contested between differing political views (what constitutes fairness or equality? how do we measure democratic freedoms? what is the link between economic growth and political power? and so on...). Moreover when you put these ideas and arguments together in essays, presentations, debate and discussion, you will develop a range of practical skills that set you apart in the job market (such as communication, argumentation, IT and presentation skills).

There are a variety of ways to study politics at UL. The BA in Politics and International Relations is the most obvious, but politics is also central to the BA in Politics and Public Administration and may be taken as a major or minor option in the general arts degree BA HPSS.

The PEADAR KIRBY Prize for Best Undergraduate Final Year Projects