International Relations and Japanese Studies (joint honours)
BA (Hons)
Key facts
UCAS Tariff Points
104
Overview
Our joint honours course allows you to pursue your own areas of interest within International Relations and Japanese Studies whilst also providing you with a solid foundation in both disciplines and a range of personal and professional skills which will serve as a springboard for your future career development. The programme is carefully designed to enable you to gradually develop your knowledge and skills and to become autonomous, effective and independent learners.
International Relations provides you with the opportunity to develop your understanding and knowledge of world politics, focusing on issues such as nationalism, global justice, security, migration and climate change. Japanese Studies is designed for those who wish to become fluent and competent users of Japanese in a wide range of personal and professional settings as well as the academic domain. The course gives you a working command of Japanese.
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How to apply
Wherever possible we make our conditional offers using the UCAS Tariff. The combination of A-level grades listed here would be just one way of achieving the UCAS Tariff points for this course.
Standard offer
UCAS Tariff Points: 104
A Level: BCC
IB Points: 29
BTEC: DMM
Contextual offer
UCAS Tariff Points: 96
A Level: CCC
IB Points: 28
BTEC: MMM
Further offer details
Applications are also welcomed for consideration from applicants with European qualifications, international qualifications or recognised foundation courses. For advice on eligibility please contact Admissions: admissions@brookes.ac.uk
If you don’t achieve the required tariff points you can apply to join a foundation course.
Entry requirements
Specific entry requirements
Please also see the University's general entry requirements.
English requirements for visas
If you need a student visa to enter the UK you will need to meet the UK Visas and Immigration minimum language requirements as well as the University's requirements. Find out more about English language requirements.
Pathways courses for international and EU students
If you do not meet the entry requirements for this degree, or if you would like more preparation before you start, you can take an international foundation course. Once you enrol, you will have a guaranteed pathway to this degree if you pass your foundation course with the required grades.
If you only need to meet the language requirements, you can take our pre-sessional English course. You will develop key language and study skills for academic success and you will not need to take an external language test to progress to your degree.
Terms and Conditions of Enrolment
When you accept our offer, you agree to the Terms and Conditions of Enrolment. You should therefore read those conditions before accepting the offer.
Credit transfer
Many of our courses consider applications for entry part-way through the course for students who have credit from previous learning or relevant professional experience.
Find out more about transferring to Brookes. If you'd like to talk through your options, please contact our Admissions team.
Application process
Full time Home (UK) applicants
Apply through UCASPart time Home (UK) applicants
Apply direct to the UniversityInternational applicants
Apply direct to the UniversityFull time international applicants can also apply through UCAS
Tuition fees
Questions about fees?
Contact Student Finance on:
Tuition fees
* Following the government’s announcement of 4 November 2024, we expect to increase our undergraduate tuition fees for UK students to £9,535 from the start of the 2025/26 academic year. Please visit The Education Hub for more information about the changes. We will confirm our fees for 2025/26 as soon as possible.
Please note, tuition fees for Home students may increase in subsequent years both for new and continuing students in line with an inflationary amount determined by government. Oxford Brookes University intends to maintain its fees for new and returning Home students at the maximum permitted level.
Tuition fees for International students may increase in subsequent years both for new and continuing students.
The following factors will be taken into account by the University when it is setting the annual fees: inflationary measures such as the retail price indices, projected increases in University costs, changes in the level of funding received from Government sources, admissions statistics and access considerations including the availability of student support.
How and when to pay
Tuition fee instalments for the semester are due by the Monday of week 1 of each semester. Students are not liable for full fees for that semester if they leave before week 4. If the leaving date is after week 4, full fees for the semester are payable.
- For information on payment methods please see our Make a Payment page.
- For information about refunds please visit our Refund policy page
Financial support and scholarships
Additional costs
Please be aware that some courses will involve some additional costs that are not covered by your fees. Specific additional costs for this course are detailed below.
Learning and assessment
In Year 1, you’ll explore a broad range of ideologies and political systems, gaining skills to help you succeed in securing a career after graduation. Your studies will include Japanese language for beginners and the Introduction to Japanese Society and Culture module.
In Year 2, you’ll explore the great issues of international relations. The optional work placement will give you experience in the working world. You’ll focus on developing your Japanese language skills even further and learn more about the arts, culture and society of Japan.
In Year 3, you’ll study abroad in Japan. During this time you will follow the language and cultural modules at your host institution.
In Year 4, you’ll have the freedom to focus on what you care about most, including your dissertation subject. Optional modules mean you might explore topics such as human rights, global ethics, global environmental politics and terrorism. You’ll also be able to choose from a range of modules exploring specific aspects of Japanese life, institutions and culture at an advanced level.
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Learning and teaching
You’ll learn in a supportive and stimulating environment. You’ll be part of a close-knit programme where you’ll know everyone and get lots of support from both teaching staff and fellow students. Participation and discussion are important features of the course that promote individual creativity and effective collaborative learning.
Most modules combine lectures and seminar-style discussion based on weekly readings. You'll have the chance to discuss and challenge a wide variety of critical views and perspectives in your seminars.
Field trips
You have the opportunity to join field trips on selected modules in your third year, such as Ethics, Power and World Politics, and Managing Global Issues.
Assessment
Assessment methods used on this course
Your assessments will be diverse, and will support different learning styles - you’ll have a real opportunity to showcase your strengths.
You might write a blog, create a video diary or give a presentation. You’ll be able to write essays, literature reviews or position papers. You will also have opportunities to produce short presentations and work in groups.
The assessments are designed to help you develop your confidence in using a wide range of skills, preparing you well for your future career.
After you graduate
Career prospects
As you study, you’ll develop highly transferable skills and competencies in the areas that employers care about.
These include:
- critical thinking
- creative problem solving
- written, spoken and visual communication, in a variety of media and styles
- intercultural and interpersonal understanding
- research and analysis
- working independently and collaboratively.
You’ll graduate able to analyse issues, express your ideas, inform and influence others, and respond to challenges – critical skills for the 21st century workplace.
Our graduates go on to work in diverse areas like:
- NGOs and charities
- Social work
- Publishing
- Public relations
- Marketing
- Teaching
- Media and journalism
- The civil service.
Many pursue postgraduate study, often here at Oxford Brookes.
Information from Discover Uni
Full-time study
Part-time study
Programme changes:
On rare occasions we may need to make changes to our course programmes after they have been
published on the website. For more information, please visit our
changes to programmes page.