Hi
I am currently a final year IR student at an OK university in the UK, the Politics department has quite a good reputation though.

At the very least I should end up with a good 2:1 (65% or above) and I want to apply to universities such as LSE, Warwick, SOAS, Durham. I will also apply to other less prestigious universities but I was wondering do the top universities look for something extra special in an MA applicant, or will a good degree suffice?

I want to apply to good universities, but do they look for firsts rather than 2:1's?

Any advice would be appreciated.

If you are self funding then I think that you will have a very good chance getting into the universities you list as long as you get a 2:1

You might have to attend an interview but as long as you demonstrate that you are enthusiastic and keen to do the course you should be ok.

It's only when you are applying for funding as well that things get really competitive.

If you can get a 65% you should be fine, even for some of the top universities.

However, I would look closely at the issues they cover and see if they suit your views on IR; Politics departments can be quite 'political' in that they sometimes tend to lean towards one 'view' of IR e.g. realist, constructivist, post-positivist. I would strongly recommend choosing somewhere which complements your ideas, otherwise you risk not getting everything you want out of the course.

e.g. Aber in Wales is considered very good for IR, but I know of at least one person who found it very ideological

hey... I don't think you'll have any trouble getting in at all. I'm in my third year in a BSC psychology and have applyed to do masters in IR- i've already received offers from bristol and manchester... and all they want is a 2:1.

Just make sure you right an engaging personal statement that shows your interest in the subject, and sed your applications asap...

am

Hi, Thanks for the advice.

I could apply now, but I am waiting till I get my first semester results. Last year I got all 2:2's in my modules, apart from a solitary 2:1. In my first year I did well and I am on course to get good grades this year too.

I know waiting till mid-Feb is probably not too wise, but my references and my application in general will be better if I just wait for my results and see what degree I'm heading for. Or am I doing the wrong thing? Should I apply sooner with my 2:2 grades?

Either way, I'll have to leave it till January now.

You should wait till you have more results - a 2.1 prediction won't mean much if you only really have 2.2 grades to show at the moment