Overview

When angry at a particular government policy, some people sit in their armchair and complain, others write letters and organise committees, some participate in social media campaigns, while others still protest or even riot in the street. Politicians care about public opinion, so how do we explain these choices? How are reactions shaped by people's social background, their economic circumstances, their personality, or even their genetic inheritance? Can politicians and the media influence public opinion and if so, how?

You are introduced to the latest theoretical debates about the nature, significance and measurement of public opinion, exploring when and how these opinions translate into political participation, from voting behaviour and signing petitions to suicide bombing.

Your future

All Essex politics graduates have the distinction of a qualification from one of the world's leading politics departments.

Public Opinion and Political Behaviour course offered by the University of Essex can lead to a career in the polling industry, market research, British and European Politics or the private sector. You will develop key employability skills including analytical reasoning, survey design, polling, research design, and report writing.

Recent graduates have gone on to work for the following high-profile organisations:

The Civil Service

Local government

The World Bank

The United Nations

NATO

YouGov and YouGov America

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Programme Structure

Courses included:

Gender and Armed Conflict

Israeli Politics

From Cradle to Grave: Social Justice in Childhood, Adulthood, and Death

Comparative Environmental Politics

International Environmental Politics

Quantitative Methods

Conflict Resolution

Check out the full curriculum

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Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 12 months
Part-time
- 24 months
- Flexible

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2026-10-08 00:00:00

Application deadline not specified.

More details

Deadlines: To be confirmed

Language

English

TOEFL^® IBT

88

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PTE Academic

62

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IELTS

6.5

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4.9/5 student rating

Credits

180 alternative credits

Delivered

On Campus

Campus Location

Colchester, United Kingdom

Disciplines

Public Relations Political Science View 325 other Masters in Political Science in United Kingdom

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Academic requirements

GPA

Lower Second Class

English requirements

TOEFL^® IBT

88

Schedule TOEFL®

PTE Academic

62

Schedule a PTE test!

IELTS

6.5

Prepare for Your English Test

Cathoven AI IELTS Preparation

Learn your IELTS Score

AI-powered IELTS feedback. Clear, actionable, and tailored to boost your writing & speaking score. No credit card or upfront payment required.

Trusted by 300k learners
98 accuracy using real exam data
4.9/5 student rating

Other requirements

General requirements

A 2.2 degree or international equivalent in one of the following subjects:

American Studies

Economics

Finance

International Relations

International Studies

Political Science

Political Studies

Statistics

United States Politics

The following may also be considered:

Applicants with a degree in an unrelated subject and have at least 5 years of work experience, such as working with a NGO, UN, or government. Please provide your CV.

Applicants with a lower class degree where relevant modules have been studied with marks of 2:2 or above.

Applicants who have achieved a first class degree in any subject.

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Tuition Fees

Tuition fees are shown in and the most likely applicable fee is shown based on your nationality.

International Applies to you

Applies to you

Non-residents

23875 GBP / year

≈ 23875 GBP / year
Domestic Applies to you

Applies to you

Citizens or residents

11025 GBP / year

≈ 11025 GBP / year

Living costs

Colchester

United Kingdom

660 - 1140 GBP / month

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.

Funding

Win a €10000 Scholarship! Deadline: 30 June 2020

Embark on your journey with the Studyportals Scholarship! We're giving away a total of 20,000 euros to help you achieve your dream of studying abroad.

Win a €10000 Scholarship! Deadline: 30 June 2020

Embark on your journey with the Studyportals Scholarship! We're giving away a total of 20,000 euros to help you achieve your dream of studying abroad.

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Scholarships Information

Below you will find Master's scholarship opportunities for Public Opinion and Political Behaviour.

Available Scholarships

You are eligible to apply for these scholarships but a selection process will still be applied by the provider.

On this page

About

Overview

Your future

Get more details

Programme Structure

Check out the full curriculum

Key information

Duration

Start dates & application deadlines

Language

Prepare for Your English Test

Credits

Delivered

Campus Location

Disciplines

Explore more key information

What students do after studying

Academic requirements

English requirements

Prepare for Your English Test

Other requirements

General requirements

Make sure you meet all requirements

Tuition Fees

International Applies to you

Domestic Applies to you

Living costs

Colchester

Funding

Check for any work restrictions

Scholarships Information

Available Scholarships

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