International Relations and Security Studies MA

Overview

The new MA in International Relations and Security Studies explores themes of peace and conflict studies, including:

• war, violence and security-building between and within states and regions
• tackling WMD, conventional arms proliferation, political violence and terrorism
• development and operation of international and regional institutions
• past and present transnational challenges in international and regional diplomacy
• contemporary global challenges such as environmental degradation, trafficking/crime and migration

You will develop an advanced academic and policy relevant understanding of international relations and security, along with analytical skills that are in high demand within institutional politics, NGO and lobbying organisations.

You will have the opportunity to take specialist pathways, including specialising in selected regions (Europe, Africa, MENA, Asia, or Latin America and the Caribbean), with opportunities for selected study visits, or take thematic specialisms including international governance, modern diplomacy, security studies, or political violence and terrorism.

The programme is delivered by the Division of Peace Studies and International Development, which maintains an international reputation as a centre for excellence in research, teaching, training and policy engagement (in particular in the fields of disarmament and arms control). This means your teaching will not only be research-informed but also delivered by staff well-positioned to facilitate policy and practitioner engagement.

Placement

You can choose to include an internship as part of your course, in which case you will study over 15 months rather than a year. To do this, you should initially register for the one-year programme and then transfer to the 15 month programme when you have secured a placement, any time up until the middle of Semester 2.

The internship / placement further enhances the development of professional experience and practical skills during your Masters programme, integrating practitioner community engagement with your academic studies.

Learning and assessment

The programme will deploy a wide range of teaching, learning and assessment methods to enable you to understand and develop skills for engagement and employment with important policy and practitioner communities (International organisations, governments, NGOs, business associations, etc).

Career prospects

The programme emphasises and develops skills required by employers such as conflict analysis, leadership and decision-making.

Applicants should have an undergraduate degree at 2:2 or above. Plus minimum of GCSE grade 4 or C or above in English (or equivalent qualification).