Discover how international affairs are conducted and gain insight into how nation states interact and cooperate. Explore the role of international and regional organisations. Investigate the causes of conflict and the possible solutions to restore peace and security. On this programme, you will analyse new challenges facing today's global world, from climate change and migration to culture wars. This course enables you to develop the expertise to better understand how today's complex multi-polar world works. You will become equipped to pursue a wide range of careers in government, diplomacy or foreign affairs, international organisations, and many other fields in the public, private, or voluntary sectors.
The MA/MRes in Politics and International Relations has a pathway structure, allowing you to gain knowledge and understanding of the key elements of the discipline and giving you the opportunity to focus on the topics, questions, and issues that interest you the most. We have pathways in International Relations, Global Security, Middle East Politics, Politics, and US Politics. Whichever pathway you choose, you will be taught by academic staff who are experts and have long-standing reputations within these areas.
The International Relations pathway investigates how global affairs are conducted in an increasingly complex and fast-changing world. We examine the interaction of states within the traditional international political system and explore how and why these established structures and norms have come under strain from a series of unprecedented challenges.
Our modules focus on a wide range of topics, including war, conflict, security, international diplomacy, development, human rights, migration, and environmental change.
You will take core modules which explore the key philosophies and approaches to the study of Politics and International Relations, and the ways in which research in this field is designed and conducted.
You will then select five (on the MRes) or six (on the MA) optional modules, and tailor your studies based on your interests. You may explore the working of the international political system and the development of organisations within it, or the types of conflict resolution and diplomacy or processes of post-conflict development. You may select modules that explore themes from a theoretical perspective, or you may choose modules that engage in empirical research.
Finally, the dissertation offers you the chance to further pursue your particular interest in International Relations, giving you opportunity to examine a topic of your own choosing in considerable depth.
