About this Programme

This MA in International Relations offers an innovative and challenging multidisciplinary approach to examining international relations. The programme critically engages with theoretical approaches to International Relations to foster a deeper understanding of the world. To further aid this understanding, it critically examines in-depth issues of enduring international significance, including conflict, the role of multilateral institutions, US foreign policy, state-building in the colonial and post-colonial world, and the role of humanitarian actions by state and non-state actors. The programme also enables students to carry out original and independent research by developing appropriate research methodologies for International Relations studies.

What You'll Learn

• Display a critical awareness of political, historical, and legal aspects of international relations.

• Demonstrate an advanced understanding of debates that inform an appreciation of International Relations, International Relations theory, and related subjects.

• Draw upon knowledge of how theories and concepts have developed in particular contexts in their assessment of relevant issues and debates.

• Demonstrate a detailed and critically informed knowledge and understanding of the role and contribution of state and non-state actors in shaping international politics.

• Display an ability to critically reflect upon their research and, if relevant, professional practice.

• Engage critically with theories and concepts relating to International Relations and put them to productive use.

• Consider and critically evaluate their own work in a reflexive manner with reference to academic and/or professional issues, debates, and conventions.

• Develop substantive and detailed knowledge and understanding in one or more designated areas of the field(s).

• Engage with new and emerging forms and arguments, drawing upon a variety of professional and academic skills.

• Conduct advanced forms of research for essays, projects, or dissertations involving sustained independent enquiry.

• Propose, design, conduct, and present sustained independent research at an advanced level that will demonstrate a sophisticated understanding of International Relations related issues.

• Understand the limits of the major research methods associated with the study of International Relations, and be able to apply this knowledge critically to their own work.

• Appreciate how diverse audiences and communities engage in the discussion of International Relations at local, regional, national, and international levels.

• Manage time and resources effectively, by drawing on planning and organisational skills.

• Plan and implement tasks in a professional manner.

• Retrieve and generate information, and critically evaluate sources, in carrying out independent research.

• Communicate ideas at an advanced level, deliver work to a given length, format, brief, and deadline, properly referencing sources and ideas, and adapting a problem-solving approach demonstrating professionalism.

Indicative Modules

• Induction Module

• Understanding International Relations

• The War/Peace Cycle

• International Human Rights Law

• Research Methods for International Relations

• Conflict and Warfare in International Law

• War and Peace in Africa since 1990

• Research Project in International Relations

Career Opportunities

Graduates of this MA in International Relations program are highly prepared for diverse and impactful careers in governmental, non-governmental, and private sectors that engage with global affairs. The multidisciplinary approach, critical engagement with theories, and development of advanced research skills equip them for roles such as diplomat, foreign service officer, policy analyst, international aid/development worker, intelligence analyst, public affairs consultant, or positions within international organizations like the UN, NGOs, and think tanks. The program's focus on conflict, human rights, and global issues ensures graduates can contribute meaningfully to policy development, advocacy, and analysis in a complex and interconnected world.