Global Political Economy
Entry requirements
A second-class honours degree (2:2) or above in the social sciences or humanities or equivalent professional experience.
Applications are reviewed on their individual merits and your professional qualifications and/or relevant work experience will be taken into consideration positively. We actively support and encourage applications from mature learners.
Months of entry
October
Course content
Our academic staff have a strong research reputation in this field. You will gain the perspectives of internationally renowned law, economics and management experts at Birkbeck who provide theoretical and policy insight into some of the most vital issues facing humanity today. This course will also give you the opportunity to undertake a major piece of supervised independent research on a topic of your choice.
A formal background in economics is not needed to study global political economy and we encourage you to apply if you have a degree and interests in other areas of social sciences and humanities.
- We organise a lively programme of seminars and conferences and are home to affiliated research centres, such as the Birkbeck Centre for British Political Life, which run seminars, conferences and other events where some of the world's best scholars present their latest research.
- Our academic staff are international authorities in their respective fields, publishing and delivering stimulating teaching in a wide range of political topics including civil society and the state, public policy, development, gender, international security and terrorism, and social and political theory. Watch their recent online debate on the effects of COVID-19 on the global political economy.
- Students on this course will have the unique opportunity to take a joint module with political economy postgraduate students in other departments as part of the College-wide research partnership in this area within the Birkbeck Centre for Political Economy and Institutional Studies (CPEIS).
- Our location in central London puts us at the heart of the UK’s political life and at the centre of academic London. You can walk down to Parliament and Whitehall, while Bloomsbury contains some of the world’s most famous libraries and centres of research. Our departmental building was once a key location for members of the Bloomsbury Group, so you could be studying in rooms that have hosted distinguished visitors, including T.S. Eliot, George Bernard Shaw and Maynard Keynes.
- You can take advantage of the rich research collections nearby, including Senate House Library, the British Library and the British Library of Political and Economic Science at the London School of Economics. Birkbeck Library has a large politics collection, including the major specialist journals, and provides you with access to an extensive range of online materials.
Graduates can pursue career paths in international organisations, policy research, journalism, the diplomatic services, the voluntary sector, and economic or political forecasting. Possible professions include:
- Civil Service fast-streamer
- government social research officer
- diplomatic services operational officer
- researcher
- newspaper journalist
- politician’s assistant.
We offer a comprehensive careers service - Careers and Enterprise - your career partner during your time at Birkbeck and beyond. At every stage of your career journey, we empower you to take ownership of your future, helping you to make the connection between your experience, education and future ambitions.
Information for international students
If English is not your first language or you have not previously studied in English, our usual requirement is the equivalent of an International English Language Testing System (IELTS Academic Test) score of 6.5, with not less than 6.0 in each of the sub-tests.
If you don't meet the minimum IELTS requirement, we offer pre-sessional English courses and foundation programmes to help you improve your English language skills and get your place at Birkbeck.
Qualification, course duration and attendance options
- MSc
- full time12 months
- Campus-based learningis available for this qualification
- part time24 months
- Campus-based learningis available for this qualification
Course contact details
- Name
- Student Advice Service
- studentadvice@bbk.ac.uk
- Phone
- +44 (0)20 3907 0700