International Relations

Entry requirements

You must hold a UK honours degree or equivalent to be accepted for the MA in International Relations. A degree in International Relations, International Studies or a closely related subject would be ideal. If your degree is not in International Relations, you will be required to show some knowledge of the subject and the study skills expected of a graduate in this field. You should be aware that a degree of at least 2.1 or equivalent will greatly increase your chances of successfully completing the MA.

Your spoken and written English must be of an adequate standard for postgraduate study. If English is not your first language, we recommend that you will need a minimum score of 6.5 under the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Please see the IELTS website for details. If you’re not sure whether your English skills are good enough, there is some help and guidance at our Skills for OU Study website.

Months of entry

September

Course content

This masters degree will equip you with the tools to understand and analyse a range of contemporary global issues. You’ll look at real-world challenges, including international division, rising powers, national and global security threats, the rise of populism, and worldwide ethical dilemmas. This will give you a comprehensive grounding in core conceptual, empirical and theoretical debates in international relations. Both mainstream and critical approaches are used in covering a range of practical cases and perspectives from around the world. In addition, you'll deepen a number of skills that are crucial to enhancing your career development and research ability.

Fees and funding

For more information about fees and funding, please visit The Open University website.