Diplomacy and International Relations

Entry requirements

The expected entry requirement for the programme is a 2:2 undergraduate degree in any subject.

Additional requirement information

Applicants without a degree, but with relevant work experience, for example as a government official or an employee in an international organisation, or applicants with other relevant work experience, such as journalism or in NGOs, will also be considered.

Months of entry

September

Course content

Why study Diplomacy and International Relations

Diplomacy has traditionally been understood as the way in which officials pursue their country’s foreign policy. However, in the contemporary fast-changing world in which the current international rulebook and institutions are under intense pressure, diplomacy has come to have a far broader application.

Officials working for the United Nations and other international bodies, such as the European Union, conduct diplomacy. So too do staff at major non-governmental bodies and charities, and unconventional forms of diplomacy by groups such as Independent Diplomat are on the rise. Even businesses now use diplomacy to advance their goals on the international stage.

As well as learning about diplomatic history and theory, you will also develop practical diplomatic skills, such as preparing briefing papers, policy documents and speeches. This will be complemented with the intellectual rigour associated with a study of International Relations, and its different tools for understanding the changing world of international affairs.

You will also have the chance to interact with senior diplomats and benefit from the excellent range of diplomatic missions and international organisations located in the British capital.

Why St Mary's

This postgraduate degree builds on our proven expertise in the fields of diplomacy and international relations.

Prof John Charmley is one of Britain’s leading diplomatic historians and has written extensively on Churchill and the End of Empire. Prof Glenn Richardson is an authority on England’s relations with Europe in the Tudor period and Dr Claire Norton has written on Ottoman diplomacy.

The course is designed and delivered by senior figures with hands-on experience of diplomacy at the very highest levels. Prof Francis Campbell, Vice-Chancellor of St Mary’s University, served as policy advisor and private secretary to the Prime Minister, and has worked as an ambassador and head of the policy unit at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Visiting professors include Sir Ivor Roberts and Ambassador Noel Fahey. Sir Ivor Roberts served as British Ambassador to Italy, Yugoslavia and Ireland and is also the editor of recent editions of Satow’s Diplomatic Practice (widely regarded as the most authoritative diplomatic handbook). Ambassador Noel Fahey served as Ireland’s ambassador to Germany, the United States and the Holy See.

The course also includes contributions from other senior diplomats and figures from the worlds of foreign policy and international politics.

Information for international students

International requirements

International students should check our country-specific pages for equivalents. If English is not your first language you will need to achieve an IELTS score of 6.5 overall with no less than 6.0 in any section (or equivalent).

We now accept IELTS Indicator test results as proof of your English language level.