International Relations

Entry requirements

Please see our website.

Months of entry

September

Course content

The MA in International Relations is an interactive and engaging programme aimed at challenging preconceptions and making learning fun and practical.

There are numerous modules aimed at helping make sense of the interconnected world we live in while dealing with some of the most controversial topics of our time. You can complete an in-depth research-based dissertation or a placement in an appropriate organisation such as a government department, NGO or international organisation. This fosters a deeper understanding of the organizations that are involved in international relations as well as giving students an in depth look inside an organization which they may wish to work for in the future.

Upon completion of this course you’ll have a wide and nuanced understanding of the role international relations plays in everyday life. You will be able to analyse the public policies that make up the international field to apply theory to the real world of international relations.

Within the teaching team there is a wealth of expertise in Asia Pacific Studies and the team have frequently been called upon to advise the UK government on foreign policy with regard to North Korea, South Korea, China, Taiwan and Japan.

• The course introduces postgraduate level IR theory and its real-world applications through either international placement or dissertation.
• Dr. Lawrence, the course leader, is an internationally respected expert in terrorism and security. She often consults with government and regularly provides expert commentary to a variety of media outlets.
• Past students have taken international trips to Washington DC, New York, Germany, Prague, Cyprus, Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Taipei, Seoul, and Tokyo.

• The optional modules on the course allow you to focus on areas of particular interest, such as international legal policy, East Asian international relations or British foreign policy.
• We place great emphasis on student-centred learning, which involves you in becoming aware of, reflecting on and evaluating your own achievements
• Students are given the option of completing a placement instead of a dissertation, which will allow students to select and apply for placements with a wide variety of organisations in locations around the world.

Our teaching approach is primarily in a workshop style. That is, you will find that there are a lot of discussion and problem-solving activities, in which you are expected to take a full and active part. Occasionally, you may also be asked to prepare and lead parts of a class yourself, either individually or together with fellow-students.

Underlying this is our firm belief that active participation, questioning and debate is a better way of learning than a one-way mode communication based purely on transferring information.

Learning at this level is therefore not simply concerned with the passive acquisition of facts and information, but the development of critical thinking and analytical skills, both in terms of what you read and in relation to your own assumptions and practice.

Learning will also take place through assignments, simulations, group projects, and presentations. By the end of the programme, the essential skills we would like you to develop include self-motivation and autonomy, innovation and flexibility, critical analysis and evaluation, practical problem-solving and decision-making, reflection and self-analysis, planning and organising, interpersonal and team-working skills and an understanding of culture and cultural contexts.