Applied Security and Strategy

Entry requirements

We recognise that many professionals in defence and security, such as those in the Armed Forces, entered their careers without a first degree.

We welcome applications from individuals without a degree who can demonstrate to the Programme Director through their application that they have the requisite experience and academic capability to thrive on the programme.

You should use your Personal Statement to provide additional information such as:

• Why you want to study this course at the University of Exeter.
• What personal qualities make you suitable for postgraduate study.
• Any relevant background (work experience or academic attainment).
• Career/future ambitions and how the course will help you achieve them.
• The Programme Director (see above) welcomes pre-application conversations

Months of entry

September

Course content

• Engage with real-world scenarios through interactive workshops, a field trip, and a simulated exercise to enhance practical skills.
• Learn to think critically and strategically to tackle emerging security challenges in an increasingly unstable world.
• Our core module Applied Strategy in the Contemporary World (POLM233) combines theoretical knowledge with practical tools to develop strategic expertise, making it invaluable for roles requiring fast-paced, high-level analysis and decision-making in the public and private sectors.
• Choose from optional modules aligned with your career aspirations, including global security, AI and emerging technologies, and decision-making.
• Complete a traditional dissertation or focus on a work-related project with a reflective learning portfolio.
• Study with experts addressing contemporary threats like great power competition, regional conflicts, and technological disruptions.
• Participate in weekly seminars led by leaders from the Strategy and Security Institute’s extensive network of honorary fellows.
• The course is available for full-time or part-time study, with classes timetabled to ensure maximum convenience for those in employment. It will be taught mid-week over two days.
• Join a community of students who go on to successful careers in government, defence, intelligence, and beyond.

Why study the MStrat?

We live in an increasingly unstable and uncertain world. Great power competition is rising. The war in Ukraine continues; the Hamas-Israel War in Gaza threatens to spread into a wider regional war. Tensions in the Indo-Pacific are increasing. Mass migration, environmental crisis, and AI compound the dangers. With the election of President Trump, many institutional certainties about the Transatlantic Relation, NATO, and other international organisations may be in doubt. New strategies and new thinking are required.

Successful professionals today working in the security, defence, and intelligence sectors, in government departments, or in the private sector, in tech or business, need to understand and navigate the complex 21st century geopolitical security environment. The MA in Applied Security and Strategy (MStrat) enables just that.

The MStrat was first developed in 2012 under the University of Exeter’s Strategy and Security Institute. Uniquely, the MStrat aimed to help students to dissect strategic problems and to be able to respond to them adeptly. It enabled them as practitioners and leaders to perform better and to advance their careers. The new MStrat, launched for September 2025 entry, stays true to this vision.

Information for international students

International students need to show they have the required level of English language to study this course. The required test scores for this course fall under Profile B3. Please visit our English language requirements page to view the required test scores and equivalencies from your country.

Fees and funding

The University of Exeter has many different scholarships available to support your education, including £5 million in scholarships for international students applying to study with us in the 2025/26 academic year, such as our Exeter Excellence Scholarships*.

For more information on scholarships and other financial support, please visit our scholarships and bursaries page.

Please also see our guidance on essential documentation required for an initial decision on taught programme applications.