Conflict and International Security

Analyse contemporary issues of war, conflict and security in the context of politics within and between societies.

You’ll gain a grounding in the study of organised violence and an appreciation of the challenges faced by politicians and military personnel. Learn to think critically about a wide range of political ideas, institutions and events and how they relate to issues of security and conflict. You can also choose to apply your academic knowledge in a practical way with a work placement project.

Our MA Conflict and International Security course is designed to build on a wide range of student backgrounds and experience.

Learn from our experts

Hear and engage with a variety of perspectives and ideas on diverse topics within politics and international relations.

Staff in our Department of Politics and International Relations are directly engaged with contemporary issues in UN, UK, EU and American politics. They have written on, or given media statements regarding:

• the war in Ukraine
• ISIS fighters
• the politics of the UN
• political settlements after war
• proxy wars.

Members of our team provide policy advice to governments and international organisations around the world.

Recognised for research quality

97% of our research outputs are rated ‘world leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’, meaning that the University of Reading is 6th highest in the UK for research outputs (Times Higher Education analysis of the latest REF 2021 – Politics and International Studies, when scoring by GPA Output).