International Relations and Diplomacy

Entry requirements

IELTS: 6.5 overall with no element less than 5.5 (or equivalent)

Normally a good undergraduate honours degree (high 2.2 level or above), or equivalent from a university outside the UK. All of our programmes are appropriate for students from any discipline, although a social science, arts, business or humanities background would be of value. Relevant work experience may also be taken into account.

Pre-sessional English language programme

If you need to improve your English language score, you can take a pre-sessional English course prior to entry onto your degree.

• Find out the English language requirements for our courses and our pre-sessional English programme

Months of entry

September

Course content

Gain an appreciation of the complex and contested nature of international politics and diplomatic interactions.

On our MA International Relations and Diplomacy course, you’ll learn how to think critically about various political institutions, actors, ideas and events. This will enable you to apply theories to a range of empirical cases from around the world.

You'll examine diverse approaches, questioning your viewpoints to understand the significance of culture within the subject. You’ll also gain an understanding of current problems faced by policymakers in government departments, international organisations and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

Recognised for research quality

Our academics in the Department of Politics and International Relations regularly feature in academic literature and the media, offering their expertise on current issues. Learn more about how we engage in real-world politics.

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).

Fees and funding