Analyse key contemporary global societal challenges with a focus on their implications in areas like cybersecurity, counterterrorism, and peacekeeping.
This course allows you to explore key challenges that span global borders and communities and how to develop sustainable solutions to them.
You’ll examine the politics and policymaking of global powers, paying close attention to how their decisions and interactions impact the management and maintenance of political order.
This will deepen your understanding of the causes and consequences of major political issues, and equip you with the knowledge needed to address them effectively in a range of contexts.
Specialise in international security
This MSc International Relations with International Security pathway has been developed to equip you with the skills and knowledge to both identify and understand contemporary global security threats, as well as devise sustainable solutions to them.
These range from terrorism and transnational crime — including human and drug trafficking — through to territorial and sovereignty-based disputes.
You’ll explore the origins of conflicts and measures that have been put into place to bring about peace, gaining a deep understanding of previous successes and failures. You’ll then apply the lessons of the past to emerging security threats to critically assess the work of agencies and organisations engaged in modern conflict prevention and peacebuilding.
Upon successful completion of this course, you’ll have gained:
- in-depth and career-focused knowledge of how security threats influence policymaking, economic structures, and global diplomacy
- the ability to engage with communities and policymakers through effective advocacy
- a fundamental understanding of topics, such as global security and cybersecurity threats; changes of leadership and the emergence of new powers; and the evolving nature of international politics
- advanced research, analytical, and communication skills suitable for many roles in politics and policymaking, consulting, and policy advocacy
Choose a consultancy project
The consultancy project is an alternative to a dissertation. It’s your chance to work on a project with an external organisation, using the skills and knowledge you’ll gain during your studies.
Working alone or as part of a group, you’ll conduct appropriate research, analyse data (if necessary) and share your solution as a written report and presentation.
You will benefit from our well-established business connections across the field of international relations and related sectors, both in the UK and overseas.
Consultancy project numbers are limited each year. You’ll apply for a suitable project with one of our external partners and will receive support from us during this process. If a suitable project can’t be secured, you will complete a dissertation instead.
Find out more about consultancy projects
Learn from experts in the field
You’ll learn from experts in international relations, European and global politics, gender politics, international security, and foreign policy, as well as from academic staff across the wider Department of Politics, Languages and International Studies. Their passion, expertise, and research directly inform their teaching, enriching your learning experience.
Other pathways
You can also choose to study our standalone MSc International Relations degree, or one of three other specialist pathways.
Each specialist pathway allows you to complement your core international relations learning with units that focus on applying it to key topics and issues in your chosen area.
The standalone MSc International Relations degree gives you the freedom to select specialist units from any available pathway and build a more holistic degree.
You can change the pathway you study on this course. If you're considering switching, we recommend speaking with your Director of Studies. Transfer between the pathways is possible until the end of Semester 1, or within the first three weeks of Semester 1 if transferring to the MSc in International Relations with European Politics.
Please note that changing pathways is subject to approval by the course's Director of Studies, visa requirements (if applicable), and meeting the requirements for the pathway you intend to change to.
Graduate prospects
Studying this course provides an excellent grounding for careers in politics and policymaking, consulting, policy-advocacy and foreign affairs, within international organisations, multinational corporations, public bodies, NGOs and think tanks.
Graduates from our politics master’s degrees have gone on to successful careers in a wide range of organisations, including:
- Danish EU Research Liaison Office in Brussels, Belgium
- Enel Green Power North America Inc, USA (Director of External Relations and Communications)
- European Parliament, Spain
- World Energy Council in Berlin, Germany
Others have chosen to continue their careers in academia.