International Relations MSc

The MSc is offered full-time over 12 months.

The programme consists of 180 credits, including:

• individual courses, typically worth 20 credits each
• the dissertation, worth 60 credits (one-third of the final grade)

Courses

You will take two compulsory courses:

• International Relations Theory
• either International Security or International Political Economy

You will also take four optional courses from the range available. While available options can change every year, in recent years the programme has included courses on:

• foreign policy analysis
• the regional affairs of the Asia Pacific
• political contestation in the Middle East
• European foreign and security policy
• the global environment and climate change
• the importance of gender to the study of global affairs
• international development

With the agreement of the Programme Director, you may select optional courses from elsewhere within the University. Full-time students in particular are generally discouraged from taking language courses alongside this programme, even if not for credit, because of this programme's intensive nature.   

Dissertation

You will undertake an independently researched dissertation. The dissertation is an extended piece of written work of a maximum 15,000 words on a topic largely of your choosing. You will be assigned a supervisor for your dissertation.

The dissertation is the most advanced element of the degree, and requires you to progress from structured coursework study to independent study. You will need to demonstrate the ability to engage critically and analytically with the literature, building upon relevant concepts and theory covered in the taught element of the degree.

The dissertation is normally made up of a balance of empirical and theoretical work, however, you are not required to conduct primary field research. 

Dissertation topics

Examples of dissertation topics from previous years in related programmes include: 

• International Security 
• Comparative Regionalism 
• Modern Peacekeeping 
• Middle Eastern Politics 
• African Foreign Policy 
• EU Environmental Politics 
• Humanitarian Intervention 
• International Terrorism 
• Gender Politics 
• American Foreign Policy 
• Cosmopolitanism 
• International Trade 
• European Security and Defence Policy 
• Enlargement of the European Union 
• Turkish membership of the EU 

Find out more about compulsory and optional courses

We link to the latest information available. Please note that this may be for a previous academic year and should be considered indicative.

By the end of the programme you will:

• know and understand core explanatory theories, concepts, institutions and issues in the study of international relations
• have specialist in-depth knowledge of specific areas and issues in international relations
• know key contemporary debates in existing academic literature in journals and books on international relations
• be able to analyse and evaluate competing theoretical paradigms in the explanation and judgment of international relations
• be able to apply explanatory models to analyse and understand specific developments within international relations
• be able to draw on a variety of disciplinary paradigms in the understanding of international relations

The wide-ranging nature of the programme means that it can help to prepare students for careers in numerous fields, such as:

• regional, national and international government institutions
• political parties
• development/international aid organisations
• educational, research and think-tank organisations
• national and international non-governmental organisations (NGOs)
• media and public relations
• charity and the third sector
• advocacy and lobbying
• policy risk analysis
• diplomacy and international law services

Graduates of the programme can also pursue further study. You can use the MSc degree as a stepping stone towards a PhD in International Relations or related fields such as Political Science, International Political Economy, Security Studies, etc.

The programme also helps students to develop transferable skills, including the ability to:

• conduct independent research
• synthesise and critically analyse complex material
• communicate via oral and written channels at an enhanced level

These entry requirements are for the 2025/26 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2026/27 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2025.

A UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent, in politics, international relations, or the social sciences.

We may also consider your application if you have a different background but have taken courses relevant to the programme.

Entrance to this programme is strongly competitive. You can increase your chances of a successful application by exceeding the minimum programme requirements.

Please review the important points to note on the programme website:

• Important points to note when applying for this programme

Students from China

This degree is Band C.

• Postgraduate entry requirements for students from China

International qualifications

Check whether your international qualifications meet our general entry requirements:

• Entry requirements by country

English language requirements

Regardless of your nationality or country of residence, you must demonstrate a level of English language competency which will enable you to succeed in your studies.

English language tests

We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:

• IELTS Academic: total 7.0 with at least 6.0 in each component. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
• TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 100 with at least 20 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
• C1 Advanced (CAE) / C2 Proficiency (CPE): total 185 with at least 169 in each component.
• Trinity ISE: ISE III with passes in all four components.
• PTE Academic: total 73 with at least 59 in each component. We do not accept PTE Academic Online.
• Oxford ELLT: 8 overall with at least 6 in each component.

Your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of the programme you are applying to study, unless you are using IELTS, TOEFL, Trinity ISE or PTE, in which case it must be no more than two years old.

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We also accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration:

• UKVI list of majority English speaking countries

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English speaking countries (non-MESC).

• Approved universities in non-MESC

If you are not a national of a majority English speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old at the beginning of your programme of study.

Find out more about our language requirements:

• English language requirements

Application fee

A non-refundable application fee of £50 must be paid after you submit your application. Your application will not be processed until we have received your application fee.

• Application fee information

Living costs

You will be responsible for covering living costs for the duration of your studies.

Tuition fees

Funding for postgraduate study is different to undergraduate study, and many students need to combine funding sources to pay for their studies.

Most students use a combination of the following funding to pay their tuition fees and living costs:

• borrowing money
  • taking out a loan
  • family support
• personal savings
• income from work
• employer sponsorship
• scholarships

Explore sources of funding for postgraduate study

UK government postgraduate loans

If you live in the UK, you may be able to apply for a postgraduate loan from one of the UK’s governments.

The type and amount of financial support you are eligible for will depend on:

• your programme
• the duration of your studies
• your residency status.

Programmes studied on a part-time intermittent basis are not eligible.

• UK government and other external funding

Other funding opportunities

Search for scholarships and funding opportunities:

• Search for funding