School of Politics and International Relations

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MA in International Relations

One year full-time, two years part-time

  • After the Cold War, where is the world to look for international order?
  • Is there any prospect of international justice?
  • Can military intervention be humanitarian, and if so, under what conditions?
  • Has globalisation rendered nation states less relevant?
  • How has neo-liberalism affected world order?
  • What is/was the war on terror?
  • Is US hegemony in decline and (why) does this matter?
  • How will the current global economic crisis affect international order?
  • Is China a potential new hegemonic challenger?

If you are interested in at least some of these questions, and want to know more, then this is the programme for you. The MA in International Relations will be of particular interest to students looking for a course on contemporary global issues, such as international security, development and the North-South divide, and changing patterns on international order and disorder. The school has particular strengths in international security, conflict and war, human rights, the political economy of North-South relations, international political theory, Middle East politics, and the transition from the Cold War to the post-Cold War world. The programme will be of particular interest to those who either have, or want to develop careers in fields related to government, the voluntary sector, teaching, journalism, or indeed any career where advanced knowledge of international relations is an advantage. The programme will also be taught in such a way that your communication skills as well as academic ability will be further developed, thus furthering your employment opportunities.

There is an extensive list of optional modules designed to allow students to develop their expertise and apply theories and concepts within particular issue areas. The programme provides students with a set of analytical skills and knowledge that will allow them to think, talk and write critically about contemporary international issues, as well as a firm foundation for further study.

Programme content

The core module:

  • Theories of International Relations

This module provides a critical survey of the main theories associated with the study of international relations. The module is primarily concerned with the varying theoretical explanations for why things happen in international relations. 

As well as addressing analytical questions the module will also address the normative and political dimensions of theory. It will do this through discussing the general properties of IR theory and its evolution since the foundation of the discipline of International Relations after World War One, along with a focus on the significance of, and relations between states and non-state actors, and the impact of the international structures that constrain and direct the actions of these actors.

One module from the following options:

Two modules from the following options:

Please note the availability of option modules is confirmed at the start of the academic year.

Assessment

Assessment is by a mix of written coursework and unseen test, plus a dissertation of around 12,000-15,000 words.  

Entry requirements

A minimum of an upper-second class honours degree in Politics or a related discipline. International students should check the the suitability of their qualifications at the country specific information available on the College website or contact the International Office.

Further information

You can apply online using the Queen Mary's online application system, full guidance notes are provided.  If you require a paper-based application, please contact the Admissions Office who will send the form to you, please specify which programme you are applying for.

Please refer to the Queen Mary website for information about admissions, accommodation, entry requirements, English language requirements (see Arts General) and fees.

When applying it is essential you provide two recent academic references that comment on your suitability for the programme applied for, and degree transcript(s), which should list your marks for each module you have taken.

International students should check the the suitability of their qualifications at the country specific information available on the Queen Mary website or contact the International Office.

 

From 2010-11 there will be the J. Ann Tickner Prize for Best Master's Dissertation in International Relations. 

J. Ann Tickner graduated in 1959 from Westfield College, now Queen Mary, University of London and has gone on to become one of the world’s leading thinkers and teachers of International Relations. Professor of International Relations at the University of Southern California and Honorary PhD at the University of Uppsala, Tickner is a former President of the International Studies Association and recipient of many other awards and forms of international recognition. Through her numerous books, articles, chapters, and teaching she has been central to establishing the study of gender and feminist perspectives in International Relations.

The J. Ann Tickner Prize for the Best Masters Dissertation in International Relations recognizes Professor Tickner’s singular contribution and past association with the College. The award will be given annually to the outstanding dissertation irrespective of the topic.

 

For informal queries about the programme, please contact our Postgraduate Administrator; Tel: +44 (0)20 7882 8587.

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