Master of Science in International Relations, Strategy and Security

The Programme is accredited by the Cyprus Agency of Quality Assurance and Accreditation in Higher Education (CYQAA)

The MSc in International Relations, Strategy, and Security aims at providing students with a broad assessment of contemporary international relations, with emphasis on strategy and security issues. It combines in-depth academic training in key concepts, theories, and case studies, alongside a structured process of engagement with contemporary debates and experience. It integrates theoretical approaches with the study of many cases and issues. It also explores the ways in which the line between the domestic and international is blurred by trade, financial, environmental, strategic, security, ideological, cultural, and ethical issues. Moreover, the Programme provides a strong theoretical and empirical understanding of the international security environment of the post-Cold War era, including the origins of conflicts and peace, the emergence of new security threats and the many different agencies involved in conflict prevention, peacekeeping and peacemaking today. Last but not least, the Programme identifies the ways state and non-state actors develop strategies in the international environment as far as security issues are concerned.

Graduates of the Programme are expected to have a thorough understanding of international political, security, and strategic issues, which will enable them to pursue careers in the diplomatic corps, in international organisations, in NGOs, as well as in both the public and the private sector as a senior policy and security advisors.

Advantages of the Programme

• The international prestige and recognition of Neapolis University Pafos.
• Excellent academic staff with strong expertise in the taught subjects.
• International collaborations with many Universities.
• The flexibility of distance learning.
• The use of advanced technology and resources.
• The dynamic choice between synchronous and asynchronous distance education.
• The adjustment of the Programme to current academic trends and market requirements.
• Competitive tuition fees.

Programme Structure

The duration of the Programme is 18 months.

Students have the opportunity to complete their postgraduate studies in twelve months as long as they start the conduction of their Master’s Dissertation during the first or second semester of their studies, including the summer period. In this case, the completion of the Master’s Dissertation may be prolonged during the summer period, for one or two months. In any case, the total ECTS remains 90.

For the successful completion of their studies, students need to sum up a total of 90 ECTS. In the 1st semester, students choose all four compulsory courses. In the 2nd semester, students choose all three compulsory courses and one of the three available elective courses. In order to successfully complete their studies and be awarded the MSc in International Relations, Strategy, and Security, students are also obliged to conduct a Master’s Dissertation.

1st semester

• DIRSS611 International Security and Strategic Studies
• DIRSS612 Strategy and Decision Making
• DIRSS621 Contemporary Issues in Global Politics
• DMETH600 Research Methodology

2nd semester

• DIRSS623 International Law and Security
• DIRSS624 Homeland Security
• DIS504 Information Security
• DIRSS622 Special Topics in the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East Security
• DIRSS625 Peacebuilding and Post-Conflict Reconstruction
• DMEP500 Foreign Policy, Security and Defense in the European Union

3rd semester

• DIRSS610 Dissertation

Teaching, Learning and Assessment Methods

Courses are delivered online through teleconferences. Teleconferences are accessed through a specially formulated pedagogical framework that promotes communication and interaction, with the main feature of the collaborative building of knowledge from a distance in real-time. From a technological point of view, there are the possibilities offered by the latest technology communication tools (Moodle, WizIQ), which allow the transfer of different types of information (image, audio, text) allowing a reliable and bi-directional connection between professors and students but also among students with each other. However, our main goal is to bring teleconferencing into a well-formed pedagogical framework that improves the communication and interaction environment between teachers and learners. Usually, teleconferences are held 6 times throughout the academic semester, every two weeks, starting from week 2 of the semester. Typically, each teleconference lasts two hours, reflecting the needs and the specificities of the course.

The interactivity and formative assessment form part of the learning and teaching methodology. 30% of the students’ final grade in each course corresponds to their performance in the midterm assessment which takes the form of written assignments, whereas 70% corresponds to their performance in the final written exams. In order to secure a passing grade in a course, students need to secure a passing grade (i.e. 50% or higher) in both the midterm assessment and the final exams.