Online MA in International Relations
London, United Kingdom
DURATION
2 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
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EARLIEST START DATE
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TUITION FEES
GBP 13,295 *
STUDY FORMAT
Distance Learning
* including dissertation
Scholarships
Explore scholarship opportunities to help fund your studies
Introduction
This programme can be studied part-time as MA, Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) or Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert). The PGDip and PGCert are shorter taught versions of the master's programme. They don’t require a dissertation but provide you with masters-level content.
Why study International Relations?
- What are the main characteristics of the international order?
- How has globalisation changed international relations?
- To what extent is the international order based on conflict or cooperation?
- How is the global financial crisis affecting international politics?
- Do foreign military interventions in civil wars help or hinder peace-making?
- Why are economic resources so unevenly spread across the world, and what are the prospects for global justice?
If you are interested in these questions and are excited at the prospect of exploring them with like-minded individuals, but your circumstances or commitments make it difficult for you to attend university, then our online International Relations MA is for you.
The programme offers challenging and thought-provoking modules to help you formulate your answers and a lively, intelligent group of students and academics with which to debate and exchange ideas.
What to expect
Want to know more? Here’s a brief summary of what you can expect if you decide to study with Queen Mary Online:
- Modules taught by academics at the cutting-edge of their fields, involved in contributing to the international understanding of the subject.
- Opportunities to develop the skills and knowledge to think, talk and write critically about contemporary international challenges.
- A firm foundation for further study.
- Focus on traditional and current challenges in international relations in conjunction with emerging areas of interest in the developing world.
- Discussions on the historical significance of globalisation and how it relates to a number of key issues in international relations.
- The diversity of our staff and students makes Queen Mary a great place to study international relations.
The School of Politics and International Relations
Committed to developing, maintaining and supporting excellent and innovative teaching and research amongst its faculty, the School fosters independent learning and critical thinking among our students. It has particular strengths in:
- International security
- Conflict and war
- The political economy of North-South relations
- International political theory
- Middle East politics
- The transition from the Cold War to the contemporary post-Cold War world
- Migration and transnational mobility
Gallery
Career Opportunities
Graduates from our programmes progress to diverse positions of responsibility in government, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), international organisations and the not-for-profit sector as well as broader roles in the media and finance sector. They also go on to careers in academia and our programmes help students develop the required research skills.
The combination of theoretical understanding, rigorous debate, independent research, self-reflection and critical evaluation make graduates from the School of Politics and International Relations very attractive to a range of prospective employers.
To make it more concrete, here are a few examples of where our students have been employed:
- International Monetary Fund (IMF)
- Moody's
- International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Society
- Volkswagen
- Alliance for Peacebuilding
- United Nations – Perú
You’ll also have access to QM Careers, helping you throughout your time as a QMUL student. You’ll be able to access advice on career choices and on how to maximise the career opportunities available to you. The QM Careers office also provides a service for internships, part-time work, and volunteering while you study.
Curriculum
Structure
Our online International Relations MA is offered on a part-time basis over the duration of two years. During that time, you will undertake four taught modules and a 12,000-word dissertation.
For each module, you will be awarded 30 credits each and you will receive a further 60 credits for your dissertation. In order to graduate you must have accrued the full 180 credits, which involves completing every aspect of the modules and passing all relevant assignments.
Modules
- Contemporary World Politics: Theories, Concepts, Themes
- International Security: War and Peace in a Global Context
- Themes and Cases in US Foreign Policy
- Globalisation and the International Political Economy of Development
- Dissertation
Assessment
As a student at Queen Mary Online, we ask you to play an active role in your acquisition of skills and knowledge. We use a mixture of online tutorials, discussion forums and group webinars designed to generate informed discussion around set topics.
"I enjoy the mix of different types of information-delivery and activities, such as the reading exercises, lectures, webinars and commentary from experts. I have also found the reading lists very useful for providing a broader view of topics covered in each lecture."
International Relations MA student, Queen Mary Online
Assessment for the International Relations programme is by coursework only. The module leaders will set assessments appropriate to the content of their module which will usually take the form of a research essay or critical evaluation. They will also be available to advise and support you throughout the course.
The final dissertation will involve more in-depth study and independent research on a topic agreed with your supervisor. Past topics of dissertations included:
- The global financial crisis: a failure of governments or markets?
- Is the UN fit to prevent genocide?
- Is China a good trade partner for Latin America?
- From Actions to Policy: A Theoretical Shift in U.S. Counterinsurgency Security Operations during the War on Terror in Iraq
- Is China Challenging US Economic Hegemony?
- Tackling cultures of immunity: how can the United Nations effectively address the practice of sexual abuse and exploitation by military peacekeeping forces?
- Militarizing Egypt’s Policymaking arena: The Army between Socialism and Neoliberalism
- Postcolonial President? Barack Obama and Humanitarian Intervention
- Globalisation, Inequality and Underdevelopment: The Myth of Economic Convergence
Independent study
At Queen Mary Online, we take your studies seriously and in return, we hope you will do the same. Each week you will need to invest additional time in individual study. This could be spent preparing for, or following up on formal study sessions; reading; producing written work; completing projects; and undertaking research for your dissertation.
The direction of your individual study will be guided by the formal study sessions you attend, along with your reading lists and assignments. We expect you to demonstrate an active role in your own learning by reading widely and expanding your knowledge, understanding and critical ability.
Independent study helps foster the ability to identify your own learning needs and determine which areas you need to focus on to become proficient in your subject area. This is an important transferable skill and will help you throughout your working life.