Course summary

This fascinating course explores the discipline of international relations, from a theoretical and practical perspective and in the context of issues and events in contemporary politics and society. You will study eight modules covering a range of theoretical and empirical approaches to the study of international relations, including modules exploring the nature of diplomacy and the challenges facing the international system. Using case studies and actual events, you can explore the actions of governmental, inter-governmental and non-governmental agencies, private enterprise and international bodies in relation to key threats to international cohesion, such as terrorism, insecurity, poverty and human trafficking. You will have opportunities to gain insights into the motivations of policy-makers, as well as assessing the impact of these theats on individuals, communities and countries.  To attain the award of Master of Arts, you will be required to complete an extended dissertation examining in depth an area of the course that particularly interests you, based on research undertaken with the support of a dedicated supervisor. In the last year, students have researched Europe’s refugee crisis; celebrity diplomacy; the implications of drone technology for diplomacy; the relationship between Iran and Saudi Arabia; cyber diplomacy; and piracy off the coast of Nigeria. The relevance of course content is reinforced by our staff’s current involvement in professional organisations, such as the British International Studies Association (BISA), the Political Studies Association (PSA), the University Association for Contemporary European Studies, the African Studies Association of the UK (ASAUK) and the European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR). The School of Humanities maintains an outstanding network of professional contacts spanning diplomats and diplomacy specialists in a range of prestigious external organisations, both private and public. Our network includes Chatham House, the International Slavery Museum, the Royal African Society. These links are reflected in regular talks and events. Past examples include workshops facilitated by the assistant district attorney of Sicily; a senior anti-trafficking prosecutor from Nigeria; the CEO of the NHS Counter-Fraud Authority; a senior manager from the UK’s National Crime Agency and a forensic accountant from the Italian national police (talks and events are subject to availability).