14May
PostgraduateCourse summary
International relations examines relationships between countries and looks at, amongst other things, the roles of states, governmental and non-governmental organizations, academic and public policy fields, economics, international law and cultural studies. Royal Holloway’s MSc in International Relations gives you the opportunity to engage critically with the forces at play in various regions around the world. As such, you will be asked to explore issues affecting the world right now such as economic crises, EU fragmentation, mass migration and human rights. The core of the programme introduces key themes and approaches to the study of international politics, and then allows you to bring these to bear on social, economic, and political interactions of key actors in world politics. You will study a mixture of core units and elective options, including a generous choice of free options, and write a supervised dissertation over the summer. Option courses for the programme do vary from year to year, but normally include courses on US foreign policy, south Asian politics, EU foreign and security policy, media and war, and international law. Teaching is conducted primarily in small group seminars that meet weekly for two hours, supplemented by individual tuition for the dissertation. The Department of Politics and International Relations has a strong commitment to high quality, cutting-edge research which informs our teaching. We are a research community that draws on various methodological and theoretical approaches to the study of domestic, transnational, regional and global politics. This includes research into areas such as security, international diplomacy, international law, the use of military force, the European Union and the impact of new communication technology on politics, nationalism and migration. This course is also offered at Postgraduate Diploma level for those who do not have the academic background necessary to begin an advanced Masters degree. The structure of the Diploma is identical except that you will not write a dissertation. If you are successful on the Diploma you may transfer to the MSc, subject to academic approval.
Entry requirements
UK Upper Second Class Honours degree (2:1) or equivalent. Mature students with substantial work experience will also be considered. For non-native English speakers we require IELTS 6.5 overall with 7.0 in Writing and a minimum of 5.5 in all other sub-scores.
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
| Republic of Ireland | £14400 | Year 1 |
| EU | £26100 | Year 1 |
| England | £14400 | Year 1 |
| Northern Ireland | £14400 | Year 1 |
| Scotland | £14400 | Year 1 |
| Wales | £14400 | Year 1 |
| Channel Islands | £14400 | Year 1 |
| International | £26100 | Year 1 |
Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .
Additional fee information
These tuition fees apply to students enrolled on a full-time basis in the academic year 2025/26. Students studying on the standard part-time course structure over two years are charged 50% of the full-time applicable fee for each study year.
Royal Holloway reserves the right to increase all postgraduate tuition fees annually, based on the UK’s Retail Price Index (RPI). Please therefore be aware that tuition fees can rise during your degree (if longer than one year’s duration), and that this also means that the overall cost of studying the course part-time will be slightly higher than studying it full-time in one year.
This figure is the fee for EU and international students starting a degree in the academic year 2025/26. For further information, please visit: https://royalholloway.ac.uk/studying-here/fees-and-funding/postgraduate/tuition-fees/
These estimated costs relate to studying this particular degree at Royal Holloway during the 2025/26 academic year, and are included as a guide. Costs, such as accommodation, food, books and other learning materials and printing, have not been included.
Provider information
Royal Holloway, University of London
Egham
TW20 0EX