Masters Degrees (Geopolitics)

This course features distinctive contributions from critical international politics and human geography. It focuses on the key theories, approaches and thinkers in the study of geopolitics. It gives you insight into the political dynamics, consequences and discourses of contemporary geopolitics and how to think critically about these important political currents.

Taught by internationally renowned researchers, you will develop:
-Advanced knowledge and understanding in areas such as: contemporary critical geopolitics; international relations theory; international and regional studies politics topics; human geography
-Knowledge of methods in social science research and the techniques required to carry out advanced research
-Theoretical and practical research skills, including the synthesis of materials from a variety of primary and secondary sources

Our rigorous training in critical geopolitics, and research training in theories and approaches in the study of politics make this course a strong basis for a career with significant international dimensions or the pursuit of a postgraduate research degree in critical geopolitical studies.

We have a student-run Politics Postgraduate Society which brings together MA and PhD students to organise academic and social events. The Society runs:
-Professional development seminars, led by academic staff
-Seminars delivered by fellow postgraduates
-Round-table discussions with staff and visitors
-The 'New Voices' seminar series, for exciting young external speakers
-A weekly film night during term time

Facilities

You will enjoy the benefit of most teaching taking place in the Politics building with the Robinson Library next door. This space includes a dedicated postgraduate computer room and a postgraduate common room.

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Both geopolitics and security are defining issues of our era. As a global community, we face unprecedented challenges relating to environmental catastrophe, resource shortages, economic meltdown, terrorism and infrastructural failure. We need to understand the conditions that make our daily lives vulnerable and to develop strategies to manage risk and mitigate the impact of crisis, whilst also fostering critical reflections on those very strategies and techniques which seek to keep us secure.

This course combines thematic elements which theorise geopolitics and security with specialist options, which allow you to follow your own interests, alongside a dissertation, which can be strongly connected to work-related/future career interests. Multiple methods of assessment and diverse research methods encourage skills development and employability. We will encourage students to network with relevant organizations and institutions, building on staff expertise and experience.

The course is designed for both ambitious young graduates and experienced professionals working in commercial or political organisations such as banking, energy, media, think tanks, NGOs and government, where risk (management), threat and insecurity are critical to strategic policy development.

See the website https://www.royalholloway.ac.uk/geography/coursefinder/mscgeopoliticsandsecurity.aspx

Why choose this course?

- The Departments of Geography and Politics and International Relations are top-ranked research-led departments.

- The course is taught by world-class scholars and informed by cutting-edge research and experience outside the academy.

- The course offers an advanced grounding in geopolitics and security while allowing you to specialize in issues and themes of interest to you.

- There is a strong emphasis on skills development especially communication.

- Highly focused on employability – invited outside speakers will provide networking opportunities.

Department research and industry highlights

- Leading researchers and research groups (e.g. Politics, Development and Sustainability Group in Geography) with established track record in grant awards (e.g. from the ESRC, AHRC, Leverhulme Trust, EPSRC, British Academy, British Council, Falkland Island Government and the EU Marie-Curie fund).

- External networking and public engagement (e.g. working with UK government departments including MOD (British Antarctic Survey); Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Civil Contingencies Secretariat; the Parliamentary Office for Science and Technology and the Canada-UK Colloquium.

- Networking and Knowledge Transfer (e.g. collaborative postgraduate projects with major institutions such as the British Library, Science Museum and Royal Geographical Society). We have also worked closely with the BBC and its world service contributing to programme development and televised broadcasting.

- Ongoing collaboration with leading think-tanks such as Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) and Chatham House.

On completion of the course graduates will have:

- A sophisticated knowledge and critical understanding of geopolitics and security including core debates, and case studies.

- A detailed appreciation of methods and sources used to investigate geopolitical and security related issues and themes

- High-level skills development especially in communication (including social media), report writing, briefing papers, political debate and critical thinking

- Opportunities to enhance employability through practical experience and exposure to relevant individuals and organizations in the geopolitical/security-related field

Assessment

Formal and informal assessment is carried out by a variety of methods including coursework, oral and group work presentations, policy, briefing and media reports, video and documentary production, and a dissertation. Field visits to important sites and organisations, including RUSI, will also be available, supporting collegial interaction between students and staff. Emphasis is placed on informal assessment (especially through group work) so that students have plenty of opportunities to receive formative support and guidance.

Employability & career opportunities

Geography and PIR graduates are highly employable and, in recent years, have entered many careers including working in government, media, non-governmental organizations and public organizations both in the UK and the wider world. This new course is intended for both experienced professionals seeking further academic training/reflection and also younger graduates eager to gain further skills development and relevant experience through study. Assessment and presentation opportunities as well as strategic field visits will help develop these skills, while a programme of external speakers will provide insight into the field. There will also be the potential for internships and work placements. The course will act as an ideal stepping-stone for PhD progression should this be chosen as a career pathway.

How to apply

Applications for entry to all our full-time postgraduate degrees can be made online https://www.royalholloway.ac.uk/studyhere/postgraduate/applying/howtoapply.aspx .

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The Geopolitics, Territory & Security MA is a unique multidisciplinary course that focuses on the territorial aspect of inter-state relations. You will explore geopolitical and political geographic analysis – contextualised within the wider social sciences – and the relevant aspects of international law to understand the creation and maintenance of international boundaries, borders at various scales and the factors driving contemporary territorial disputes. 

Key benefits

• Learn from established academic authorities on borders, boundaries and territorial questions from a variety of multidisciplinary perspectives. Also learn from leading legal practitioners and technicians in international boundary dispute resolution, including from Eversheds (Paris), Latham and Watkins and Volterra Fietta.
• Makes extensive use of London’s vast collection of resources for researching historical and contemporary aspects of international boundary questions and territorial disputes.
• Excellent access to the National Archives and British Library.
• Flexibility for researching an extensive range of regional issues, with students granted considerable autonomy in developing the focus of their coursework.

Description

The Geopolitics, Territory & Security MA is a specialised master’s course, concentrating on the territorial element of inter-state relations. International (legal and technical) experts as well as recognised scholars will provide you with a clear theoretical and historical foundation in the principal study concepts relating to territory and international boundaries. The course will introduce you to legal, technical and practical factors of the creation and maintenance of international boundaries on land and sea, as well as offering valuable insights into the processes involved in resolving border and territorial disputes. The course engages with how academic disciplines have evolved to cover territorial questions, including the latest vogue critical lenses. It also focuses on how processes play out at the regional level, including a concentration on the Middle East and North Africa.

The study course is made up of optional and required modules. You will be required to obtain the minimum of 180 credits for the course. If you are studying full-time, you will complete the course in one year, from September to September.

If you are studying part-time, your course will take two years to complete and you will take a combination of required and optional modules over this period of time, with the dissertation in your second year.

Course purpose

For those seeking: an advanced appreciation of territorial geopolitics (from classical to critical); a theoretical and historical grounding in the principal concepts involved in territorial and international boundary studies; a practical application of these views and approaches to developing real-world situations. The course is particularly suitable for social science students with an international interest, government and foreign service personnel, lawyers, military and strategic researchers.

Course format and assessment

Teaching

We will teach you through a combination of lectures and seminars, and you will typically have 20 hours of this per module. We also expect you to undertake 180 hours of independent study for each module. For your 12,000 word dissertation, we will provide four workshops and five hours of one-to-one supervision to complement your 587 hours of independent study. Typically, one credit equates to 10 hours of work.

Assessment

Performance on taught modules in the Geography Department is normally assessed through essays and other written assignments, oral presentations, lab work and occasionally by examination, depending on the modules selected. All students also undertake a research-based dissertation of 12,000 words.

Career prospects

Graduates from this course have gone on to occupy senior management positions in government agencies and international consultancies. Many have also gained employment with NGOs involved in dispute resolution, international law firms, government ministries, oil companies, departments of the United Nations and the European Union.

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The world is undergoing significant strategic and geopolitical redefinition. Several major powers have been developing doctrines aligned with their wider strategic objectives in the 21st century.

You’ll investigate the relationships of the major states within the international system, with a focus on:
-The historical evolution and current revival of the concept of geopolitics including energy security, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the war on terrorism, and democracy promotion
-Grand strategies including the foreign policy of the US, the re-emergence of Russia and the rise of China
-Key regional dynamics including the Middle East, European security, international security in south and east Asia, and geopolitical rivalries in Africa

How will I study?

You take taught modules and options. You may also do a research placement. You will be assessed by term papers. You also write a supervised 10,000-word dissertation.

Field trip

This course offers an optional field trip to Brussels, Belgium or Geneva, Switzerland.

Scholarships

Our aim is to ensure that every student who wants to study with us is able to despite financial barriers, so that we continue to attract talented and unique individuals.

Chancellor's International Scholarship (2017)
-25 scholarships of a 50% tuition fee waiver
-Application deadline: 1 May 2017

ESRC 1+3 and +3 Scholarships (2017)
-A number of ESRC-funded standalone PhD and PhD with Masters scholarships across the social sciences
-Application deadline: 30 January 2017

HESPAL Scholarship (Higher Education Scholarships Scheme for the Palestinian Territories) (2017)
-Two full fee waivers in conjuction with maintenance support from the British Council
-Application deadline: 1 January 2017

USA Friends Scholarships (2017)
-A scholarship of an amount equivalent to $10,000 for nationals or residents of the USA on a one year taught Masters degree course
-Application deadline: 3 April 2017

Careers

This MA is ideal for you if you wish to pursue a career in the analysis of current international affairs as policy advisers, journalists, researchers, and global and country risk analysts in the security and private sector.

Our graduates have gone on to work in:
-Government foreign, defence and development ministries
-International media
-Journalism
-Academia
-Think tanks and research institutes such as IISS and RUSI

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At the School of Geography, Politics and Sociology, we conduct research and offer MPhil supervision in all major fields of politics, including: international and global politics, governance and political organisations, and political theory.

We can offer you excellent supervision for your Politics MPhil, in a vibrant and supportive research environment.

We have a Politics Postgraduate Society, which organises:
-The 'New Voices' seminar series, with both internal and external presenters
-Round table discussions on topical issues
-Professional development workshops led by politics staff

You are encouraged to attend conferences to present papers, partial funding for this is available from the School.

Our main research themes are:

The politics of difference

We examine the issues thrown up by the social and political differences of humanity from a variety of perspectives including: analytical and continental political philosophy; comparative politics and international politics; post-colonialism. Our work includes research on:
-Multiculturalism and issues of identity
-Inequality and social justice
-Disability
-Competing discourses of national identity
-Ethnic-nationalism
-Political violence
-Socio-political exclusion and discrimination
-Global norms and cultural difference
-Free speech - toleration and recognition

Popular culture and political communication

Our research addresses various key issues including:
-Representation
-Aesthetics
-Identity
-Cultural political economy
-Memory
-Control

We also assess the processes and depiction of political struggles, such as:
-Armed conflict
-Everyday life
-Political organising and identity formation
-Elections

Political participation and elections

We examine the differing forms of political participation that link society to the political systems of the world. We look at both the formal electoral process and non-electoral politics (social movements, protest groups etc). Our research on the emergence of virtual political participation means that some of our work intersects with popular culture and political communication. We investigate:
-Citizen involvement and (dis)engagement
-Social capital
-Non-participation
-The role of civil society

Political ideologies and political thought

We focus on the history of political thought as well as how these ideas are embedded in programmes for political action. Our research incorporates both historical and contemporary political thought prominent in the Western tradition as well as Asian philosophy and post-colonial thinking. This is an interdisciplinary theme, serving as a bridge between empirical political science and political theory.

Global economic and environmental challenges

We study the importance of political ideas such as sustainable development and globalisation, as well as the struggle to define the core problems that society faces. These challenges pose questions to the nature and reform of global governance, and generate tensions between the state and transnationalising forces in global politics and political economy. Our work has already led to findings on:
-The implications for global justice
-The policy challenge for governments and non-governmental actors
-The empowerment of various actors

Democracy, the modern state and political organisations

Our work examines the role of interest groups, social movements, political parties, third-sector actors and charities, community organisations and postcolonial nationalism in relation to the modern state. We draw from ancient and modern political thought to understand the interpretation of democracy (including democratic rights and the foundations of democracy). Our research interrogates the forms democracy takes, including:
-Elite theories of democracy
-Deliberative democracy
-Cosmopolitan democracy
-Democracy in divided societies

Political economy of development

Our research focuses on the interaction of economic forces and principles with political power in the development of societal economics and welfare, as well as on theories of development and post-development. We cover a range of geographic areas in Africa, the Americas, Europe and Asia. We explore questions such as:
-The impact of the ongoing financial and economic crisis
-The role of communities and individuals in the face of global political economic forces
-The impact of the emerging economies (for example Brazil and China) on the global political economy

Critical geopolitics and security

Our research focuses on thinking critically about the political dynamics, consequences and discourses of historical and contemporary geopolitics. We cover both historical and contemporary questions of security, including:
-The territorialisation/de-territorialisation of identity and political agency
-Political cartography
-The role of fear and identity in shaping geopolitics
-Sovereignty and nationalism - the role and impact of the military
-Notions of terrorism and the war on terror
-The geographies of international boundaries
-The war on the trade in illegal substances
-The city and security
-The threat of biological weapons and infectious disease
-The vertical dimension in geopolitical and security studies
-Visual culture and world politics
-Technologies and architectures of security and insecurity
-The human body and security

Theory of international relations

We take an active role in the global debate on the units, actors and structures that shape the dynamics of international politics. Our research covers the political consequences of the constitution of the international as a distinct kind of relation. We examine political concepts including:
-The world system
-International diplomacy
-Networks
-Notions of empire
-Regional integration
-Non-governmental actors
-The (nation) state

Governance in Britain and wider Europe

Our research investigates the dynamics driving public policy-making at national, EU and international levels. We focus on the challenges multi-level governance offers for concerns about legitimacy and accountability. This includes the changing relationship between the governing and the governed over matters of politics and policy. Our geographic scope includes the United Kingdom, Western Europe, Eastern Europe and Russia, and the Mediterranean

Global justice and human rights

Our work in political philosophy reflects the increasing need to tackle issues at a global rather than a state-only level. We cover issues such as:
-The formulation and justification of human rights
-The competing claims of relativism, particularism, and cultural diversity
-The extension of ideas of distributive justice from states to humanity as a whole
-Proposals to secure global democracy
-The application of just war theory to modern conflicts and to humanitarian intervention
-Environmental justice, especially climate change

We tackle questions of justice from an issue perspective as well as surveys of nationalism, statism, and various non-cosmopolitan theories of global justice.

Political research and methods

We conduct qualitative and quantitative research reflecting both empirical and critical political methodologies. We use quantitative methods, including rational choice theory and experiments, to make sense of topics as diverse as party systems and transitional justice. Our aim is to push innovation in research methods in ethnography, hermeneutics and discourse analysis. We use concepts that challenge traditional notions of politics to investigate methods for research into new challenges, including:
-The rise of life sciences
-The focus on the relationship between the human body and security
-Emergent forms of subjectivity and politics

Research skills development

The University's Humanities and Social Sciences Graduate School provides a full range of research training in the social sciences, which meets the requirements of the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). This training includes:
-Bibliographical techniques
-Philosophy of social science
-Quantitative and qualitative methods

The Graduate School also hosts postgraduate events, including open days, and supports personal development.

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The Master in Middle Eastern Studies (MIMES) is specifically tailored for graduates of various disciplines and backgrounds, who are interested in obtaining a better knowledge of the Middle East region, taking into account its social-historical complexity and cultural plurality. The program aims to offer solid historical, political and institutional perspectives of the current domestic, regional and international dynamics affecting the stability of the region, as well as a critical outlook on current debates over the Middle East.

Learning objectives

MIMES aims to guide students across this diverse and fascinating region, which, since decades, is at the center of the geostrategic interest of the international system. The program mainly focuses on the contemporary period, through a multi-disciplinary approach ranging over international relations, geopolitics, conflicts and security, economy and energy. Nonetheless, specific sections are devoted to the analysis of the historical and religious foundations of the modern Middle East, from the birth of Islam to the evolution of Islamic thought, law and economy. A dedicated course will offer a linguistic analysis of the political and juridical terminology and a glossary in Arabic. MIMES analyses in details infra-regions and inter-regions peculiarities and relations, from Maghreb to Central-Southern Asia, encouraging a comparative and holistic area studies approach.

Career opportunities & professional recognition

MIMES provides graduate students with a detailed, comprehensive knowledge of the wider Middle East, beneficial to under-take a number of different careers, consistently with their previous training and experience, within international institutions, private companies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), research centers and area studies, media networks, etc.

Curriculum

The Master in Middle Eastern Studies is articulated in five complementary levels, fostering multidimensional training and cross-fertilization, integrating scientific methodologies and operative competences.

1st level - Propaedeutic Phase: history, power and institution. The conceptual foundation of the Middle East
● Methodological introduction: debates on the Middle East
● History of the Middle East
● Religion, society and thought in the Islamic Middle East
● Islamic law and economy
● Study of political and juridical terminology - glossary in Arabic
● Middle East within the 20th century international order

2nd level - In-depth Analytical Phase: sub-regional contexts
● Maghreb
● Mashreq
● Sub-Saharan Africa
● South-West Asia and the Gulf
● Central-Southern Asia

3rd level - Thematic and Contemporary Issues
● Politics in contemporary Middle East and the current International Relations context
● Global security: jihadism, violent activism, conflicts and nuclear proliferation
● Post-conflict institution-building and human security
● Gender, ethno-religious diversity and pluralism in the Middle East
● Energy and geopolitics of resources
● Contemporary economic trends

4th level - Project Work
Students are required to develop a personal research project on a topic related to Middle Eastern affairs, under the supervision of a MIMES professor and/or a professional from a partner institution. The project work will often be connected to the internship experience.

5th level - Internship
The Master is completed with an internship in Italy or abroad within an institution whose mission and activities are consistent with the Master’s program. This gives students the invaluable opportunity to test and strengthen the competencies acquired during the Master and it usually lasts three months. As an alternative, students who do not carry out an internship may choose to attend an Arabic language course. Students will receive support and tutoring for their internship research.

Faculty & teaching staff

The Master in Middle Eastern Studies offers high quality training to students from all over the world. They will take part in team projects with the guidance of important scholars and leading professionals from the Middle East as well as from Europe and the U.S.

Faculty:
● Prof. Riccardo Redaelli - MIMES Director
● Prof. Paolo Branca - Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore
● Dr. Marina Calculli - American University, Beirut
● Prof. Massimo Campanini - Università degli Studi di Trento
● Prof. Martino Diez - Fondazione OASIS and Università Cattoli- ca del Sacro Cuore
● Prof. Wael Faruq - American University, Cairo
● Prof. Ersilia Francesca - Università degli Studi di Napoli l’Orientale
● Prof. Elisa Giunchi - Università degli Studi di Milano
● Prof. Mehran Kamrava - Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service
● Prof. Bahgat Korany - American University, Cairo
● Prof. Marco Lombardi - Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore
● Prof. Maurizio Martellini - Landau Network Centro Volta and Insubria Center on International Security
● Prof. Massimo Papa - Università di Roma Tor Vergata
● Prof. Vittorio Emanuele Parsi - Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore
● Prof. Paola Rivetti - Dublin City University
● Prof. Mahmood Sariolghalam - Shahid Beheshti University of Tehran
● Prof. Oktay Tanrisever - Middle East Technical University
● Amb. Roberto Toscano - Barcelona Center for International Affairs
● Mr. Franco Zallio - consultant

ASERI - a center of excellence

This Master has been created thanks to the experience of ASERI in the field of graduate education and training. Università Cattolica’s Graduate School of Economics and International Relations combines quality courses with strong connections to the business world. Courses are taught by academic professors, professionals and leaders from all over the world. The high quality of this training is ensured by the presence of an international faculty composed by renowned professors and experts, coming from both Middle East and US/EU universities and research centers.

Theory & practice

The strong theoretical basis is combined with a solid knowledge of the contemporary issues, in order to provide students’ with a specific understanding of one of the most important region in the international scenario and help them to convert their knowledge in professional skills.

A multidisciplinary approach

Thanks to the expertise of its faculty, this innovative program combines several perspectives on the Middle East: international relations, history, economics, law, geopolitics, security and energy. The analysis of the current dynamics, debates and most important topics regarding the role of the Middle East at a regional and international level, as well as dedicated modules on its sub-regions and their peculiarities, are strengthened by the theoretical basis provided during the first part of the program.

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This programme is an advanced study of historical and contemporary developments in the economy, politics, culture and society of Russia and the countries of Eastern Europe and Eurasia.

Why this programme

-This programme is for those planning careers in major public, commercial and voluntary institutional settings who wish to acquire a specialised knowledge of Central and Eastern Europe and proficiency in one of the region's languages.
-Language and other study trips to the region are available. You will be offered the opportunity to spend a month in Russia. Some financial support is available to help you fund these trips.
-Choose between three specialist pathways: Central and East European Studies, Russian Studies, and Eurasian Studies.
-You will examine the history of communism and why it collapsed. You will learn about the impact of international organisations (e.g. the European Union, NATO) and of major world powers on the region as well as retaining an appreciation of the region’s internal diversity in a variety of spheres (cultural, economic, ethnic, political and social).
-You can participate in our extensive range of conferences, workshops, business days, seminars and networking activities involving representatives of the business, policy-making and third sector communities.
-The University Library holds one of the best Russian, Central and East European collections in the world.

Programme structure

You will take four core and one optional course, as well as complete a dissertation as a piece of independent research. You will select a specialist pathway, which includes a specialist core courses and a language. (choices vary depending on pathway).

Core courses
All pathways
-Issues in Russian, East European, and Eurasian studies
-Research methods for studying Russia, Eastern Europe & Eurasia

Central and East European Studies
-Geopolitics of Central and Eastern Europe OR Statehood and nationality in Central and Eastern Europe
-Language options: Czech, Estonian, Hungarian, Latvian OR Polish

Russian Studies
-Gender and identity in Soviet & Post-Soviet Russia OR Russian foreign policy
-Language: Russian

Eurasian Studies
-Contested states: The South Caucasus after 1991 OR Rethinking Central Asian security
-Language options: Russian OR Chinese

Optional courses
-Contested states: The South Caucasus since 1991
-De facto states in the Post-Soviet space
-Developments in Czech society since 1989
-Gender and identity in Soviet and Post-Soviet Russia
-Media and democratisation in Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union
-Political modernisation: The Georgian case
-Post-Soviet Russia: Renegotiating global and local identities
-Post-Soviet Ukraine: a case study in socio-economic and political transformation
-Rethinking Central Asian security
-Russian foreign policy
-Statehood and nationality in Russia, Central and Eastern Europe
-The geopolitics of Central Europe

Career prospects

Many of our graduates have gone on to establish careers as lecturers and researchers at universities in the UK, Norway, Greece, Italy, and Poland or have become secondary school teachers. Our graduates have also been very successful in establishing careers with organisations such as BBC World Service, British Army, British Civil Service, British Council, Centre for Defence Information (Moscow), Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers, European Policies Research Centre, University of Strathclyde (Glasgow), European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (London), Jamestown Foundation (Washington D.C), KPMG, Ministry of Defence, UK, Open Society Foundation (Bratislava), Open Society Institute (Budapest), Operation Mobilisation, Czech Republic and the Trust for Civil Society in Central & Eastern Europe (Warsaw).

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Programme Overview

Global issues of environment, security and development have never been so important. A long war on terror with no end in sight, ongoing structural economic inequalities on a global scale, and the threat of climate change have brought questions of Western interventionary practices, neoliberalism and environmental sustainability to the fore. The MA in Environment, Society and Development is designed to enable students to synthesize both theoretical and practical concerns in bringing critical thinking to these vital challenges. The programme involves engagement with a number of core areas in critical human geography, including issues of geopolitics, development and political ecology, and exposes students to global concerns that encompass a complex and dynamic mesh of environmental, social and economic processes.

Field-Based Learning

Running through the MA is an overarching aim to impart understanding of how different philosophical and ideological approaches to environment-society relations influence policy formulation and implementation. In this context, our hope is to empower students to become critically informed by, and ethically engaged with, the various geopolitical, social, economic and environmental processes that shape the world in which we live. The practical emphasis of the MA is reflected in a field-based learning module in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where students intersect with the development work of UN agencies, and range of CSOs and NGOs. In connecting with the work of UN agencies like the United Nations Development Programme, a key challenge for students involves thinking through the scalar nature of all forms of development, in which initiatives on the ground are framed by broader geopolitical, economic and institutional structures that both enable and hinder development in complex ways.

Career Opportunities

The programme will prepare students for a range of workplaces including government departments, non-governmental organizations, planning and environmental management agencies and specialist research and policy institutes. The transferable and problem-solving skills gained from the field-based learning practices embedded in all modules are a particular strength for graduates. Each year, students gain vital experience working on the ground in Bosnia and Herzegovina with a variety of international development practitioners and local community leaders. Since its inception, the programme has had ICOS and other international students from a range of countries, including Ethiopia, Germany, Italy, Malawi, Norway, Russia, Sri Lanka, UAE, UK, USA and Vietnam. Many have gone on to work in NGOs and UN agencies and, in addition, to pursue PhD research in leading Geography Departments across the world. In terms of a critical human geography Masters, the depth and breadth of the programme puts students in a very strong position in applying for PhDs, and post-MA we strongly encourage applications, internationally, nationally and here at NUI Galway, where Geography has strong research clusters in Geopolitics and Justice and Planning and Sustainability.

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This innovative international programme offers you the unique opportunity to undertake study (in English) and research in at least three different countries at our renowned partner institutions, culminating in the award of a multiple degree according to your chosen pathway.

Why this programme

◾If you are interested in the challenges faced by the states and societies of Central and Eastern Europe, Russia and Eurasia and their place within the new global order, this two-year programme is for you.
◾Guaranteed placements at external organisations are included under each pathway.
◾The programme is delivered by leading experts in their specialist areas of research.
◾Language tuition is available throughout the progamme.
◾The programme builds upon the foundations of the successful IntM in Russian, Central and East European Studies double degree which was recognised by the European Commission as an Erasmus Mundus Master Course of ‘outstanding academic quality’.

Programme structure

The programme is structured around three predefined mobility periods at three different universities across Europe, Russia, and Eurasia. Also included is a fourth flexible mobility period during which you will undertake independent study. The mobility periods are designed to enable you to engage with a variety of perspectives on the programme’s core themes.
A research proposal submitted at the end of semester 1 in year 1 will determine future mobility patterns and study pathway diversification in semester 2. In year 2 you will continue under the same study pathway. The research proposal will have a strong influence on the allocation of the year 2 pathway partner, where you will undertake coursework plus a placement at an external organisation.

Year 1– semester 1

]]
University of Tartu

[[Core courses

 Introduction to Central and East European, Russian and Eurasian Studies
 Language – Polish, Hungarian, Czech, Estonian OR Russian
 Social sciences methodology.

Optional courses (1 chosen)

 Baltic history and politics
 Comparative ethnopolitics
 Conflict management and resolution
 Elections and political behaviour
 Foreign policy analysis
 International relations
 Political and social change
 Post-communism
 The politics of history & memory.

Year 1 – semester 2

University of Glasgow
You will select a specialist pathway.

Core courses

Central and East European Studies
 Geopolitics of Central and Eastern Europe OR Statehood and nationality in Central and Eastern Europe
 Language: Czech, Hungarian OR Polish
Russian Studies
 Russian foreign policy OR Post-Soviet Russia: Renegotiating global and local identities
 Language: Russian
Eurasian Studies
 Contested states: The South Caucasus after 1991 OR Rethinking Central Asian security
 Language: Russian
Optional courses (1 chosen)
 Contested States: The South Caucasus after 1991
 De-facto states in the post-Soviet space
 Developments in Czech society since 1989
 Gender and identity in Soviet and Post-Soviet Russia
 Media and democratisation in CEE and the former Soviet Union
 Rethinking Central Asian security
 Russian foreign policy
 Statehood and nationality in Central & Eastern Europe
 The geopolitics of Central & Eastern Europe.
Note: Courses may not be available every year

Summer school

Focusing on research methods (not credit-bearing)
Year 2 – semester 1
Central and East European Studies
Russian Studies
Eurasian Studies
Year 2 – semester 2
You will continue on the mobility pattern started in semester 1. One-year study mobilities in the region are aimed at strengthening the language skills acquired during Year 1 in Tartu & Glasgow. You will complete your dissertation under the principle supervision of the pathway partner institution, with Glasgow and Tartu as co-supervisors.

Career prospects

You will be prepared for careers in policy-making in government, foreign ministries, the EU, Intergovernmental organisations and non-governmental organisations. Other career opportunities include higher education and business.

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The Glasgow MBA will empower you with the skills and tools needed to become a successful manager. An investment in your future, our MBA matches an ancient tradition of academic excellence with exposure to contemporary business practice.

Why this programme

◾This programme will help you to think critically. You will begin to question what you already know, stripping away preconceived ideas to develop better approaches to life and to business.
◾You will benefit from the experience of world-class teaching. Our academics are invited to consult and research with organisations around the world, giving them first-hand insight into how organisations work.
◾Teaching on the Glasgow MBA is at the cutting edge of business knowledge.
◾The Glasgow MBA, which was founded in 1976, is AMBA accredited, and the School is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International).

Programme structure

The MBA is structured to enhance your personal and academic development.

The programme includes orientation and induction sessions ahead of the core courses to address your individual needs as you set out on the MBA programme.

The core courses are followed by specialist optional courses, allowing you to focus on the areas of learning that are most suited to your future career path. You will have the opportunity to follow one of three specialist tracks in Finance, Strategy or Marketing.

The programme finishes by offering you the considerable practical benefits of a consultancy project, as well as the in-depth and applied analysis of a dissertation.

In addition, a range of social, networking and guest speaker events run throughout the year to enhance your learning experience and to help you get the most out of your MBA.

An important part of the MBA is the team consulting project: an opportunity for you to put the theories you’ve learned during the programme into action.

Core courses

1. Decision making under uncertainty

This course will introduce you to the intellectual perspectives and methods that underpin the practice of making decisions essential for business management. In this course you will explore the many different disciplinary and methodological traditions that should inform effective analyses of the business world. You will also learn how informed thinking and analysis will assist you in making decisions and delivering better business outcomes.

2. Business strategic management

This course integrates all key business disciplines with courses such as dynamic strategic management, developing leadership skills with people and resources, strategic marketing, financial analysis and decision-making, and global economics. You will develop the skills expected of senior managers and be capable of developing a career in any leading organisation.

3. Strategic foresight

You will be presented with first-hand experience of business leaders, many of them our alumni, of how to face an uncertain future. This course includes guest lectures from successful organisations that will introduce you to key issues in business, including:

◾Is globalisation playing out as expected?
◾What degree of control do managers really have over their organisations and their people?
◾To what extent are innovation and diversity really present in contemporary organisations?
◾How is technology and innovation changing the shape and scope of organisations?
◾How should managers react to a more uncertain world?

Previous speakers include Tom Purves, former CEO of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars; Brian McBride, former Managing Director of Amazon UK and current Chairman of ASOS; Kate Armstrong, founder of Confused.com and Admiral; and Mike Reid, Chairman and founder of Care Vision.
◾Political contexts (geopolitics, corporate responsibility, scenario planning)
◾Economic contexts (regulation and international markets, risk management, social and environmental accounting)
◾Social contexts (the importance of place, personal and corporate ethics, cross-cultural management)
◾Technological contexts (innovation, ICT and global communications)
◾Environmental contexts (climate change, energy)
◾Legal contexts (changing roles of the state, citizen and consumer rights).

Optional courses

Following the core courses, you have the choice of five optional courses. These will give you the choice to follow three specialist tracks: Finance, Strategy or Marketing. The courses on offer vary each year and are taught by a range of leading academics and practitioners, based on their research or personal experience of the corporate world. Previous courses have included:
◾Business scenarios for consulting
◾Business to business relationship management
◾Company and market failure
◾Corporate image, branding & communication
◾Credibility & networks - Selling yourself and your organisation
◾Entrepreneurial finance
◾International financial analysis
◾International strategy for multinational enterprise
◾Project leadership & control
◾The role of technology in innovative organisations
◾Strategic human resource management
◾Supply and logistics management.

Personal and career development

This element runs in parallel to the rest of the programme, beginning immediately after Leadership Foundations. It is made up of five interconnected components: mentorship in leadership and employability; personal development planning; research techniques training and the primary research project of the dissertation. In this course you will undertake a group project to test the skills and techniques you have accumulated through the programme.

Career prospects

Our dedicated MBA Careers Manager supports students throughout the MBA programme and will help you plan your post-MBA career and equip you with the tools and strategies to compete effectively within the global job market.

As an MBA graduate you join the ranks of successful and influential professionals making a mark on organisations around the world. Some recent first destinations of our graduates include: Senior Consultant, Ernst & Young; Accountant, Bilcake Research; Business Representative, Clydesdale Bank; Commercial Director, University of Glasgow; Assistant Vice President, Telekomunikasi (Indonesia); Vice President of Strategic Initiatives, Georgia State Chamber of Commerce (USA); Finance Support Manager, Unilever (Thailand); Marketing Manager, DKSH (Thailand); Social Media and Digital Specialist, Percepta (Glasgow); Manager, EY, (Germany); Key Account Manager, Halyard Health (China); Business Development Manager, Newstel Media Ltd (Glasgow).

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Interest in development, environment and issues of sustainable development has never been so intense. UN climate change summits , Millennium Development Goals and the World Social Forum have brought environmental and development issues and problems long on local and national agendas, onto the international scene.

All sustainable development issues are a complex and dynamic web of natural, social, political and economic processes, and it is this unique interdisciplinary approach which drives the MSc in Practising Sustainable Development. This popular course has evolved and expanded in scope and appeal, and has attracted students from about 30 countries and a diverse range of backgrounds who work or are interested in development issues and the environment.

This course is also offered at Postgraduate Diploma level for those who do not have the academic background necessary to begin an advanced Master’s 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.

See the website https://www.royalholloway.ac.uk/geography/coursefinder/mscpgdippractisingsustainabledevelopment.aspx

Why choose this course?

- Our teaching staff have wide experience in different developing regions and economies in transition, including Latin America, the Caribbean, South, East and South-East Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa. Staff have also worked with indigenous and marginalised communities in North America.

- You will benefit from a diverse range of teaching and learning strategies including tutor-led discussions and seminars, oral presentations, role-playing, problem-solving and group work.

- You will be well prepared for a career in the development and environment field as the course is very highly regarded.

- The course can be used as part of an ESRC (Economic and Social Research Council) research training pathway for PhD study. This indicates that the content and approach of our academic research training is of a very high standard.

- You will be provided with training in skills needed to research and assess sustainable development, such as research design, project development, environmental monitoring, geographic information systems (GIS), participatory

Department research and industry highlights

The Politics, Development and Sustainability (PDS) group consists of over 20 research-active staff, 35 PhD students and 50 Master’s students on four MSc programmes. We are committed to conducting collaborative research which seeks to understand and contribute to addressing problems of social inequality, environmental destruction and injustice. The breadth of its members’ research places it in an ideal position to contribute to theoretical and policy debates on key challenges facing Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean today.

Course content and structure

The course is divided into three compulsory elements. Students studying for the Postgraduate Diploma do not undertake the dissertation.

Core course units:
Sustainability, Development and Governance
This course will equip students with a detailed understanding of the development of sustainable development as a discourse. Students will explore key sustainability issues such as climate change, globalisation, and human responses with an emphasis on the emergence of environmental governance as a means to pursue sustainability.

Technology and Development
This course provides you with an introduction to the role of technology in development, focusing particularly on mobile phone and computer technologies. The course combines an understanding of key theoretical debates and how technologies have been applied in diverse sectors such as health and education. The course also includes training in the use of GIS (geographical information systems) within a development context.

Sustainability, Development and Society
You will develop a detailed understanding of key social / environmental relationships incorporating contemporary issues in the geographies of sustainability. These will include \'risk society\', sustainable cities, and the impacts of corporate sector activities on the environment. You will also understand the challenges to sustainable development at household and community levels, with a focus on community-based approaches to sustainable development.

Participatory research
This course combines detailed understanding of the theoretical underpinnings of participatory research and methods with practical experience of using different participatory research techniques. These include participatory diagramming, participatory video and participatory environmental monitoring.

Research Training
You will be provided with training in a range of methods to enable you to plan, carry out and complete a piece of research. There are three modules in this element:
- Social Research Methods Training - provides a range of social science methods for field research and analysis.
- Quantitative Methods for Graduates - provides basic statistical concepts and procedures used in empirical research.
- Development and Environment Research Training - provides guidance for planning, developing and undertaking research in a development and environment context.

Dissertation (MSc only)
The dissertation is of between 12,000 and 15,000 words, on a topic of your choice which has been approved by the supervisor. It requires both secondary and primary research, and the demonstration of originality in integrating theoretical and practical research methods in tackling a particular problem. You will be encouraged to carry out your dissertation in collaboration with an organisation in the field of development and environment.

Community Volunteer Project
You will undertake an independent volunteer project which will give you practical experience in gaining sustainability related work experience in a non-for profit organisation. The project will enhance your employability whilst and provide an opportunity to gain practical experience of third sector organisational objectives, cultures and practices.

Elective course units:
ICT4D
This course gives you the opportunity to develop deeper understandings of cutting-edge applications of ICT4D research and practice. Topics covered include environmental change and Green ICT, open development and subversive forms of technology use, and logics of inclusion and exclusion in ICT programmes. You will also examine project planning, monitoring and evaluation in the field of ICT4D.

Business Ethics and Enterprise
The aim of the course is to equip students with the moral frameworks and critical abilities necessary to understand the role of business in society from an ethical perspective. The course will cover different types of business including large publicly traded multinationals, small and medium sized enterprises, social enterpises and family firms. Students will be expected to understand the different issues in these organizational types and to articulate moral arguments from a range of different perspectives.

International Sustainability Management
This course provides participants with an understanding of how Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) informs sustainability management issues in large, transnational organisations. It will focus on issues such as consumption and sustainability as dichotomised between the apparently incompatible tensions of economic and environmental interests.

Other courses Geopolitics and Security / PIR / Management / Computer science

On completion of the course graduates will have:
- an understanding at an advanced level of the relationships between, and complexities of, social, economic, political and environmental aspects of sustainable development

- an understanding at an advanced level of how the key issues in sustainable development theory influence policy and impact on practice

- the ability to critically analyse complex or contradictory areas of knowledge in aspects of sustainable development.

Assessment

Assessment is carried out by a variety of methods including coursework and a dissertation.

Employability & career opportunities

Past students of the course are now employed by international development and environment agencies, national policy making and implementing agencies, higher education institutions, private sector natural resource companies and NGOs; as environmental and development workers, activists, teachers and researchers. Many of our alumni are also currently undertaking doctoral programmes in the UK and abroad.

How to apply

Applications for entry to all our full-time postgraduate degrees can be made online https://www.royalholloway.ac.uk/studyhere/postgraduate/applying/howtoapply.aspx .

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Part of our Applied Training Programme which is designed to provide training in new and vocationally attractive skills in Economics, this Master's provides a platform to understand international economics and politics from an interdisciplinary perspective. The course will allow you to develop skill highly desired by employers; an ability to understand international institutions and geopolitics, as well as the analytical skills of economics.

You will study compulsory modules in economic concepts and econometric methods, international relations theory and international political economy. Optional modules may be taken from with the School of Economics and the School of Political, Social and International Studies.

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The Environment, Politics and Globalisation MA, MSc is an interdisciplinary course offering a unique combination of theoretical and relevant policy subjects to give you indepth knowledge and critical awareness of the politics and geographies shaping environments, both now and in the past. You will examine local case studies as well as global environmental issues, politics and policies from a variety of perspectives to gain a textured understanding of this contested and vital area of study. 

Key Benefits

• You will study a unique combination of theoretical and policy-relevant modules.
• Excellent tutorial support, extensive programme-specific interactive teaching and regular classroom discussions.
• You will develop skills in the appropriate use and application of quantitative and qualitative methods.

Description

The Environment, Politics & Globalisation MA, MSc is a demanding and stimulating course, with an emphasis on developing your analytical and research skills.

You will study Globalisation and the Environment, as well as optional modules covering topics such as Climate: Science and History, Geopolitics, Power and Place, Environmental Actors and Politics, and Disasters and Development. If you choose to follow the MSc research pathway, you will study Advanced Quantitative and Spatial Methods in Human Geography.

The Environment, Politics and Globalisation course is aimed at providing students with an in-depth and critical awareness of the politics and geographies shaping environments at a range of interrelated and ever shifting scales. In this context the course involves a broad and reflexive interpretation of the terms ‘environment’, ‘politics’, and ‘globalisation’. It aims to enable students to develop the skills required to engage with both cutting edge academic literature and grounded policy scenarios so that they can participate in the dynamic and contested environmental arena. These aims are achieved by the unique combination of theoretical and practical modules that draw on staff environmental expertise, along with internships with participating environmental organisations. You will be required to obtain the minimum of 180 credits to complete the course.

If you are studying full-time, you will complete the course in one year, from September to September. If you are studying part-time, your course will take two years to complete. You will take the combination of required and optional modules over this period of time, with the dissertation in your second year.

Course purpose

For those seeking to develop their intellectual and practical skills to engage in both academic debates and the practical construction of environmental policy and politics at national and international scales.

Course format and assessment

Teaching

We use lectures, seminars and group tutorials to deliver most of the modules on the course. You will also be expected to undertake a significant amount of independent study. Typically, one credit equates to 10 hours of work.

Per 20-credit taught module:

Lectures, seminars and feedback: Typically 20 hours

Self-study: 180 hours (some modules may involve lab work or e-learning which would require less self-guided learning).

Dissertation:

Lectures, seminars and feedback: Usually four dissertation workshops/ tutorials and five contact hours of one-to-one or group consultation with supervisors.

Self-study: 587 hours.

Assessment

Performance on taught modules in the Geography Department is normally assessed through essays and other written assignments, oral presentations, lab work and occasionally by examination, depending on the modules selected. All students also undertake a research-based dissertation of 12,000 words.

Career prospects

Many of our graduates have gone on to undertake further graduate study. Others have gone on to work as research assistants for international development agencies as well as pursuing careers within government agencies, teaching and journalism.

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Our Geography MA, MSc course provides you with an excellent foundation in advanced Geography. The

course will offer you comprehensive study opportunities in the geographical fields of your choice:

• The MA pathway concentrates on human geography, including environment and development, environmental policies and politics, geopolitics, urbanisation and globalisation.
• The MSc focuses on physical geography, particularly modules available on the Environmental Monitoring, Modelling & Management course.

Key benefits

• You will be studying innovative modules in a range of disciplines taught by staff who are recognised leaders in their fields.
• Our recently refurbished accommodation offers high-quality teaching and social facilities.
• Our Geography department is one of the largest in the UK.
• The study programme is highly flexible and can be tailored to reflect your academic interests.

Description

The Geography MA, MSc study course is made up of optional and required modules. You must take modules with a total of between 180 and 190 credits to complete the course.

In addition to a required dissertation, you will select from a range of related modules. Your choice of modules will determine whether you take the MA or MSc pathway. If you are enrolling for the Geography MA course, you are expected to choose options in human geography, whereas the Geography MSc course will mean you will study physical geography.

If you are studying full-time, you will complete the course in one year, from September to September. If you are studying part-time, your course will be delivered over two years, you will take the required module in the first year, and the dissertation in your second year.

Course format and assessment

Teaching

We use lectures, seminars and group tutorials to deliver most of the modules on the course. You will also be expected to undertake a significant amount of independent study. Typically, one credit equates to 10 hours of work.

Per 20-credit module:

Lectures, seminars and feedback: The total contact time for each 20-credit taught module is 20 hours. These sessions will include lectures, teacher-led and student-led group discussions based on the main areas of study

Self-study:180 hours of self-guided learning time (some modules may involve lab work or e-learning).

Dissertation modules:

Lectures, seminars and feedback: Usually four dissertation workshops/ tutorials and five contact hours of one-to-one or group consultation with supervisors.

Self-study: 587 hours.

Assessment

Assessment methods will depend on the modules selected. The primary method of assessment for this course is a combination of essays/reports, oral presentations, lab work and occasionally by examination.

Career prospects

Our graduates usually continue on to further research, but many have also entered the fields of national and international consultancies and NGOs, governments, charities, research organisations, journalism and teaching.

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Our Human Geography Research MA is a recognised pathway within the the ESRC Northern Ireland/North East (NINE) Doctoral Training Partnership. It provides advanced-level training in research skills, methods and theories so you can pursue a career in research.

Our course equips you with the knowledge and research skills needed to develop as a human geography researcher. Throughout the course you will develop:
-The ability to define research problems and design appropriate methods for their investigation
-Individual research interests through choosing your own projects
-Your research profile
-Research skills in data collection and analysis
-An understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of different data types and research methods
-Bibliographic and computing research skills, including the use of specialist software
-A professional approach to ethical issues surrounding research in human geography
-Research skills in qualitative and quantitative data analysis techniques
-Communication skills for the effective dissemination of research to both specialist and non-specialist audiences

Our key areas of research in human geography include:
-Social and cultural geography
-Economic geographies
-International development
-Geopolitics

Newcastle University is one of the leading places for geographical research in the UK. In 2014, we received recognition for the quality of our publications and research outputs. 80% of our geography research output is world-leading or internationally excellent. This ranks us fourth in the UK for output quality. The impact of our research was also recognised, with Newcastle ranked equal third in the UK.

Following the assessment of case studies ranging from a wide topic area, 70% were rated as world-leading, including:
-The role of universities in regional growth
-New ways of benchmarking economic areas
-Standards for the assessment of water quality
-The impact of people trafficking

Delivery

Members of our vibrant research community deliver teaching and assessment. Tutors are from geography and the Centre for Urban and Regional Development Studies (CURDS).

Facilities

We provide high quality facilities for our postgraduate students. Facilities include a dedicated postgraduate suite for geography students.

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