This MA degree programme is designed for students who wish to explore the social dimensions of risk and resilience. The Department of Geography is especially well-suited to examine these in relation to environmental hazards, climate change and security-related risk, but students are encouraged to develop their thinking in relation to any aspect of risk research, including broader environmental change, disaster risk reduction, financial risk, risk and insurance, risk and health, risk and migration, risk and social policy, risk and governance, borders and terrorism. The MA programme foregrounds the existence of multiple ways of understanding risk, from risk as an objective phenomenon managed through scientific tools (e.g. in the case of environmental hazards) to risk as a social construct and a political technique (e.g. in the case of risk and security).
For students interested in security-related risk, the MA programme offers in-depth and advanced understanding of geo-political security challenges and politics, including the ways in which society is governed increasingly through the prism of risk. Dealing with risks as a function of both the natural and social environments we live in, the course responds to the growing realisation that many risks are being created through social processes bound to questions of security, including the ways that risk techniques are emerging and being employed as a means of securing uncertain futures.
Students take the following core modules, and a selection of elective modules, which, when combined, add up to 180 credits:
Core Modules:
Elective Modules available in previous years include:
Understanding and managing risk is ultimately about choice. All elements of society, from individuals to governments, must make decisions – conscious or not – about the ways in which they perceive, interpret, balance, and mitigate risk. Risk permeates our day-to-day lives in ways that are now recognised to be much more complex than the hazard-vulnerability paradigm, which dominated risk research until the 1990s, recognised. A deeper understanding of the nature of risk, its emergence, and its interface and position within societies, has emphasised the need to take a much more complex view in which a general understanding of the ways in which risk is generated, experienced and managed needs to be combined with a specific understanding of particular science or policy areas.
The primary aim of this Masters programme is to equip students with a general understanding of risk; whilst simultaneously providing specific training in elements of risk-related research. The MA supports students in developing a strong social science perspective on risk. This will be achieved through an interdisciplinary framework for understanding risk from a variety of perspectives. Students will learn theoretical and practical approaches to identifying and framing risk, as well as the underlying physical and social mechanisms that generate it. They will also examine the relationship of risk to knowledge and policy, and will be made aware of the array of advanced tools and techniques to assess the physical and social dimensions of risk under conditions of uncertainty. They will also be trained in the substance and methods associated with a range of science, social science and policy areas, and be expected to demonstrate that they can combine their general training in risk with their specific understanding of the substance and method associated with the chosen area, through either a research-based or a vocational dissertation.
All students will undertake a suite of core modules (150 credits) which provide students with a range of skills and knowledge which result in a unique focus in risk combined with training in interdisciplinary research methods. These modules are: Understanding Risk, Using Geographical Skills and Techniques, Risk Frontiers, Social Dimensions of Risk and Resilience, and the Dissertation.
Students then also select a suite of elective modules (another 30 credits). Students can choose to receive specialised scientific training in:
Electives can be selected from: Strategic Asia, European Security, International Relations in the Middle East, Social Policy and Society and Risk, Science and Communication.
The Risk Masters (both in its MA and MSc forms) is taught jointly between Durham University’s Geography Department, the School of Government & International Affairs, and the School of Applied Social Sciences. The programme’s interdisciplinary approach encourages students to combine science and social science perspectives. Students have a broad range of modules to choose from, and in this way develop an individualized set of professional skills that, depending on the student’s preferences, speak more to either the natural sciences (e.g. via scientific modelling, GIS or science and communication) or the social sciences (e.g. via social science research methodologies and engagements with social policy and international relations). The programme is delivered in close collaboration with Durham University’s Institute of Hazard, Risk and Resilience (IHRR), and through IHRR’s activities students get permanent exposure to both practitioner and academic perspectives at the forefront of risk thinking and practice.
The global business environment is more complex and interconnected than ever before. Major shifts can happen in a day. The pace of change keeps increasing.
The MSc Risk Management at GCU is designed for today - and industry recognises this. Double-accredited by the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) and the Institute of Risk Management (IRM)
As a student, you'll gain the cutting-edge knowledge and practical skillset to navigate the complexities and challenges of risk management in today's world.
GCU is a global leader in risk management education and research. Our experts pursue high-impact research and investigate real-world problems in risk management. For example, we conducted a recent government-funded study assessing the risks associated with private finance in the construction industry and produced a recent report on the risks associated with e-commerce.
Our staff publish on subjects like insurance risk regulation, occupational health and safety, healthcare risk management, financial risk management and more - contributing to public knowledge and the common good.
In our thriving GCU community, we encourage every student and graduate to help build the common good as well. That means exploring ways to make a positive impact, whatever you do, wherever you go.
Enterprise Risk and Modelling
You will gain an understanding of the theory involved in contemporary risk management processes and practices; providing you with an understanding of the building techniques required to assemble a risk analysis model.
Global Perspectives on Risk
You will learn how to critically analyse a wide range of risks, including managerial, cultural, political, ethical and economic factors impacting on international businesses. You will also evaluate a range of risk management strategies and tactics available to international businesses.
Risk Financing and Insurance
You will learn the basic principles of risk finance, examine insurance theory and undertake a critical evaluation of insurance practice. Alternative risk financing methods such as options, futures, swaps and securitisation will also be analysed.
Business Continuity and Crisis Management
You will examine the relationship between risk management and business continuity management, study the key drivers of Business Continuity and the strategies involved when an organisation faces a crisis situation.
Ethics and Corporate Governance
This module explores the key issues in corporate governance and the extent to which the arrangements currently in place secure corporate accountability.
Personal and Professional Development
Enables you to identify, understand, develop and articulate your personal abilities in the context of your future career aspirations.
Research Methods
This module develops advanced skills related to a range of research methods needed for academic and practical research at masters level.
Dissertation
The final element of the programme is the dissertation, which provides you with an opportunity to design and undertake a piece of research in a selective area of risk management.
Our graduates are highly competitive candidates for job opportunities in the UK and across the world. Graduates find successful roles in risk management, risk analysis, risk co-ordination, insurance and business continuity management and more in a wide range of industry sectors including banking, insurance, consultancy, oil and gas, transport, and construction.
Our Risk Analysis MA, MSc has a unique focus on the societal, health, safety and environmental aspects of risk – rather than the financial aspects. We will provide you with a deep knowledge and understanding of social science theories, concepts, techniques and organisational approaches to risk assessment, management, governance and communication.
In recent years, the ideas, concepts and tools of risk analysis have come to dominate the way in which we conceive and respond to an ever-expanding range of societal threats to the environment, health, security, prosperity or even lifestyle. However, how we assess, manage, govern and communicate risk is regularly the source of political conflict, and this poses dilemmas for policymakers, public and private sector organisations and individuals alike. It is
increasingly recognised that such issues –evident in crises from food safety to banking – cannot be addressed by simple technical ‘know-how’ alone. They require understanding of the political, organisational and social contexts in which decisions are made.
Our course draws together a unique combination of risk scholarship from across the social sciences, including psychology, political science and sociology, to provide an advanced academic foundation in risk studies. In doing so, it will equip you to critically analyse risk issues in a wide range of public policy, organisational and societal settings, to evaluate the dynamics of risk governance and management options, and to develop reflexive communication strategies.
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-toone 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.
This course will enable you to undertake further doctoral research or enter careers as risk specialists. Our graduates work in industry, consultancies, governmental and nongovernmental agencies. Past graduates have used the skills they developed with us to enter and excel in a variety of positions including the World Bank, European Commission, HM Government, UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, UK Food Standards Agency, US Department of Homeland Security, Medical Research Council, Pricewaterhouse Coopers, KPMG, SwissRe, Ernst and Young, Marsh Risk Consulting, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, Total, L’Oreal, Network Rail, Sainsburys and ING.
The importance of science in understanding disaster risks and the need for science-based strategies at local, national and international levels in the private, public, and third sectors are now widely recognised. The Risk and Disaster Science MSc aims to meet the growing need for experts trained in disaster science in sectors ranging from finance to humanitarian response.
In a science-led programme, students will explore the characterisation of risk from a fundamental understanding of hazard, statistical modelling, appreciation of causes of vulnerability, and quantifying exposure to the management and reduction of disaster risks. There is an emphasis on scientific analysis and statistical methods. Students will enjoy a wide range of taught modules covering scientific, technical, socio-economic, political, environmental, ethical and cultural perspectives.
Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits.
The programme consists of six core modules (90 credits), optional modules (to the combined value of 30 credits) and an independent research project (60 credits).
A Postgraduate Diploma (120 credits, six core modules and two optional modules), full-time nine months, part-time two years, is also offered.
Core modules
Optional modules
Choose options (to the combined value of 30 credits) from a list which may include the following:
Dissertation/report
All students undertake an independent research project of 10,000-12,000 words which culminates in a research project and poster presentation.
Teaching and learning
The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, practicals, field visits, directed reading and problem-solving exercises and a real-time disaster scenario event, with an emphasis on hands-on learning and tutorial-style dialogue between students and lecturers. Assessment is by independent and group oral presentations, written examination, coursework essays, and the independent project. Practical applications of critical and creative problem-solving will be encouraged and assessed throughout.
Fieldwork
Students are responsible for their subsistence and travel costs within London when on fieldwork. All other travel and fees will be paid for or reimbursed by the IRDR
Further information on modules and degree structure is available on the department website: Risk and Disaster Science MSc
For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website.
This programme provides excellent training towards careers in industry and commerce, research, research communication and public policy including insurance, catastrophe modelling, finance, risk management, business continuity, humanitarian assistance, engineering, electricity distribution and many other fields. It supports the career development of professionals already working in risk and disaster reduction, as well as those who intend to go into this field.
Employability
This programme will equip students with scientific and analytical skills to better understand and assess disaster risks and to identify solutions to reduce those risks. These skills are highly sought after in the private, public and NGO sector, and in specific fields such as catastrophe modelling, risk management, and public policy.
Career destinations of IRDR graduates include: an international economic consultancy in the field of micro-finance; a consultancy role in disaster risk for an insurance company; the World Food Programme; Rescue Global – a London based NGO; and a PhD studentship.
The UCL Institute for Risk and Disaster Reduction (IRDR), where teaching for this programme is based, leads and co-ordinates multidisciplinary research, knowledge exchange and advanced teaching in risk and disaster reduction across UCL.
UCL is uniquely well placed to lead research and teaching in this field; in addition to academics across seven faculties involved in world-class research, UCL IRDR has established links with scientific leaders in NGOs, industry and government departments based in and around London, who contribute to teaching and project supervision.
As a student, you will be encouraged to join our active seminar series, high-profile public discussion meetings and networking events.
The IRDR runs a careers and opportunities forum for students; this has been attended by insurance companies, catastrophe modelling firms, NGOs, academic institutions, and headhunters in the field of risk and disaster reduction.
All countries face a wide range of hazards, both natural and man-made, that have the potential to result in catastrophic damage. Despite actions taken by local emergency management professionals, international trends show that the economic and social impact of disaster has increased around the world. This is especially true in the developing world, where large-scale disasters can result in enormous loss of life as well as considerable economic damage.
The MSc in International Disaster Management is designed for participants who are interested in enhancing resilience to disasters through prevention, preparedness, response and recovery from disaster events.
Within the HCRI, this will take place through multidisciplinary study focusing on the critical analysis of current trends in academic research and policies, particularly those related to international disaster risk reduction, sustainable development, and humanitarian action tools commonly used by disaster risk reduction professionals. To this end, the core curriculum brings together the realms of disaster risk reduction, sustainable development, and humanitarian action. The interdisciplinary team of researchers at the HCRI will also support the critical exploration of disaster resilience, prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery in order to equip students to work professionally in the fields of disaster risk reduction and sustainable development.
The MSc in International Disaster Management is unique as it incorporates a wide variety of available course units from history, politics, development studies, the arts and medicine. This results in a course that is suitable as a way to develop initial skills in disaster risk reduction or support continuing education for disaster risk reduction professionals.
On completion of the course, you should be able to show a critical understanding of:
HCRI also offers bespoke training in International Disaster Management and Continuing Professional Development courses. Please contact Dr Billy Haworth ( [email protected] ) for details
HCRI at The University of Manchester is inspired by the need to conduct rigorous research and to support postgraduate training on the impact and outcomes of contemporary and historical crises. Directed by Dr Rony Brauman (former President of MSF France, Associate Professor at L'Institut d'Études Politiques, Paris, and Director of Research at the MSF Foundation, Paris), HCRI is widely recognised as being a leading international research institute focusing on the study of humanitarianism, conflict response and peacebuilding.
Our work is driven by a desire to inform and support policy and decision makers, to optimise joint working between partner organisations, and to foster increased understanding and debate within the field. Bringing together the disciplines of medicine and the humanities (including international relations and political science) to achieve these goals, HCRI aims to facilitate improvements in crisis response on a global scale whilst providing a centre of excellence for all concerned with emergencies, conflicts and peace. In offering a range of postgraduate courses we embrace this opportunity to develop a scholarly and professional agenda for humanitarians and peacebuilders around the world.
Delivery of the course will be done through face-to-face teaching at the University of Manchester. This will be supported by streamed lectures, discussion boards and other e-learning elements.
Graduation requirements will be the completion of 180 credits. A total of 120 credits of module coursework will be required for students to move on to dissertation writing. A passing dissertation will lead to the final 60 credits needed for MA completion.
All core modules are convened by existing HCRI staff. A small number of elective modules will be taught from the School of Environment and Development, the School of Social Sciences and the School of Nursing.
Course units may include:
Course units may vary from year to year.
A selection of elective modules are being offered from the School on Environment and Development.
Appropriate facilities will be verified through the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures. The course has been developed in close co-operation with the Faculty's e-learning team which will offer on-going support for the programme.
Practical support and advice for current students and applicants is available from the Disability Advisory and Support Service. Email: [email protected]
Banking and financial services represents a highly competitive and rapidly changing sector in every modern economy. Changes in customer requirements, technology, competitive conditions and regulation create the need for managers, traders and analysts to make rapid and often far-reaching decisions about their short term operations and long term strategies. The MSc and MA in Banking and Finance degree courses at Bangor offer you a unique opportunity to study advanced theory and practice relating to financial services, and to develop an appreciation of the causes and significance of current developments in this vitally important and dynamic sector of the economy.
Issues you will tackle as part of your MA/MSc Banking and Finance degree programme include:
Why are the banking systems in different countries (such as the UK, Germany, Japan and the US) so diverse?
What determines the structure, performance and efficiency of banking and financial markets?
Why do banks and financial intermediaries exist?
What are the main theories of the banking firm?
How relevant are financial intermediaries in a world of increasing securitization and with the evolution of virtual banking?
How do banks optimally allocate capital?
Does bank regulation increase or decrease risks?
How do we measure the risks undertaken by banks?
Can regulators reduce the likelihood of systemic (system-wide) risk?
What are the relationships between risk and return governing investment in company shares and other derivative instruments?
Can market risk be priced accurately? Can credit risk be priced accurately?
How should institutional investors go about constructing a portfolio of assets to maximise returns on behalf of investors?
How can we assess the investment performance of pension funds, insurance companies and unit trusts?
How do banks use futures, options, derivatives and swaps to manage their balance sheet and off-balance sheet risks?
What are the key principles of international portfolio management in a world of fast and unpredictable movements in exchange rates?
How do banks manage their business so as to maintain customer relationships, improve operational efficiency and add shareholder value?
With these needs in mind, the MSc and MA Banking and Finance programmes at Bangor are designed to develop participants' existing skills through a scheme of specialist advanced study. An important objective is to provide participants with relevant analytical training, so that they are familiar with the latest theoretical and practical developments relating to banking, finance and capital markets. These programmes provide a coherent theoretical framework for the various subject areas, but the emphasis throughout is on advanced practical application of financial techniques in a real-world setting.
The availability of parallel MSc and MA degrees in Banking and Finance allows you to choose between registering for a more technical MSc degree (including a compulsory element in Financial Econometrics), and a less technical MA degree (for which Financial Econometrics is optional). The MSc degree may be more suitable for applicants with some previous background in mathematics, statistics or econometrics, while the MA degree is more suitable for applicants who prefer to adopt a predominantly non-quantitative approach to their studies. However, both degrees include a compulsory module in Research Methods, which includes coverage of both quantitative and non-quantitative research techniques.
The MA Banking and Finance is recognised by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) as the first year of a 1+3 PhD training programme.
January intake: Taught modules are undertaken in the period of January to June and September to January and will involve the study of 120 credits. The dissertation (or equivalent) is valued at 60 credits and is undertaken during the period of June to September.
September intake: Taught modules are undertaken in the period of September to June and will involve the study of 120 credits. The dissertation (or equivalent) is valued at 60 credits and is undertaken during the period of June to September.
Research Methods: This module develops knowledge of intermediate and advanced research methods, and provides a basis in research methodology for those who may eventually wish to pursue research degrees.
Bank Financial Management: This module provides a grounding in the nature, strategic context and managerial functions of financial management in banks, and other financial services firms.
International Financial Markets: This module provides an overview of financial instruments in a multi-currency world, taking account of insights from portfolio theory concerning the relationship between risk and return, the diversification of risk, and the pricing of assets.
International Banking: This module examines the origins of international banking, the activities of international banks, the markets in which they participate, and the sources of risk.
Financial Crises and Bank Regulation: This module examines why banks and financial markets are inherently vulnerable to crises, and analyses the role of policy makers and institutions. The roles of monetary policy, bank supervision and regulation, corporate governance and ratings agencies in mitigating or exacerbating crises are considered.
International Financial Management: In this module the financial management of multinational companies and the influence of macroeconomic, fiscal, currency and political environments on business and financial decision-making are examined in an international and global context.
Islamic Finance: This course provides an insight into topical issues relating to Islamic financial instruments and related risk management issues.
Corporate Risk Management: This module provides an analysis of pure risk and its management.
Financial Institutions Strategic Management: This module examines the main theoretical and practical issues concerning banking business. You will develop a critical awareness of the theory of the banking firm, the motives for international banking, and regulatory and structural issues impacting on bank behaviour.
Financial Analysis: This module analyses the techniques that are used to evaluate a company’s financial position and performance.
Investment Strategy and Portfolio Management: This module evaluates the development of investment strategies for bonds, equities and derivatives that are designed to achieve optimal risk-return outcomes, and examines the measurement and evaluation of the performance of a portfolio of investments.
Islamic Banking: This module provides an insight into the key features of Islamic banking business.
This programme combines a sound basis of advanced knowledge and understanding in the broader and more disparate field of International Studies with the opportunity to choose optional specialist areas of study from among those offered in the School, and other schools such as Modern Languages and Cultures. The particular interests reflected in the choice of options may then be developed through the researching and writing of a dissertation.
Through the programme, you will gain advanced knowledge and understanding of:
Students will take four core modules to the value of 135 credits and optional modules to the value of 45 credits.
Core Modules:
Optional Modules:
Optional modules in previous years have included:
At the beginning of the academic year, students go through five-day induction events in which they are informed about University, the School, the MA/MSc programmes and the facilities available for their learning.
The 180 credits one-year MA degree programme is divided into three core and three optional modules of 15 credits each. Furthermore, students have to submit a dissertation of 75 credits of not more than 15,000 words. Most of the modules are delivered during the first two terms and students spend the remaining time to write the dissertation.
Usually a module has 18 contact hours spread over 9 weeks and 132 hours of self-directed learning. The modules are mainly delivered through weekly 2 hours sessions which can either take the form of seminars or one hour of lecture and one hour of tutorial. The form in which seminars are conducted can differ from one module to another. Typically modules would have elements of lectures, discussions, and presentations from students—the extent of each of these components would differ from one module to another.
All modules have written exercise for formative assessments. Upon getting feedback on these assignments, students can meet their lecturers to discuss their marks before then eventually completing a summative assessment. Typically summative assessments are 3000 word essays but some modules may be assessed by examination. Students can also meet their module coordinators during their weekly contact hours or by making an appointment. When students are working on their dissertations during the later half of the year, they meet their assigned supervisors for a minimum of 6 hours. Students also have access to the academic advisors whenever there is a need.
SGIA has a wide variety of resources available to students such as: computer room/work room with networked PC’s, printing facilities including scanner and photocopier, audio system, Wi-Fi and a relaxation area with satellite television system.
SGIA conducts weekly seminars and organises lectures and conferences which all postgraduate students can attend. These events provide students the opportunity to engage with, and debate, the most important issues in current political and international studies.
Towards the end of the programme students can contact the Careers Office of the University to get advice on available job prospects and get assistance on applying for these.
Our students go on to a wide range of successful careers including civil service and other government agencies, UN/INGOs/CSOs, journalism, media, teaching, law, banking and finance, diplomatic services and risk analysis.
This programme provides you with the systematic knowledge and intellectual tools to critically review developments in the theory and practice of international relations. It enables you to evaluate in a sophisticated and critical fashion concepts, theories and paradigms within the broad field of international relations, drawing lessons from empirical studies involving both quantitative and qualitative investigations.
Students are able to develop their ability to deploy research strategies and methods in an appropriately advanced fashion to critically evaluate current research and advanced scholarship. Each study route aims to provide advanced knowledge and understanding of the dynamics, including cultural and local political and ideological factors, which shape the contemporary international relations of the area.
The course also provides an opportunity for studying international relations and in comparative and historical perspective taking account of regional specific political and economic factors.
Students will take five core modules to the value of 150 credits and optional modules to the value of 30 credits, 15 of which must be from the regional module list.
Core Modules:
European Route Core Module:
Regional Modules:
Non-regional Modules:
In previous years these have included:
At the beginning of the academic year, students go through five-day induction events in which they are informed about University, the School, the MA/MSc programmes and the facilities available for their learning.
The 180 credits one-year MA degree programme is divided into four core and two optional modules of 15 credits each. Furthermore, students have to submit a dissertation of 75 credits of not more than 15,000 words. Most of the modules are delivered during the first two terms and students spend the remaining time to write the dissertation.
Usually a module has 18 contact hours spread over 9 weeks and 132 hours of self-directed learning. The modules are mainly delivered through weekly 2 hours sessions which can either take the form of seminars or one hour of lecture and one hour of tutorial. The form in which seminars are conducted can differ from one module to another. Typically modules would have elements of lectures, discussions, and presentations from students—the extent of each of these components would differ from one module to another.
All modules have written exercise for formative assessments. Upon getting feedback on these assignments, students can meet their lecturers to discuss their marks before then eventually completing a summative assessment. Typically summative assessments are 3000 word essays but some modules may be assessed by examination. Students can also meet their module coordinators during their weekly contact hours or by making an appointment. When students are working on their dissertations during the later half of the year, they meet their assigned supervisors for a minimum of 6 hours. Students also have access to the academic advisors whenever there is a need.
SGIA has a wide variety of resources available to students such as: computer room/work room with networked PC’s, printing facilities including scanner and photocopier, audio system, Wi-Fi and a relaxation area with satellite television system.
SGIA conducts weekly seminars and organises lectures and conferences which all postgraduate students can attend. These events provide students the opportunity to engage with, and debate, the most important issues in current political and international studies.
Towards the end of the programme students can contact the Careers Office of the University to get advice on available job prospects and get assistance on applying for these.
Our students go on to a wide range of successful careers including civil service and other government agencies, UN/INGOs/CSOs, journalism, media, teaching, law, banking and finance, diplomatic services and risk analysis.
This programme provides you with the systematic knowledge and intellectual tools to critically review developments in the theory and practice of international relations. It enables you to evaluate in a sophisticated and critical fashion concepts, theories and paradigms within the broad field of international relations, drawing lessons from empirical studies involving both quantitative and qualitative investigations.
Students are able to develop their ability to deploy research strategies and methods in an appropriately advanced fashion to critically evaluate current research and advanced scholarship. Each study route aims to provide advanced knowledge and understanding of the dynamics, including cultural and local political and ideological factors, which shape the contemporary international relations of the area.
The course also provides an opportunity for studying international relations and in comparative and historical perspective taking account of regional specific political and economic factors.
Students will take five core modules to the value of 150 credits and optional modules to the value of 30 credits, 15 of which must be from the regional module list.
Core Modules:
East Asia Route Core Module:
Regional Modules:
Non-regional Modules:
In previous years these have included:
At the beginning of the academic year, students go through five-day induction events in which they are informed about University, the School, the MA/MSc programmes and the facilities available for their learning.
The 180 credits one-year MA degree programme is divided into four core and two optional modules of 15 credits each. Furthermore, students have to submit a dissertation of 75 credits of not more than 15,000 words. Most of the modules are delivered during the first two terms and students spend the remaining time to write the dissertation.
Usually a module has 18 contact hours spread over 9 weeks and 132 hours of self-directed learning. The modules are mainly delivered through weekly 2 hours sessions which can either take the form of seminars or one hour of lecture and one hour of tutorial. The form in which seminars are conducted can differ from one module to another. Typically modules would have elements of lectures, discussions, and presentations from students—the extent of each of these components would differ from one module to another.
All modules have written exercise for formative assessments. Upon getting feedback on these assignments, students can meet their lecturers to discuss their marks before then eventually completing a summative assessment. Typically summative assessments are 3000 word essays but some modules may be assessed by examination. Students can also meet their module coordinators during their weekly contact hours or by making an appointment. When students are working on their dissertations during the later half of the year, they meet their assigned supervisors for a minimum of 6 hours. Students also have access to the academic advisors whenever there is a need.
SGIA has a wide variety of resources available to students such as: computer room/work room with networked PC’s, printing facilities including scanner and photocopier, audio system, Wi-Fi and a relaxation area with satellite television system.
SGIA conducts weekly seminars and organises lectures and conferences which all postgraduate students can attend. These events provide students the opportunity to engage with, and debate, the most important issues in current political and international studies.
Towards the end of the programme students can contact the Careers Office of the University to get advice on available job prospects and get assistance on applying for these.
Our students go on to a wide range of successful careers including civil service and other government agencies, UN/INGOs/CSOs, journalism, media, teaching, law, banking and finance, diplomatic services and risk analysis.
This programme provides you with the systematic knowledge and intellectual tools to critically review developments in the theory and practice of international relations. It enables you to evaluate in a sophisticated and critical fashion concepts, theories and paradigms within the broad field of international relations, drawing lessons from empirical studies involving both quantitative and qualitative investigations.
Students are able to develop their ability to deploy research strategies and methods in an appropriately advanced fashion to critically evaluate current research and advanced scholarship. Each study route aims to provide advanced knowledge and understanding of the dynamics, including cultural and local political and ideological factors, which shape the contemporary international relations of the area.
The course also provides an opportunity for studying international relations and in comparative and historical perspective taking account of regional specific political and economic factors.
Students will take five core modules to the value of 150 credits and optional modules to the value of 30 credits, 15 of which must be from the regional module list.
Core Modules:
Middle East Route Core Module:
Regional Modules:
Non-regional Modules:
In previous years these have included:
At the beginning of the academic year, students go through five-day induction events in which they are informed about University, the School, the MA/MSc programmes and the facilities available for their learning.
The 180 credits one-year MA degree programme is divided into four core and two optional modules of 15 credits each. Furthermore, students have to submit a dissertation of 75 credits of not more than 15,000 words. Most of the modules are delivered during the first two terms and students spend the remaining time to write the dissertation.
Usually a module has 18 contact hours spread over 9 weeks and 132 hours of self-directed learning. The modules are mainly delivered through weekly 2 hours sessions which can either take the form of seminars or one hour of lecture and one hour of tutorial. The form in which seminars are conducted can differ from one module to another. Typically modules would have elements of lectures, discussions, and presentations from students—the extent of each of these components would differ from one module to another.
All modules have written exercise for formative assessments. Upon getting feedback on these assignments, students can meet their lecturers to discuss their marks before then eventually completing a summative assessment. Typically summative assessments are 3000 word essays but some modules may be assessed by examination. Students can also meet their module coordinators during their weekly contact hours or by making an appointment. When students are working on their dissertations during the later half of the year, they meet their assigned supervisors for a minimum of 6 hours. Students also have access to the academic advisors whenever there is a need.
SGIA has a wide variety of resources available to students such as: computer room/work room with networked PC’s, printing facilities including scanner and photocopier, audio system, Wi-Fi and a relaxation area with satellite television system.
SGIA conducts weekly seminars and organises lectures and conferences which all postgraduate students can attend. These events provide students the opportunity to engage with, and debate, the most important issues in current political and international studies.
Towards the end of the programme students can contact the Careers Office of the University to get advice on available job prospects and get assistance on applying for these.
Our students go on to a wide range of successful careers including civil service and other government agencies, UN/INGOs/CSOs, journalism, media, teaching, law, banking and finance, diplomatic services and risk analysis.
Contemporary security research and policy-making focus heavily on the causes and consequences of violent and non-violent political conflict. This MSc trains students to apply empirical methods to explore the causes of terrorism, civil, and international conflict, the application of military force, humanitarian intervention, and the provision of global public goods.
Students develop an understanding of theoretical approaches and debates in security studies, and the ability to analyse how forms of violent and non-violent political conflict emerge, diffuse, are managed, and are resolved. They gain the qualitative and quantitative research skills required to collect and analyse empirical evidence in a selective and systematic way.
Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits.
The programme consists of three core modules (60 credits), optional modules (60 credits) and a research dissertation (60 credits).
Core modules
Optional modules
Dissertation/report
All MSc students undertake an individual research project which culminates in a dissertation of 10,000 words.
Teaching and learning
The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures and seminars, and is taught by scholars who have subject-specific knowledge and have carried out theoretical and empirical research in the field. Students will be assessed by a variety of methods: unseen examinations, long essays and the dissertation.
Further information on modules and degree structure is available on the department website: Security Studies MSc
For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website.
Graduates of the programme are ideally placed to develop careers in the field of international relations, public policy and political analysis. Many graduates go on to further research study at UCL or other universities in the UK or overseas.
Recent career destinations for this degree
Employability
The Security Studies MSc is designed with the intention of endowing students with an advanced set of methodological skills that enable them to collect and analyse real-world data to test theoretically-informed hypotheses about the sources, impacts, and resolution of various forms of non-violent and violent political conflict. These analytical skills have enabled prior students to gain employment across the sectors, including positions on the civil service fast stream, at private sector political risk firms and banks, and in niche area NGOs and charitable organisations helping to tackle poverty and unrest at home and abroad.
Careers data is taken from the ‘Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education’ survey undertaken by HESA looking at the destinations of UK and EU students in the 2013–2015 graduating cohorts six months after graduation.
UCL Political Science is recognised as a centre of excellence in the field and offers a uniquely stimulating environment for the study of all fields of politics.
Students benefit from weekly seminars featuring distinguished external speakers, and regular high-profile events for policymakers and others.
The research preparation and tailor-made interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary training students receive is one of the highest available in the world, in one of the world's top universities, as reflected in its performance in a range of rankings and tables.
This programme is now closed but you may want to consider other courses such as the Mathematics MSc.
The Financial Mathematics MSc programme enables graduates and professionals with a strong mathematical background to research, develop and apply quantitative and computational techniques to investment and risk management. Based in the Department of Mathematics, this course has a superb reputation for research-led teaching and strong links to industry.
Financial Mathematics studies problems of optimal investment and risk management, and this course covers a diverse range of topics, from classical options pricing to post-crisis investment and risk management
Like any branch of applied mathematics, financial mathematics analyses a given problem by first building a mathematical model for it and then examining the model. Both steps require detailed knowledge in different areas of mathematics, including probability, statistics, optimisation, computer science and many more traditional fields of mathematics.
Our Financial Mathematics MSc course is a unique study pathway that encompasses the essential skills required for successful risk management, trading and research in quantitative finance: probability, statistics, optimisation, computing and financial markets. You will explore probability theories, risk neutral valuation, stochastic analysis as well as interest rate and credit risk modules. We also offer you the opportunity to study an additional zero-credit supportive module called mathematical analysis for financial mathematics.
The Financial Mathematics MSc programme offers you the choice to study either full or part-time and is made up of optional and required modules. You must take modules totalling 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 programme will take two years to complete, you will study the required modules in the first year, and a further selection of required and optional modules including the 60-credit financial mathematics report module in your second year.
Bloomberg terminal laboratory
King’s is one of only a few academic departments in the UK that offers full access to Bloomberg terminals. These terminals will provide you access to live financial data. They are heavily used within the financial industry, and the data they provide is critical in assisting traders in making investment decisions and for risk managers monitoring investment probabilities. We have 13 Bloomberg terminals available for exclusive use by the Financial Mathematics MSc programme.
You will use the Bloomberg terminals to:
The skills you will learn from using the terminals are highly valued by employers. King’s is part of a strong network of financial mathematics in London with connections both in academia and in the industry.
We are also members of the University of London and by arrangement, you can enrol in optional modules at other institutions within the University of London, which includes Birkbeck, London School of Economics and Political Sciences, University College London and many others.
This programme is suitable for students or professionals with a strong mathematical background. It covers the principles and techniques of quantitative finance to prepare students for advanced work in the financial sector or research in mathematical finance.
Teaching
We use lectures, seminars and group tutorials to deliver most of the modules on the programme. You will also be expected to undertake a significant amount of independent study.
Average per week: Three hours for 11 weeks per each 15 credit module.
You are expected to spend approximately 10 hours of effort for each credit (so for a typical module of 15 credits this means 150 hours of effort).
Assessment
The primary method of assessment for this course is a combination of written examinations, essays, coursework and individual or group projects and oral presentations.
Our graduates are highly sought after by investment banks, corporate risk management units, insurance companies, fund management institutions, financial regulatory bodies, brokerage firms, and trading companies. Recent employers of our graduates include, Capital Investment, Credit Suisse, European Bank for Reconstruction & Development, Fitch Ratings, HSBC and Morgan & Stanley. Some graduates have pursued research degrees in financial mathematics.
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