This programme provides dynamic and interdisciplinary analysis into fields of conflict studies and theories and concepts on violence, terrorism studies and international security. The MA in VTS helps students develop a critical and analytical approach to problems in history and the contemporary world in these three core areas. It challenges accepted wisdom and opens up the debate about the role of violence in relation to political power in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Successfully completing the MA can enhance students' opportunities for career advancement by developing their knowledge and skills, including the independent research skills required for the dissertation.
Course Details
Six taught modules, plus a dissertation of no more than 15,000 words.
Students will take:
3 core modules/classes in the autumn term:
2 core modules/classes in the spring term
Plus one elective module/class from the following:
Over the summer term students complete a 15,000 word MA dissertation
Some recent MA VTS dissertation topics have included:
Assessment and Feedback
Assessment and Feedback are continuous throughout the course of study.
Students are provided a range of assessment approaches, both formal and informal as well as formative and summative, in order to enhance the student learning experience and improve student attainment. Each module typically consists of two or three main pieces of assessment and can include essays, policy reports, simulations, presentations, among other forms of assessment.
Feedback is provided throughout the VTS programme for continuous student reflection and growth. Teachers provide thorough and systematic feedback on assessed work. Feedback is also available from your personal tutor as well as via various support mechanisms and training courses in the university, such as via the Student Guidance Centre.
Career Prospects
The MA in VTS provides you with the essential transferable skills and in-depth knowledge of theories and issues in the areas of violence, security and terrorism for career development at any stage, from students straight from an undergraduate degree with limited to no prior professional experience to those seeking continued professional development. The programme enables you to broaden your horizons providing you with a competitive edge in a global graduate market in a wide variety of areas such as the security sector, including intelligence agencies, government agencies and public office, the military, NGOs, academia, businesses and corporations, and the media among many other possibilities.
We are proud that many of our graduates have gone to serve in the most senior ranks of a number of National Police Services, and Law Enforcement Agencies, Border and Immigration Control, National Armed Forces including the US Army, US Air Force, US Secret Service, British Army and Irish Defence Forces. Our graduates also work as senior government policy advisers in a variety of different countries, including the State Department in the USA, in international NGOs in diverse parts of the globe including major conflict zones, other graduates have gone into international security consultancy, and many have worked in the media, and others have gone on to successful careers working for international business in a variety of capacities. The MA also provides the research skills and knowledge to carry out a PhD to pursue, as a number of our graduates have done, an academic career.
Why Queen's
Visit our website for more information on fees, scholarships, postgraduate loans and other funding options to study American Studies at Swansea University - 'Welsh University of the Year 2017' (Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2017).
The MA by Research in American Studies helps to develop an understanding of the forces that have moulded and continue to shape America, and helps us to make sense of our contemporary world. The comparative study of the history and culture of the United States addresses themes such as immigration, democracy, slavery, imperialism, multiculturalism, religion, the economy and, more recently, terrorism. These issues do not just concern the past; they are directly relevant to the world we live in.
The MA by Research in American Studies is ideal for those who want:
- an MA qualification in areas where taught programmes are not offered;
- the experience of a research degree without committing to a PhD at the outset.
Research proposals are invited on any topic in American Studies for which staff in the Department of Political and Cultural Studies can provide supervision. It is a good idea to enter into discussions about your research project in American Studies with the Department's Director of Postgraduate Research, Professor Roland Axtmann ([email protected]), before drawing up an initial proposal and starting the application process.
The Department of Political and Cultural Studies (PCS) boasts a dynamic research environment with a committed staff all of whom are research-active. Academic members of staff have a very considerable range of research interests on which we offer supervision for research degrees in American Studies.
An MA by Research in American Studies gives you the chance to pursue a major research project based around your own passions and interests in American Studies, leading to a qualification which can open the door to an academic career or boost employment prospects outside academia. It will give you the freedom to explore a topic of your choosing and develop a methodology under the close supervision of two experienced academics but without attending regular classes as required in taught programmes.
Typically as a student of the MA by Research in American Studies programme you will work closely with your supervisors, meeting them regularly, in many instances fortnightly, in the first term and at regular intervals thereafter. Meetings are logged and goals agreed each time.
Students enrolled in the MA by Research American Studies are required to attend skills and training courses at College and University level. You may also be expected to give presentations to other research students and staff at departmental seminars and attend the postgraduate conference of the College of Arts and Humanities which is held in October.
At any one time, the department has over forty research students who work together with their supervisors on their projects.
In the area of American Studies, staff have expertise in the American Civil War; US foreign policy; the US ‘War on Drugs’; US politics and government; surveillance and urban America; American conservatism; the Spanish Civil War; American military history; the American West; New South; 20th century American literature, film and popular culture.
Discover more about the Department of Political and Cultural Studies:
http://www.swansea.ac.uk/politics
The Master of Peace and Conflict Studies is an inter-disciplinary programme providing students with an advanced qualification in peace and conflict studies, development and peacebuilding. Drawing upon national and international expertise in the field, this programme will position graduates for a wide range of career options in the public and private sectors as academic researchers and as practitioners and policy makers in fields such as conflict analysis and resolution, peace-building, and post-conflict transformation.
This programme (which replaces the Postgraduate Diploma in Arts (PGDipArts) in Peace and Conflict Studies) combines theory and practice with a solid research component and is regionally focused on Asia and the Pacific.
PEAC 501 Theories of Peace and Conflict
PEAC 502 Conflict Analysis and Conflict Resolution Theory
PEAC 590 Research Dissertation or PEAC 595 Practicum and Research Report
and two of
The Master in Advanced European and International Studies - Mediterranean studies (MAEIS) provides an overarching and extensive view of the political, social, economic and cultural issues of the globalised world. The MAEIS is an international, interdisciplinary and itinerant programme which aims to educate the next generation of Euro-Mediterranean decision-makers. Following the slogan "Learning and living the Mediterranean", the participants rotate each trimester, moving their place of studies from Nice to Tunis and then Istanbul including a workshop in Rome. The programme is structured into three terms and is taught in English and French.
The first term (October to January) starts in the European Union, in Nice, France. It encompasses classes on the basics of the five modules (Conflict Management and Peace Making, Sustainable Development and Globalisation, Regional Integration and Transformation, Mediterranean Politics and Societies as well as Professional Skills Workshops). Studying in France helps the students to analyse the Mediterranean region and Euro-Mediterranean relations from an EU perspective. Courses will introduce to the institutional architecture of the EU and its neighbourhood policy. They will also discuss the shared risks of populism, terrorism and climate change. Mid-term exams will take place in December. The trimester concludes with a simulation exercise.
The second term (January to April) starts off in Tunis, Tunisia. Our partner, the Université Internationale de Tunis, is famous for its integration of international students in Tunisia. Thanks to our partner, the Institut de Recherche sur le Maghreb Contemporain (IRMC), students will have access to the expertise and the library of one of the most renowned think tanks in the Maghreb. Researchers from the region will analyse transformation processes in the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean in times of globalisation. Studying in Tunisia will provide the students with a unique experience of a historic democratisation process that turns the nobelpeace-prize winning country into a role model throughout the MENA region. For non-Arab speakers an Arab language course is compulsory.
A study trip to Rome will take place during the 2nd or the 3rd term. Here, a special focus will be given to Foreign Policy Analysis (EU, Russia, US, Iran), as well as migration, poverty and food security, including visits of relevant UN institutions and conférences at our Partner, the renowned think tank, Istituto Affari INternazionali (IAI).
The programme concludes in Istanbul, Turkey (April to July) where the courses are organised in cooperation with our long-term partner, the Istanbul Bilgi University. Courses will deal with the changing EU-Turkey relations. Students will have the opportunity to advance in their research work, as they are free of obligations from mid-May to mid-June to work on their thesis. The programme concludes with the defence of the thesis and oral exams. With their graduation on the Bosphorus, students become part of CIFE’s worldwide Alumni network.
The Mediterranean is a case study par excellence for Peace and Conflict Studies. Understanding and explaining questions of war and peace has been at the heart of „International Relations“ as an academic discipline – from its very beginning, after the First World War. In the last two decades Mediterranean societies have been significantly affected by inter-group violence and inter-state conflicts: from the Western Balkans to Cyprus, from Israel to Palestine, from Syria to Lybia. Mediterranean conflicts are partly characterised by external interventions. The module will focus at causes and dynamics of escalation and de-escalation, including international law and peace-making in a multiperspective approach. Theories on violence and peace will help to analyse the case studies proposed.
The Mediterranean in the 21st century faces unprecedented economic, environmental and social challenges. As economic development exercises increased pressure on limited resources, deteriorates the environment and creates growing inequalities, Mediterranean economies struggle to find their way through these challenges. An introduction into economics as an academic discipline will set the ground for a regional analysis of sustainable development, energy policies, climate action and demographic dynamics.
The European Union became a model of regional integration. Nation states agreed to transform their sovereignity into a multi-level governance system sui generis to keep regional peace, increase welfare and economic power. How is the dynamic architecture of European institutions functioning – in times of both Europeanisation and Euroscepticism? And to what extent are the Arab League or the Union for the Mediterranean comparable models of regional integration?
Regional integration is primarily an elite-driven, government-sponsored transformation process. However, socio-economic and political change can be triggered by civil society and social movements, as the „Arab Spring“ has shown transregionally in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Change and continuity differ significantly in the MENA-region. Why? And which repercussions for the Union for the Mediterranean?
Mediterranean Politics are shaped by an interplay of different policy fields and policy actors. Theories of International Relations (i.e. Foreign Policy Analysis, Migration Theories) will help to understand the dynamics of policy making towards and in the Mediterranean region. Migration constitutes a challenging and complex policy field throughout the Mediterranean.
In a second part of this module we will approach Mediterranean societies with a generational focus upon „youth“. The current number of youth in the Mediterranean is unprecedented. Meanwhile, youth unemployment is a phenomenon that nearly all Mediterranean societies have in common. At the crossroads of theory and practice this module will identify solutions to the challenges the young generation faces in the Mediterranean.
The participants will take part in negotiation and mediation trainings, simulation games and follow career workshops as well as workshops on project cycle management and intercultural communication.
Candidates can submit their application via the online application form. They should also include all the relevant documents, or send them by e-mail. An academic committee meets regularly in order to review complete applications.
A limited number of scholarships can be awarded to particularly qualified candidates. There are different funds available for this programme.
The application deadline is 30 June of the current year
The programme is directed to anyone interested in foreign politics as well as international economic relations and basic legal issues. Each and every student has to take the core courses in both European and Asian studies. All students are required to study either French or German. In addition, several other European languages as well as Mandarin Chinese, Japanese and Korean can be taken as free electives.
The programme is unique in the region because of its balanced attitude towards the European Union and Asia-Pacific area. Teaching is supported by research in both directions. Cooperation partners abroad include Bologna University, Stanford University, Canterbury University in New Zealand, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Pusan National University, Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies and many other outstanding centres of social sciences all over the world.
The two-year Master’s program in International Relations and European-Asian Studies builds upon bachelor studies and is designed to prepare specialists with the potential to work in various areas of International Relations such as diplomacy and the conduct of foreign relations as well as mass media, policy planning or academic research etc. The program aims to provide students with the necessary knowledge and skills to take advantage of an increasing range of professional opportunities of an international dimension. The students can develop their specialisation in the narrower fields of political, legal and economic studies.
The students obtain a solid basic knowledge and skills in planning and doing research in their field. They learn about the basics and latest developments in theories of political science and international relations. Current issues on the scene of international life today are frequently discussed in class with a special focus on the problems concerning security, conflict resolution and terrorism. The students take a special module concerning European-Asian studies, including European/Asian politics, economy and EU law. This educational background offers them the possibility to obtain excellent qualifications for a successful career in the EU and Asian institutions. In addition, academic career is open for those willing to pursue it.
The Department of International Relations at Tallinn University of Technology offers advanced programmes in the field of International Relations at the Bachelor and Master level, which are unique in the region. International Relations as an interdisciplinary field of social science typically consists of international politics, international law and international economy. These fields are in the main focus of our programmes. Concerning teaching the law courses, we are developing cooperation with The Tallinn Law School. In addition, there is an emphasis on courses introducing the history and basics of diplomacy, security studies, political and cultural communication, etc. Our students learn about the foundation, historical development and current trends of the democratic society in the international context. Language-based area studies are becoming an important research focus of the department. This brings us into direct contact with the developing world. Our students have the requirement to learn at least two foreign languages.
In addition, our students have an opportunity to take or choose from seven Asia-related courses framed by the interdisciplinary joint educational module that is offered by our university as well as Tartu and Tallinn University. The aforementioned module is called ‘Asian Societies, Economy and Politics’.
The graduates of our programmes have a wide range of opportunities open in front them. They can work in different types of institutions ranging from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and embassies to several kinds of international organisations and companies in both public and private sectors.
Besides local Professors, the faculty comes from a large variety of different regions of the world, i.e., the USA, Spain, 1 Netherlands, Italy, New Zealand, Japan and Ukraine. The faculty members have solid academic background and substantial teaching experience. In addition, we have interesting practitioners with a background in diplomacy, foreign office and other areas of political activity as part time faculty. Our cooperation partners abroad include Bologna University, Stanford University, Canterbury University in New Zealand, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Pusan National University, Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies and many other outstanding centers of social sciences all over the world.
Our graduates work in different types of foreign services, including diplomatic ones. They can be political analysts and observers in the media or work for private companies that are active internationally. Our graduates have been employed in the organisations adjacent to the EU. But we can also find a commander of an anti-piracy squad among them. We are aiming at keeping the brightest graduates as the reserve for our own faculty.
Our graduates can continue their studies in doctoral programmes of a large variety, specialising in International Relations and Political Science, European Studies, Asian-Pacific Studies, Conflict Resolution, Intercultural Communication, etc.
Drawing on the School’s research strengths in international security and sub-state conflicts, this programme addresses the phenomena of terrorism and insurgency in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.
It will introduce you to the history of terrorism, from state sponsored terrorism in the Cold War period and urban terrorists in Western Europe to the emergence of radical Islamism in the form of Al-Qaeda and ISIS. You will explore the dilemmas of preserving democratic liberties whilst developing counter-terrorism strategies and assessing the necessity and effectiveness of anti-terrorism legislation in the UK, the US and beyond.
You will consider the wider political context and causes of radicalisation and terrorist violence, including the analysis of situations in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Syria and Iraq as well as an in-depth study of the geo-politics of the Middle East.
Academic excellence
Our department is one of the largest and most diverse in the UK and our academics are widely recognised as leading experts in their field. Our research-led teaching is directly informed by the cutting-edge research that occurs around research clusters on ‘The Responsibility to Protect and Prosecute’ and ‘Contemporary Democracy and Authoritarianism’ as well as the Middle East Research Group.
The key strength of our research culture is an approach to academic enquiry which openly embraces normative and empirical approaches in the study of terrorism, insurgency, UK and US foreign policies, security governance in fragile states, post-Cold War conceptions of international society at a global level, as well as within the context of regional politics in Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and East and Southeast Asia.
This unique programme offers you not only the chance to delve deep into the academic analysis of (counter-) terrorism and (counter-) insurgency, but also provides you with the freedom to develop your expertise on a range of security challenges on a global (climate change, conflict resolution, globalisation and conflict, human rights, poverty, post-conflict reconstruction, religious radicalism) and regional level.
The compulsory modules studied will give you the opportunity to:
You will also be able to hone your research and writing skills in your compulsory dissertation – an independent piece of research on your chosen topic.
The wide-ranging list of optional modules means that you can explore a diverse range of related subjects of interest to you.
If you are a part-time student, you will take 30 credits worth of compulsory modules and choose 30 credits worth of optional modules in your first year. You will then take the compulsory dissertation module and 60 credits worth of optional modules in your second year to complete your programme.
Compulsory modules
Optional modules
Teaching is through a combination of lectures, lively seminar discussions and guided weekly readings. We expect you to participate fully in taught sessions and to study independently, developing your skills and preparing for lectures and seminars.
You will also be able to benefit from an impressive range of research talks and seminars led by outside speakers or colleagues from within the department and University.
Within modules, assessment currently consists exclusively of assessed essays. At the end of your studies, a 12,000 word dissertation will allow you to pursue your own research interest under close supervision by one of our expert colleagues.
This programme provides you with an ideal preparation for a career in the international political arena.
Our graduates have pursued a range of exciting and high-profile careers within academia, think tanks and other organisations. These include: teaching and research positions at universities in the UK, US, Europe and Africa; the public sector in the UK (such as UK Border Agency), Europe (including the External Action Service) and Africa (such as police forces); globally operating consultancy and publishing firms; transnational civil society organisations; and the United Nations.
Many graduates continue to pursue their research interests as PhD students.
We encourage you to prepare for your career from day one. That’s one of the reasons Leeds graduates are so sought after by employers.
The Careers Centre and staff in your faculty provide a range of help and advice to help you plan your career and make well-informed decisions along the way, even after you graduate. Find out more at the Careers website.
This MSc, designed by a panel of academic departments, industrial partners and law enforcement and security agencies, introduces students to the fundamental knowledge, core expertise and advanced, evidence-driven methodological tools and approaches required to understand, analyse, prevent, disrupt and detect organised crime and terrorism.
Students develop an understanding of how science, engineering and a variety of professional disciplines can contribute to tackling organised crime and terrorism. By the end of the programme, they will be able to apply appropriate scientific principles and methods to security problems, think strategically to develop and implement countermeasures, and appreciate the complexity involved in the design and implementation of organised crime and terrorism threat-reduction technologies.
Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits.
Students are required to complete five core modules (75 credits), three optional modules (45 credits), and a dissertation (60 credits).
A Postgraduate Diploma comprising five core modules (75 credits) and three optional modules (45 credits), and which may lead to the MSc, is offered.
Core modules
Optional modules
Students choose three of the following:
NB: places for optional modules are awarded on a first-come first-served basis.
Dissertation/report
All MSc students undertake an independent research project which culminates in a dissertation of 10,000 words.
Teaching and learning
The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars, tutorials, projects and laboratory classes. Student performance is assessed through laboratory and project reports, unseen written examination, coursework, presentations, and the research project and dissertation.
Further information on modules and degree structure is available on the department website: Countering Organised Crime and Terrorism MSc
This unique linking of organised crime and terrorism, and the study of methodologies that can practically tackle both of these areas, means that this MSc holds appeal for employers across a broad range of industries.
Recent career destinations for this degree
Employability
This programme equips students with the knowledge to develop operational strategies to counter organised crime and terrorism. This unique linking of organised crime and terrorism, and the study of methodologies that can practically tackle both of these areas, means that this MSc holds appeal for employers across a broad range of industries.
Each year we ask our graduates to tell us about their experience of the programme and their career after leaving UCL and we include some real-life graduate profiles on our website.
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.
The UCL Jill Dando Institute, of which UCL Security & Crime Science is the core component, is the first research institution in the world devoted specifically to reducing crime through teaching, research, public policy analysis and by the dissemination of evidence-based information on crime reduction.
This MSc programme is delivered by experienced practitioners and researchers working in counter-terrorism, intelligence, law enforcement, risk assessment and security technology. It boasts a unique multidisciplinary platform, being the only postgraduate programme of its kind in the world taught in a faculty of engineering sciences, integrating the cutting-edge of the social and engineering sciences in the security domain.
Our graduate students come from varied backgrounds; many are practitioners and are encouraged to contribute their experience in and out of the classroom.
The Research Excellence Framework, or REF, is the system for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions. The 2014 REF was carried out by the UK's higher education funding bodies, and the results used to allocate research funding from 2015/16.
Learn more about the scope of UCL's research, and browse case studies, on our Research Impact website.
This cutting-edge MA programme explores the sources and consequences of political violence and terrorism, as well as the crucial ethical questions involved. It should appeal to students interested in careers in foreign services, security, some non-governmental or intergovernmental organisations, and many areas of the private sector.
We offer a flexible programmes and a wide choice of modules (part-time students also welcome).
In the Department of Political Science and International Studies we offer much more than a degree. As a student here, you have the opportunity to take part in a wide range of events, with some or all of the costs paid for by the School.
This cutting-edge MA programme explores the sources and consequences of political violence and terrorism, as well as the crucial ethical questions involved. It should appeal to students interested in careers in foreign services, security, some non-governmental or intergovernmental organisations, and many areas of the private sector.
Issues and topics examined include:
One of the real strengths of our masters programmes is the wide range of available modules, giving students the ability to tailor their course of study to their own academic interests.
More information on: International Relations MA (with specialist pathways)
We advocate an enquiry-based approach to learning, which means that we encourage you to become an independent and self-motivated learner. Through the programme of study we offer, we will develop the qualities that employers value in today's university graduates - qualities that will set you apart in your future career.
To help you develop the above-mentioned skills, we adopt a range of teaching methods. They may include:
Our lecturers and tutors will ensure you have all the resources you need to make the transition from A levels to the more rigorous demands of a degree.
Skills gained
You will gain specialist knowledge of the following:
You will also have the opportunity to learn about other fields within the broader disciplines of political science and international relations through your choice of optional modules.
Learning and teaching
Learning and teaching methods are based centrally on:
Assessments vary according to module but may involve a combination of essays, presentations and written examination.
More about teaching and learning at the University of Birmingham.
Enhancing your student experience
In the School of Government and Society we offer much more than a degree. As a student here, whether undergraduate or postgraduate, you have the opportunity to take part in a wide range of events, with some or all of the costs paid for by the School.
Some of these are targeted to help you build skills and experience for your CV, others are more open events designed to expose you to high-level speakers on current debates relevant to all Government and Society students.
Read more of our students' experiences and profiles on the school website.
Did you know there are 19 Spanish/Portuguese speaking nations in America? These populations are growing and with them a growing need for specialists with knowledge of politics, relationships, power and globalisation and its effects on these populations. There are wide ranging careers to go into with a degree in Latin American Studies. These can be within diplomacy and civil service, advocacy, government and foreign embassies, or media relations and journalism. You can also go on to study a PhD in your chosen area of specialism and devote your career to becoming an expert.
A truly interdisciplinary degree, the Latin American Studies Programme draws on expertise from both Hispanic Studies in the School of Modern Languages and the Department of Politics and International Relations. The degree consists of both core courses (including Culture and Society in Latin America; Themes in Latin American Studies; Strategic Studies in Latin America) and a variety of electives (including Spanish language), which will allow students to tailor their own degree to their specific interests.
Semester 1
Optional
Semester 2
Optional
Semester 3
Find out more detail by visiting the programme web page
Find out about fees:
Find out more from the programme page
*Please be advised that some programmes have different tuition fees from those listed above and that some programmes also have additional costs.
View all funding options on our funding database via the programme page and the latest postgraduate opportunities
Find out more about:
Find out more about living in Aberdeen and living costs
