Our War Studies MA explores the phenomenon of war and conflict, along with its causes, conduct and consequences, from historical, political, philosophical, military and sociological viewpoints. We have designed this course expressly to enhance your employability and support your professional career development
War is a key aspect of human experience, and people have long sought to understand it from a diverse range of perspectives. You will study alongside historians, social scientists, philosophers, jurists and artists, benefitting from their perspectives and those of the students around you.
We will provide you with an intellectual ‘toolbox’ composed of skills and techniques drawn from a range of disciplines associated with the humanities and social sciences. We will not train you as a specialist historian, philosopher, strategist, etc., but you will be introduced to elements of various disciplines that are relevant to the study of war. The challenge lies in combining them in order to achieve a sophisticated and rounded understanding of the subject.
The course will appeal if you are a student of politics, history or strategic studies or if you are a professional in defence, diplomacy or foreign affairs who wants to reflect on the broader implications of your experiences.
To introduce the field of war studies to graduate students and professionals who have an interest in deepening their understanding of war. You will gain an understanding of the phenomenon of war and conflict, along with its causes, conduct and consequences, from historical, political, philosophical, military and sociological viewpoints. The programme will appeal to students from a wide range of backgrounds including politics, history and strategic studies; and professionals in defence, diplomacy and foreign affairs wanting to reflect on the broader implications of their experiences.
Teaching
For lectures, seminars and feedback you will typically have 2 hours per week for two terms per 40-credit module. This can be split into 1 lecture + 1 seminar or other combinations thereof. You will also have 360 hours of self-study. Typically, 1 credit equates to 10 hours of work.
For the dissertation module, you will have our central departmental workshops (2 hours each) and three to
four sessions with the supervisor during which you will develop your dissertation topic, identify a research question, an approach to answering it, including selection of appropriate methods for gathering and using evidence. The timing of these three to four sessions is up to the student and advisor to arrange. These will complement the 588 hours of self-study.
Assessment
The study time and assessment methods detailed above are typical and give you a good indication of what to expect.
War Studies Graduates go on to work for NGOs, the FCO, the MOD, the Home Office, NATO, the UN or pursue careers in journalism, finance, academia, the diplomatic services, the armed forces and more. Recent posts held by our alumni include Threat Analyst, Director of Political Violence Forecasting, Research Advisor at NATO Defence College, Foreign Policy Fellow.
An understanding of war, for good or ill, is of vital importance. This programme offers the opportunity to study the theory and practice of war in a wide range of aspects, from the Middle Ages to the present day, and from causes to consequences.
You will spend the first semester studying on the degree’s core course which covers both the major thinkers on warfare and the practice and conduct of war.
In the second semester, you will take three optional courses which delve in greater detail into a particular aspect of military or strategic history.
You will complete the programme by writing a dissertation based on your own research. This requires you to engage in original research guided by an expert in the field.
The programme provides an excellent platform for you to move onto PhD studies and an academic career.
Positions held by recent graduates include Development Director, Professor, Correspondent, and Freelance Journalist.
The Second World War attracts more academic, media and public interest than any other event in history, and it is an integral part of school and further/higher education curricula. This programme will enable you to study the subject in detail, to update your knowledge, and to become familiar with the use of personal accounts, including interviews and testimonies. You will be taught by experts in the field, and you will carry out your own research in your favourite area.
You will study in depth some of the key issues in the military, political, and social history of the Second World War, such as strategy, diplomacy and politics of Axis and Allied forces, the war in the air, the victory campaign in the West, and the war in the East, including life under German occupation, the fate of societies under the conditions of total war, and last but not least, the Holocaust.
Our part-time Master’s programme will enable you to explore the history of the Second World War. Special consideration will be given to military conflicts, societies at war, and the Holocaust.
You will be guided by a team of historians with the highest international reputation, led by Professor John Buckley and Professor Johannes-Dieter Steinert. The team includes Professor Gary Sheffield, Professor Stephen Badsey; and you will in addition be taught by other international scholars such as Professor John Gooch, Professor Martin Alexander, and Dr Peter Gray.
You will benefit from our international scholarly activities, among them the multidisciplinary conference series “Beyond Camps and Forced Labour. Current International Research on Survivors of Nazi Persecution” (Imperial War Museums, London), “Children and War: Past and Present” (in association with the UN Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict), battlefield tour/study trips to Normandy and the Low Countries and the University of Wolverhampton’s oral history programme and archive.
Successful completion of the course will enhance your career prospects and could lead to a specialised career in museums, education, armed forces, or as a battlefield guide, along with more general arts-related careers.
It will be particularly relevant to researchers, teachers, journalists, political and central government professionals, civil servants, military professionals, charity and campaign workers.
Attainment of the MA degree could also lead to doctoral research.
At the end of this course you will be able to:
Based in the Department of War Studies, our MA History of War examines the social, cultural and operational aspects of war from broad historiographical and interdisciplinary perspectives. With close links to the Department of History and the Institute of Contemporary British History, you can study most aspects of the history of armed conflict and society from the late medieval period to the present day.
Our course challenges you to examine war from broad historiographical and interdisciplinary perspectives, taking as a given that the history of warfare cannot be isolated from the study of general history. It encompasses more than what usually falls into the category of military history to include war from the viewpoint of combatants, societies, economies and cultures across the landscape of modern history, and in the spirit of war studies draws on the literature and methodology of other academic disciplines where appropriate.
Our MA History of War aims to equip you with the knowledge, understanding and skills you require to progress to advanced research in the field. To that end, it has been created with a compulsory module focused on research and analytical skills, supported by a range of optional modules addressing individual aspects of the history of warfare over time and across a wide geographical and thematic range. Our course prepares you for future doctoral research into the history of warfare and related fields. It can also be taken as a free-standing master’s degree if you are interested in warfare in the past and the intellectual, methodological and practical skills essential to its study.
Our course offers you the opportunity to engage critically with the methods, materials and debates inherent in the study of the history of warfare.
Teaching
For lectures, seminars and feedback, you will typically have two hours per week over two 10-week terms. This can be split into one lecture + one seminar or combinations thereof, You will also have 360 hours of self-study. Typically, one credit equates to 10 hours of work.
For the dissertation module, you will have 12 hours of training workshop/ supervision, to complement the 588 hours of self-study.
Assessment
War Studies Graduates go on to work for NGOs, the FCO, the MOD, the Home Office, NATO, the UN or pursue careers in journalism, finance, academia, the diplomatic services, the armed forces and more. Recent posts held by our alumni include Threat Analyst, Director of Political Violence Forecasting, Research Advisor at NATO Defence College, Foreign Policy Fellow.
Our MA International Peace & Security consists of a broad-based multidisciplinary curriculum, focusing on law and conflict in international society and contemporary security issues. It is ideal if you are looking for a career in international organisations, government departments, political risk and financial sector, further research/PhD or professional legal studies.
Our course was launched by the School of Law and the Department of War Studies in response to the rapidly changing world after the Cold War. We combine the strengths of both departments to provide you with an integrated study of international law and international politics relevant to the contemporary world. This type of study is necessitated by the major changes in international peace and security which have taken place in recent years.
Our MA will give students of international relations, historians and political scientists a deeper knowledge of international law; narrow the existing gap between international lawyers and international relations specialists; and educate people who could work in international organisations (both inter-governmental and non-governmental), in government, or teach international law and politics.
Teaching
Per 40-credit module, you will typically have two hours per week over two 10-week terms. This can be split into one lecture + one seminar or combinations thereof, as well as 360 hours of self-study. Typically, one credit equates to 10 hours of work.
For the dissertation module, you will have 12 hours of training workshops and supervision to complement the 588 hours of self-study.
Assessment
Most 20 to 40-credit modules are assessed through a combination of essays (3000-6000 words), oral vivas, and/or exams.
The dissertation module assessment will be based on a 100% dissertation assignment (up to 15,000 words).
War Studies Graduates go on to work for NGOs, the FCO, the MOD, the Home Office, NATO, the UN or pursue careers in journalism, finance, academia, the diplomatic services, the armed forces and more. Recent posts held by our alumni include Threat Analyst, Director of Political Violence Forecasting, Research Advisor at NATO Defence College, Foreign Policy Fellow.
This distinctive full-time MA programme provides you with an opportunity to study the history and historiography of warfare from a multi-disciplinary and multi-period perspective.
A thorough grounding is provided in research methods and in the historiography and economics of warfare, while a wide choice of options complements the broad range of possible dissertation subjects that can be supported by our staff.
Times Higher Education ranked the Department of History first in the country for its performance in the latest Research Excellence Framework exercise.
All students will study three core modules:
Students who did not take the BA War Studies degree at the University of Birmingham will also study an additional core module: Writing the History of Warfare.
Those who did not take the BA War Studies degree will then take 40 credits of optional modules, while University of Birmingham BA War Studies graduates will take 60 credits of optional modules. These are chosen from:
See modules tab below for more information on available options.
Assessment
Modules are assessed by written assignment and you will also complete a 15,000-word dissertation.
This programme is delivered through our Centre for War Studies, so you’ll be taught by academics who are experts in their field., so you’ll be taught by academics who are experts in their field.
Learning and teaching takes place via seminars, tutorials, work on primary sources, and reading texts on theory and methods.
Support with academic writing
As a postgraduate student in the College of Arts and Law, you have access to the Academic Writing Advisory Service (AWAS) which aims to help your transition from undergraduate to taught Masters level, or back into academia after time away. The service offers guidance on writing assignments and dissertations for your MA/MSc programme with individual support from an academic writing advisor via tutorials, email and the provision of online materials.
International students can access support for English Language development and skills through the Birmingham International Academy (BIA).
Your degree will provide excellent preparation for employment and this will be further enhanced by a range of employability support services offered by the University.
The University's Careers Network provides advice and information specifically for postgraduates that will help you to develop an effective career and skills development strategy, and to make the most of your time with us at the University. The College of Arts and Law also has a dedicated careers and employability team to deliver tailored programmes of careers events and local support.
You will have opportunities to: meet employers face-to-face at on-campus recruitment fairs; attend employer presentations and skills workshops; receive individual guidance on your job applications, writing your CV and improving your interview technique; and access to comprehensive listings of hundreds of graduate jobs and work experience opportunities.
You will also be able to access our full range of careers support for up to two years after graduation.
Postgraduate employability: History
Birmingham’s History graduates develop a broad range of transferable skills that are highly valued by a range of employers. These skills include: familiarity with research methods; the ability to manage large quantities of information from diverse sources; the ability to organise information in a logical and coherent manner; the expertise to write clearly and concisely and to tight deadlines; critical and analytical ability; the capacity for argument, debate and speculation; and the ability to base conclusions on statistical research.
Some of our History postgraduates go on to use their studies directly, for example in heritage, museums or the armed forces; others use their transferable skills in a range of occupations from finance, to publishing, to fundraising. Employers that graduates have gone on to work for include: Royal Air Force; Ministry of Defence; University of Birmingham; Big Lottery Fund; Royal Air Force Museum; and University of Oxford.
Our Non-Proliferation & International Security MA course will enable you to examine the causes, processes and effects of weapons proliferation, the evolution and effectiveness of the international non-proliferation regime, and the way in which proliferation influences other issues in international relations. You will use knowledge and tools of analysis from history, political science, the hard sciences, philosophy and sociology to explore the topic from a variety of perspectives.
The development and spread of weapons technology has been, and continues to be of central importance in international relations, with growing concerns about the spread of chemical, biological and nuclear (CBN) weapons and their means of delivery to both state and non-state actors. Our MA course will enable you to examine the causes, processes and effects of weapons proliferation, the evolution and effectiveness of the international nonproliferation regime, and the way in which proliferation influences other key issues in international relations.
Our course is for graduates and professionals with an interest in understanding the causes, processes and effects of weapons proliferation, the evolution and effectiveness of the international non-proliferation regime, and the way in which proliferation influences other key issues in international relations.
Teaching
For lectures, seminars and feedack you will typically have 40 hours (two hours per week for two semesters)per 40-credit module, as well as 360 hours of self-study. For the dissertation module, you will have 12 hours of dissertation workshops and supervision to complement the 588 hours of self-study. Typically, one credit equates to 10 hours of work.
Assessment
Most modules will be assessed through a combination of essays, presentation, oral vivas and/or exams.
The dissertation module assessment will be based on a 100% dissertation assignment (up to 15,000 words).
War Studies graduates go on to work for NGOs, the FCO, the MOD, the Home Office, NATO, the UN or pursue careers in journalism, finance, academia, the diplomatic services, the armed forces and more. Recent posts held by our alumni include Threat Analyst, Director of Political Violence Forecasting, Research Advisor at NATO Defence College, Foreign Policy Fellow.
We have designed our Science & Security MA to provide you with a detailed understanding of science and its relationship to international politics. Developments in technology are central to all aspects of international conflict and you will need a multidisciplinary understanding of these developments to fully comprehend their policy implications. Through this programme you will gain a deep understanding of topics such as nuclear weapons, arms control verification, cyber security, and terrorism.
It is increasingly important to understand the security implications of scientific and technological developments. While science and technology have always affected national and international security, current developments in the space, nuclear and biological weapons and long-range missiles, as well as work in biotechnology and information technology suggest that science will exert a greater and more complex influence on security and policy planning. At the same time, individuals and sub-national groups have greater access to new technologies than ever before.
Our course will provide you with an integrated understanding of science and politics. You will develop an understanding of the science underlying key weapons systems and technologies, the main concepts and tools of international politics and security studies and the process by which scientists and policymakers can interact productively in the policy process. Our goal is to equip you to analyse the impact of current and future scientific developments on security.
Our course is designed to provide you with an integrated understanding of science and international politics to cope with the demands of the emerging security agenda.
Teaching
For lectures, seminars andf feedback, you will typically have 20-40 hours per 40 credit module plus 12 hours of dissertation supervision. You will also have approximately 360 hours per 40 credit module plus 588 hours for dissertation for self-study. Typically, one credit equates to 10 hours of work.
Assessment
Most 20 and 40-credit modules are assessed through a combination of essays, presentation, oral vivas and/or exams.
The dissertation module assessment will be based on a 100% dissertation assignment (up to 15,000 words).
War Studies graduates go on to work for NGOs, the FCO, the MOD, the Home Office, NATO, the UN or pursue careers in journalism, finance, academia, the diplomatic services, the armed forces and more. Recent posts held by our alumni include Threat Analyst, Director of Political Violence Forecasting, Research Advisor at NATO Defence College, Foreign Policy Fellow.
Our South Asia & Global Security MA will give you a deep understanding of the interplay between the history, theory and contemporary practice of security-led issues in South Asia. You will study history, thematic analysis and case studies taught by world-leading academics from War Studies and the King’s India Institute. We will draw on the expertise of policy leaders, military professionals and experts in the private sector involved in security management to deliver high-quality and up-to-the-minute teaching.
Our course incorporates history, thematic analysis and case studies and is taught by a cross-section of academics from War Studies and the King’s India Institute to give you a broad range of perspectives and experience. It also draws on policy leaders, military professionals and experts in the private sector involved in ‘security management’ to examine practical challenges. We aim to provide you with an understanding of the interrelationships between the history, theory and contemporary practice of security-led issues in South Asia (including Afghanistan) since 1947.
Provides a focused understanding of the interrelationships between the history, theory, and contemporary practice of security-led issues in South Asia (including Afghanistan) post 1947.
Teaching
For lectures, seminars and feedback, you will typically have 2 hours per week over two 10-week terms per 40-credit module. This can be split into 1 lecture + 1 seminar or other combinations thereof. You will also have 360 hours of self-study.
For the dissertation module, you will have 12 hours of training workshops and supervision to complement the 588 hours of self-study. Typically, one credit equates to 10 hours of work.
As part of a two-year schedule, part-time students typically take the required 40-credit taught module
and 40 credits of optional module in year 1. They will then take a 60 credit dissertation module and
40 credit optional modules in year 2.
Assessment
Most modules will be assessed through a combination of essays, presentations, oral vivas and/or exams.
The dissertation module will be based on a 100% dissertation assignment (up to 15,000 words).
Graduating students are prepared for further research in academia, or for careers in policy, government and international agencies. Typical career destinations have included the following:
Our unique National Security Studies MA is designed to bring together UK security policy practitioners, representatives from the private sector and policy-interested postgraduate students.
Students will gain an in-depth understanding of national security issues and the increasing focus on cross-governmental responses to security challenges. The course will also deal with conceptual and theoretical questions relating to national security.
The course will provide a mixture of UK national security analysis, with analysis of national security approaches in the international context.
The course will be delivered by a team of academics from the Centre for Defence Studies (CDS) led by John Gearson, Professor of National Security Studies and Director of CDS and Dr. Nina Musgrave (course tutor and Assistant Director of CDS) with guest lectures from practitioners, that may include Sir David Omand and Lord Peter Ricketts amongst others.
The course in National Security Studies is unique by bringing together security policy practitioners and postgraduate students in the Department of War Studies. The core module in National Security Studies will be delivered on a weekly basis over two terms and will consist of highly interactive lectures and group sessions with academics and experienced officials that may include Professor Sir David Omand and Professor Lord Peter Ricketts amongst others.
The course will enable participants to develop an in-depth understanding of national security both in the UK and from an international perspective. The course will also focus on cross-governmental responses to security challenges. The course will be structured around key themes such as strategy, counter-terrorism and ethics in national security.
The course culminates in the King’s National Security Policy Briefing, where participants present their policy ideas to an elite panel of UK security practitioners.
This course has been designed to train security practitioners and postgraduate students in the fundamentals of national security, while also exposing them to practical and conceptual issues and challenges such as cyber security, counter-terrorism and the oversight of national security. The course will enable students to critically analyse national security and will educate students in key national security themes and allow them to critically analyse developments in the field.
Teaching
Per 40-credit module:
For lectures, seminars and feedback, you will typically have 40 hours of teaching. You will also have 360 hours of self-study.
Per 20-credit module:
For lectures, seminars and feedback, you will typically have 20 hours of teaching. You will also have 180 hours of self-study. Typically, one credit equates to 10 hours of work.
For the dissertation module, you will have 12 hours of dissertation supervision and guidance workshops to complement the 588 hours of self-study.
Assessment
The study time and assessment methods detailed above are typical and give you a good indication of what to expect.
War Studies graduates go on to work for NGOs, the FCO, the MOD, the Home Office, NATO, the UN or pursue careers in journalism, finance, academia, the diplomatic services, the armed forces and more. Recent posts held by our alumni include Threat Analyst, Director of Political Violence Forecasting, Research Advisor at NATO Defence College, Foreign Policy Fellow.
Our MA International Conflict Studies combines the intellectual endeavour associated with advanced learning and the practical policy implications emerging from particular approaches used in the study of conflict at regional, transnational and global levels of interaction.
Our MA course provides you with a comprehensive understanding of international conflict. It aims to combine theory and practice, providing advanced engagement with the theoretical and philosophical aspects of the subject as well as training in the investigation and analysis of specific cases of conflict. It enables you to engage critically with the application of social and political theory in developing an understanding of the origins, dynamics and resolution of international and transnational conflict and political violence.
You will examine the impact of globalisation on the complexities of present-day conflict; the politics of identity and how it relates to the emergence of violent conflict; the relationship between security, insecurity and the politics of violence at international level; the politics of security and how this relates to human rights and policies surrounding migration; the relationship between language and violent conflict; the place of cultural and gender difference in relation to conflict and peace, as well as the political and ethical implications of the diverse theoretical and methodological approaches in the study of conflict, violence, and peace.
Teaching
You will typically have 2 hours per week over two 10-week terms per 40-credit module, as well as 360 hours of self-study. This can be split into one lecture + one seminar or combinations thereof. For the dissertation module, you will have 12 hours of training workshops and supervision to complement the 588 hours of self-study.
Assessment
Most 20 to 40-credit modules are assessed through a combination of essays (3,000-6,000 words), presentation, oral vivas, and/or exams.
The dissertation module assessment will be based on a 80% dissertation assignment (up to 15,000 words) and a dissertation proposal worth 20%.
War Studies Graduates go on to work for NGOs, the FCO, the MOD, the Home Office, NATO, the UN or pursue careers in journalism, finance, academia, the diplomatic services, the armed forces and more. Recent posts held by our alumni include Threat Analyst, Director of Political Violence Forecasting, Research Advisor at NATO Defence College, Foreign Policy Fellow.
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
Join one of our 16 International English-language Master’s programs at the University of Haifa
Understanding the sources, nature and consequences of human conflict has never been more vital for societies.
Taught Masters degrees in History, Art History, Philosophy and American Studies at Sussex, a top 20 University
