MA in International Relations

In the post-Cold War globalising world, there is an increasing need for more sophisticated ways of understanding the dramatic changes taking place. This course addresses that need. This is a very flexible MA programme that allows you maximum scope to construct a degree that suits your special interests.

Visit the website https://www.kent.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/57/international-relations-brussels

About the Brussels School of International Studies

The Brussels School of International Studies (BSIS) is a multidisciplinary postgraduate School of the University of Kent. We bring together the disciplines of politics, international relations, law and economics to provide in-depth analysis of international problems such as conflict, security, development, migration, the political economy and the legal basis of a changing world order.

We are a truly international School: our students are drawn from over 50 countries. The strong international composition of our staff and student body contributes significantly to the academic and social experience at BSIS. Being located in Brussels allows us to expose students to the working of major international organisations, such as the EU and NATO, and to the many international and non-governmental organisations based here. Students also have the opportunity to undertake an internship with one of these organisations.

Course structure

We are committed to offering flexible study options at the School and enable you to tailor your degree to meet your needs by offering start dates in September and January; full- and part-time study; split-site options, and allowing students to combine two fields of study leading to the award of a degree that reflects both disciplines.

The MA in International Relations allows students to choose secondary areas of specialisation from the range of programmes offered at BSIS (http://www.kent.ac.uk/brussels/studying/index.html). Thus, a focused programme of study can be constructed by studying International Relations in the context of International Law; International Conflict and Security; Political Strategy and Communication, and other subject areas we cover.

This leads to the award of an MA degree in, for example, 'International Relations with Political Strategy and Communication'.

Programme aims

This programme aims to:

- provide a programme that will attract, and meet the needs of, those seeking advanced training in the discipline of international relations

- provide you with a research-active learning environment which gives you a good grounding in the study of international relations, including its political, social, and economic aspects

- examine how state, non-state and supra-national actors behave and interact through a dynamic appreciation of different levels of analysis

- ensure that you acquire advanced knowledge of the theories of international relations, the heritage and development of the discipline, its major debates, its inherent nature as an interdisciplinary study, and a critical appreciation of the essentially contested nature of politics in general and international relations in particular

- ensure that you acquire an advanced understanding of the relationship between the theoretical, methodological, and empirical content of the issue-areas studied

- for the MA and MA (120 ECTS): develop your general research skills and personal skills (transferable skills), in particular through a substantial dissertation.

Research areas

Our research interests span a broad spectrum of the discipline, with particular strengths in the fields of conflict analysis and resolution, political theory and European politics. The strength of the School’s research culture is reflected in the numerous books and articles published and in the existence of its three core research groups: Conflict, Security and Human Rights; Comparative Politics; and Political and Social Thought. We also host four University-recognised research centres: the Conflict Analysis Research Centre (CARC), the Global Europe Centre (GEC), the Centre for Critical Thought (CCT), and the Centre for Federal Studies (CFS).

All members of staff can supervise theses leading to research degrees. We encourage potential research students to refer to our postgraduate research handbook (pdf) for detailed information.

In 2011, the University successfully applied for ESRC recognition as a provider of doctoral training in political science and international studies (and other areas of the social sciences) as part of a consortium. As a result, we are now part of the South East ESRC Doctoral Training Centre, making us one of the key training outlets in our subject in the UK.

Careers

The School of Politics and International Relations has a dedicated Employability, Placements and Internships Officer who works with students to develop work-based placements in a range of organisations. Centrally, the Careers and Employability Service can help you plan for your future by providing one-to-one advice at any stage of your postgraduate studies.

Many students at our Brussels centre who undertake internships are offered contracts in Brussels immediately after graduation. Others have joined their home country’s diplomatic service, entered international organisations, or have chosen to undertake a ‘stage’ at the European Commission, or another EU institution.

Our graduates have gone on to careers in academia, local and national government and public relations.

Kent has an excellent record for postgraduate employment: over 94% of our postgraduate students who graduated in 2013 found a job or further study opportunity within six months.

Find out how to apply here - https://www.kent.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/apply/

Visit the MA in International Relations page on the University of Kent, Brussels website for more details!