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- University of Strathclyde
- International Relations MSc
Course options
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Qualification
MSc - Master of Science
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Location
John Anderson Campus
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Study mode
Full time
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Start date
22-SEP-25
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Duration
12 Months
Course summary
This course will equip you with a grounding in the analysis of international politics, in terms of the issues, actors and processes that shape the world today and also the theoretical frameworks and methodological techniques by which we make sense of them.
What role do powerful states, international organisations and social movements play in international and regional politics? How should we respond to global crises and conflicts? How does power operate in, across and between states? In what ways do international political and economic processes shape the everyday lives of people across the globe? And how can we explain and evaluate such processes?
This MSc in International Relations will help you answer these questions. It will equip you with a systematic grounding in the analysis of international politics, in terms both of the issues, actors and processes that shape the world today and the theoretical frameworks and methodological techniques by which we make sense of them.
The course is distinctive in combining American and British, positivist and critical, approaches to this field of study, as well as in its range of specialist classes on topics as diverse as international law, the EU, security and gender.
What youll study
The MSc in International Relations offers rigorous methodological training, drawing on long-established expertise in quantitative and qualitative research methods. You'll be encouraged to evaluate these methods and to apply them to international political actors and processes. The course will significantly enhance your employability skills in terms of research management, data analysis and critical thinking.
The course is organised into core and optional classes. The core classes provide an introduction to:
theoretical frameworks in the field
key issues of interstate cooperation and conflict
the role of international organisations
principles of research design
There will also be a range of optional classes open to you, on specialised topics in international relations and on research methods. These will vary from year to year.
You'll take two core classes and one optional class per semester. Classes average 20 contact hours with additional computer laboratory sessions for some methods classes. Both January and September starts will complete a dissertation over the summer, under the supervision of one of our International Relations scholars.
Careers
Examples of organisations our graduates work for:
Audit Scotland
Centre for African Family Studies
Centre for Scottish Public Policy
Confederation of Passenger Transport
German Red Cross
Hall Aitken Associates
Health and Social Care Alliance
HMRC
Invicta Public Affairs
Ministry of Finance Iceland
Morgan Stanley
National Centre for Social Research
NHS
Ofgem
Santander Bank UK
Scottish Council for Development and Industry
Scottish Refugee Council
Serco Group
The Improvement Service
The Scottish Parliament
United Nations Development Programme
West and Central Voluntary Network
Modules
Tuition fees
- Hong Kong
- Afghanistan
- Albania
- Algeria
- Andorra
- Angola
- Antigua & Barbuda
- Argentina
- Armenia
- Australia
- Austria
- Azerbaijan
- Bahamas
- Bahrain
- Bangladesh
- Barbados
- Belarus
- Belgium
- Belize
- Benin
- Bhutan
- Bolivia
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Botswana
- Brazil
- Brunei
- Bulgaria
- Burkina Faso
- Burma
- Burundi
- Cabo Verde
- Cambodia
- Cameroon
- Canada
- Central African Republic
- Chad
- Chile
- China
- Colombia
- Comoros
- Congo
- Congo (Democratic Republic)
- Costa Rica
- Croatia
- Cuba
- Curacao
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Djibouti
- Dominica
- Dominican Republic
- East Timor
- Ecuador
- Egypt
- El Salvador
- England
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Estonia
- Ethiopia
- Fiji
- Finland
- France
- Gabon
- Gambia
- Georgia
- Germany
- Ghana
- Greece
- Grenada
- Guatemala
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Guyana
- Haiti
- Honduras
- Hungary
- Iceland
- India
- Indonesia
- Iran
- Iraq
- Israel
- Italy
- Ivory Coast
- Jamaica
- Japan
- Jordan
- Kazakhstan
- Kenya
- Kiribati
- Korea DPR (North Korea)
- Kosovo
- Kuwait
- Kyrgyzstan
- Laos
- Latvia
- Lebanon
- Lesotho
- Liberia
- Libya
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Macedonia
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Malaysia
- Maldives
- Mali
- Malta
- Marshall Islands
- Mauritania
- Mauritius
- Mexico
- Micronesia
- Moldova
- Monaco
- Mongolia
- Montenegro
- Morocco
- Mozambique
- Namibia
- Nauru
- Nepal
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Nicaragua
- Niger
- Nigeria
- Northern Ireland
- Norway
- Oman
- Pakistan
- Palau
- Palestinian Authority
- Panama
- Papua New Guinea
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Philippines
- Poland
- Portugal
- Puerto Rico
- Qatar
- Republic of Ireland
- Romania
- Russia
- Rwanda
- San Marino
- Sao Tome and Principe
- Saudi Arabia
- Scotland
- Senegal
- Serbia
- Seychelles
- Sierra Leone
- Singapore
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Solomon Islands
- Somalia
- South Africa
- South Korea
- South Sudan
- Spain
- Sri Lanka
- St Vincent
- St. Kitts & Nevis
- St. Lucia
- Sudan
- Suriname
- Swaziland
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Syria
- Taiwan
- Tajikistan
- Tanzania
- Thailand
- Togo
- Tonga
- Trinidad & Tobago
- Tunisia
- Turkey
- Turkmenistan
- Tuvalu
- UAE
- Uganda
- Ukraine
- United Kingdom
- United States
- Uruguay
- Uzbekistan
- Vanuatu
- Vatican City
- Venezuela
- Vietnam
- Wales
- Western Samoa
- Yemen
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
£ 1,796month
Tuition fees shown are for indicative purposes and may vary. Please check with the institution for most up to date details.
University information

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University League Table
32nd
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Campus address
University of Strathclyde, McCance Building, 16 Richmond Street, Glasgow, Glasgow, City Of, G1 1XQ, Scotland
Subject rankings
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Subject ranking
15th out of 79 7
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Entry standards
/ Max 215215 100%1st
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Graduate prospects
/ Max 10071.0 71%42nd
20 -
Student satisfaction
/ Max 43.11 78%32nd
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