Program Overview
Home Study Postgraduate Taught home Courses Security Studies International Relations MA Please note: This page is for 2027 entry. MA International Relations UCAS code 1234 Duration 1 year full time 2 years part time Entry year 2026 Campus Streatham Campus Typical offer View full entry requirements We will consider applicants with a 2:2 Honours degree or above (or equivalent). Contextual offers Why study MA International Relations at Exeter? This programme offers a cutting-edge educational experience to explore, understand, analyse, and contextualise some of the big challenges facing humanity today With a particular focus on security, international relations theory, and foreign policy, it combines academic insight with experiential learning, placing you at the heart of the dynamic currents that shape contemporary global politics You will engage with the latest think tank reports, policy texts, alongside the core texts that have shaped the discipline Interactive teaching encourages debate and reflection on the ideas, processes, and policies that shaping the work around us Tailor your degree to your interests and career ambitions with our wide range of optional modules exploring everything from key ideas to new challenges, the legacies of the past to the challenges of the future, as well as region-specific options covering key areas of global politics today The programme also equips you with skills crucial for employment in the twenty-first century, using forward-looking assessments to foster the informed global leaders of tomorrow Fast Track (current Exeter students) Open Days Get a prospectus Contact Programme Director: Henry Jarrett Web: Enquire online Phone: +44 (0)1392 72 72 72 Top 15 in the UK for Politics 14th in The Complete University Guide 2026 Top 100 in the world for Politics QS World University Subject Rankings 2026 Flexibility to follow your interests with a world-leading cluster of researchers Top 100 in the world for Political Sciences Global Ranking of Academic Subjects (GRAS) or Shanghai Rankings 2025 Entry requirements We will consider applicants with a 2:2 Honours degree or above (or equivalent). We welcome students from any academic background.
Key Program Features
Why study MA International Relations at Exeter?
- This programme offers a cutting-edge educational experience to explore, understand, analyse, and contextualise some of the big challenges facing humanity today
- With a particular focus on security, international relations theory, and foreign policy, it combines academic insight with experiential learning, placing you at the heart of the dynamic currents that shape contemporary global politics
- You will engage with the latest think tank reports, policy texts, alongside the core texts that have shaped the discipline
- Interactive teaching encourages debate and reflection on the ideas, processes, and policies that shaping the work around us
- Tailor your degree to your interests and career ambitions with our wide range of optional modules exploring everything from key ideas to new challenges, the legacies of the past to the challenges of the future, as well as region-specific options covering key areas of global politics today
- The programme also equips you with skills crucial for employment in the twenty-first century, using forward-looking assessments to foster the informed global leaders of tomorrow
Career Opportunities
Careers
Career paths
Many of our students are working professionals in governments around in the world, NGOs and aid agencies and chose to take the MA International Relations to provide them with a broader perspective and develop their careers.
Our students go on to work in a wide range of employers and occupations, demonstrating the crucial importance of the knowledge and skill sets our students develop whilst studying with us. Employers include:
- Aid agencies
- Media
- NGOs in the UK and overseas
- Government bodies such as the Ministry of Defence and Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
- The diplomatic services of various states
- International organisations, including EU institutions and the United Nations
- ·Big (and not so big!) business
- Think tanks
Some of our students decide to continue their studies via MPhil/PhD programmes, or Masters by Research, all of which set them up for research-based career paths in academia and beyond.
Employer-valued skills Apart from specialist knowledge and skills relating to a range of careers in government, diplomacy, journalism and the third sector, you will also develop transferrable skills that are highly desirable in a range of careers. These include: High-level research and writing skills Analysis, evaluation and presentation skills Excellent communication skills and experience, both written and oral Strong IT skills which may include the handling of statistical data Independent work skills of time-planning and motivation Careers support Our careers advisory service provides expert guidance to all students to enable them to plan their futures through psychometric testing, employer presentations, skills events, practice job interviews and CV preparation.
Program Curriculum
Course content
We will equip you with the theoretical and empirical research tools needed to understand the forces that shape global politics.
Our teaching is research-led and delivered by world-leading researchers at the cutting-edge of their fields. Learning on the programme involves debating and collaborating with peers in both classroom and multi-media environments, engaging with external speakers, and putting your skills to the test in role-plays and simulations set in the exciting world of global politics.
Extra-curricular events, such as stand-alone talks given by policy makers,activists, and scholars provide alternative, real-world perspectives of world politics. Recent contributors have included:
- Aid workers from conflict and post conflict zones
- Serving and former military and intelligence leaders
- Leading policy-makers from across the world, either at national government level or in transnational organisations
- Journalists and content-providers from key global organisations such as the BBC and Meta
The modules below provide examples of what you can expect to learn on this degree course based on recent academic teaching. The precise modules available to you in future years may vary depending on staff availability and research interests, new topics of study, timetabling and student demand.
Modules Please note that the module information displayed here is from a previous year and is subject to change. Students must take 3 compulsory modules: POLM502 (30 credits), POLM341 Omnishambles! Global Politics Simulation (30 credits) and POLM886 (60 credits). The remaining 60 credits come from optional modules listed below. Up to 30 credits of modules may be taken from another discipline in the university, with approval from the programme director (or equivalent) of the relevant discipline. Compulsory modules Code Module Credits POLM502 International Relations: Power and Institutions 30 POLM886 Dissertation 60 POLM341 Omnishambles - Global Politics Simulation 30 Optional modules 60 credits of option modules Please note that modules are subject to change and not all modules are available across all programmes, this is due to timetable, module size constraints and availability Code Module Credits MA International Relations option modules 2025-6 POLM082 International Relations of the Middle East 30 POLM088 State-building after Civil War 30 POLM144 The West, Civilisations and World Order 30 POLM217 Conflict, Security and Development in Eurasia 30 POLM239 International Organisation 30 POLM084 Conflict, Security and Development in World Politics 30 POLM168 From Oppression to Resistance: Exploring the Intersections of Race, Class and Gender 30 POLM173 Theories of International Development 30 POLM174 Tools, Policy and Practice of International Development 30 POLM503 Foreign Policy Decision-Making 30 POLM651 State and Society in the Middle East 30 POLM803 Sources in Modernity and Post-Modernity 30 POLM897 Surveys and Experiments: Design, Implementation and Analysis 15 SPAM002 Security, Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies 30 SSIM912 Introduction to Social Network Analysis 15 POLM343 Gender, War and Militarism 30 POLM063 Qualitative Methods in Social Research 15 POLM140 Qualitative Methods in Social Research 30 POLM809 Applied Quantitative Data Analysis 15 POLM222M The Politics, Policy and Practice of Sustainable Development 30 POLM228M Leadership, Equality and Diversity 30 POLM237M Collaborative and Participatory Governance 30 POLM342M Public Accountability and Governance 30 POLM148 Brexit: Causes, Interpretation and Implications 30 POLM156 The Transformation of Politics in the Global Age 30 POLM158 Digital Politics and Policy 30 POLM307 International Politics of the Body 30 POLM887 Public Policy Process 30 POLM231 State Crime 30 POLM110 Theories of Diplomacy and Foreign Policy 30 POLM242 Strategy 30 POLM241 How to Make a Decision 30 POLM240 Security Futures 30 POLM245 Ethnopolitical Conflicts in International Law and Politics 30 POLM246 The Politics of the Future 30 SOCM021 Food Systems, Alternative Food Networks and Ethical Consumption 30 SOCM054 Food Systems, Alternative Food Networks and Ethical Consumption 15 SOCM045 Food and Sustainability: Economy, Society and Environment 30 SOCM044 Food and Sustainability: Economy, Society and Environment 15 SPAM007 Which Policies Work? Causal Methods for Policy Evaluation 15 POLM344 Empire and Hierarchy in Russia and Eurasia 30
Admission Requirements
Entry requirements
We will consider applicants with a 2:2 Honours degree or above (or equivalent). We welcome students from any academic background.
Please also see our guidance on essential documentation required for an initial decision on taught programme applications . Entry requirements for international students English language requirements International students need to show they have the required level of English language to study this course. The required IELTS test scores for this course fall under Profile B1 . Please visit our English language requirements page to view the required test scores and equivalencies from your country.
Tuition & Financial Information
Tuition Fee
GBP 16,500/year (international)
Fees
2026/27 entry
UK fees per year:
£ 12,650 full-time; £ 6,325 part-time
International fees per year:
£ 25,550 full-time; £ 12,775 part-time
Scholarships
The University of Exeter offers a wide range of scholarships to support your education, with £7 million available for international students applying to study with us in the 2026/27 academic year , including our prestigious Exeter Excellence Scholarships * . We also provide awards for sport, music and other achievements, as well as regional and partner scholarships with organisations such as Chevening, The Beacon Trust and the British Council. For more information on scholarships and other financial support, please visit our scholarships and bursaries page .
University of Exeter Alumni Scholarship
Financial Aid & Scholarships
Scholarships
The University of Exeter offers a wide range of scholarships to support your education, with £7 million available for international students applying to study with us in the 2026/27 academic year , including our prestigious Exeter Excellence Scholarships * . We also provide awards for sport, music and other achievements, as well as regional and partner scholarships with organisations such as Chevening, The Beacon Trust and the British Council. For more information on scholarships and other financial support, please visit our scholarships and bursaries page .
University of Exeter Alumni Scholarship
We are pleased to offer University of Exeter alumni beginning a standalone postgraduate programme in 2026/27 with us a scholarship towards the cost of your tuition fees. Full details can be found here.
*Terms and conditions, including deadlines, apply. See our website for details. .
Find out more about tuition fees and funding »
About The University of Exeter
The University of Exeter
Botswana, Botswana
Visit the university profile page to learn more about this institution.
University Profile- Start Date in 2026
- Language English
- Duration 12 months
- Credits 60 ECTS / 180 credits (1-year programme)
