MA in Geopolitics and International Affairs
Brighton, United Kingdom
DURATION
1 up to 2 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time, Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
01 Sep 2024*
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2024
TUITION FEES
GBP 10,500 / per year **
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* UK
** £9,500/year for full-time home, Channel Islands and Isle of Man students | £18,975/year for full-time international students
Introduction
The world is undergoing significant strategic and geopolitical redefinition. Several major powers have been developing doctrines aligned with their wider strategic objectives in the 21st century.
You’ll investigate the relationships of the major states within the international system. You’ll focus on:
- the historical evolution and current revival of the concept of geopolitics. This includes energy security, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the war on terrorism, and democracy promotion
- grand strategies. This includes the foreign policy of the US, the re-emergence of Russia and the rise of China
- key regional dynamics. This includes the Middle East, European security, international security in South and East Asia, and geopolitical rivalries in Africa.
We host the Sussex Centre for Conflict and Security Research, the Centre for Advanced International Theory and the Centre for Global Political Economy. You’ll learn through our interdisciplinary approach, cutting-edge research, area studies expertise, international faculty and a distinctive programme of events.
We understand that deciding where and what to study is a very important decision. We’ll make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the courses, services and facilities described in this prospectus. However, if we need to make material changes, for example due to significant disruption, or in response to COVID-19, we’ll let our students know as soon as possible.
Admissions
Scholarships and Funding
Scholarships
Our aim is to ensure that every student who wants to study with us is able to despite financial barriers so that we continue to attract talented and unique individuals.
Curriculum
Full-time and part-time study
Choose to study this course full time or part time, to fit around your work and personal life. For details about the part-time course, contact us.
Core modules
Core modules are taken by all students on the course. They give you a solid grounding in your chosen subject and prepare you to explore the topics that interest you most.
Autumn teaching
Spring teaching
Summer teaching
Options
Alongside your core modules, you can choose options to broaden your horizons and tailor your course to your interests. This list gives you a flavour of our options, which are kept under review and may change, for example in response to student feedback or the latest research.
While it’s our aim for students to take their preferred combinations of options, this can’t be guaranteed and will be subject to timetabling. Options may be grouped and if so, students will be able to choose a set number of options from the selection available in any particular group.
Spring teaching
- Environment, Resources, Security
- Foreign Policy Analysis
- Humanitarianism in Global Politics
- Managing Economic Instability
- Nationalism and Global Order
- Rethinking Imperialism
- Russia, Eurasia and the Crisis of the Liberal West
- The Political Economy of Development
- War and Security in North/South Perspective
Summer teaching
Field trip
This course offers optional field trips to London or Brussels, Belgium to visit international organisations, think tanks and NGOs.
Placements
To help you gain experience and increase your employability, you can apply for an optional placement as part of your course. Research placements run for up to 12 weeks in the summer term and vacation. You can also write your dissertation based on your experience. You’ll be responsible for applying for and securing your placement. Our dedicated careers team can help you:
- find an employer
- draft an application
- prepare for interviews.
Find out more about Global Studies postgraduate placements
We regularly review our modules to incorporate student feedback, staff expertise, as well as the latest research and teaching methodology. We’re planning to run these modules in the academic year 2023/24. However, there may be changes to these modules in response to feedback, staff availability, student demand or updates to our curriculum. We’ll make sure to let you know of any material changes to modules at the earliest opportunity.
We’ll do our best to provide as much optional choice as we can, but timetabling constraints mean it may not be possible to take some module combinations. The structure of a small number of courses means that the order of modules or the streams you choose may determine whether modules are core or optional. This means that your core modules or options may differ from what’s shown here.
Check back in January 2024 for the modules running in the academic year 2024/25.
Program Tuition Fee
Career Opportunities
You’ll graduate with a thorough understanding of International Relations – expertise required in many jobs today. Alongside your academic knowledge, you’ll have the transferable skills to succeed in your career. This includes:
- interdisciplinary and teamwork skills. You’ll successfully collaborate and communicate with colleagues from different parts of the world, with different backgrounds and experiences
- problem-solving skills. You’ll understand key topics by breaking them down into smaller parts, identifying the key issues and debates, and finding different pathways to solutions
- critical thinking and research skills. You’ll challenge taken-for-granted assumptions, collect relevant information, and assess information for reliability and validity
- communication skills (written and verbal). You’ll communicate your arguments clearly and listen to others carefully and sincerely. There are training workshops to help you write concisely in any given formal format.
Your future role could include:
- foreign service, trade or other government departments
- international civil service such as the United Nations
- non-governmental organisations active in various fields, including development, environment, health and humanitarian assistance
- media organisations
- the private sector, where international political expertise is increasingly needed and valued.
You’ll also be well prepared to go on to a PhD and to pursue a career in academia.
Graduate destinations
Our recent graduates have gone on to jobs including:
- adviser, Department for International Trade
- area programme manager, Danish Refugee Council
- global research manager, ACLED.
(Department of International Relations careers database)