MSc International Relations
- MSc
Overview
Engage in a comprehensive exploration of contemporary global politics, pairing rigorous theoretical training with detailed case analysis. From your first seminar, you will be encouraged to test the leading schools of thought in international relations against real-world examples, examining how ideas and evidence interact to shape policy and scholarly debate.
Global dynamics today flow seamlessly across borders – trade disputes reverberate through domestic economies, financial shocks leap between markets, and climate crises, strategic rivalries, cultural narratives and ethical dilemmas cross continents in real time. This programme equips you to trace these interconnections and to understand how the 'domestic' and the 'international' constantly reshape one another.
Study a wide body of literature and the field’s key debates, and refine the analytical skills needed to develop and defend your own perspectives on world affairs. Optional units enable you to tailor the degree to your interests, with opportunities to investigate culture and capitalism, climate change governance, gender and security, social movements, the digital economy, trade and finance, and broader questions of global transformation. Apply theoretical insights to specific issues in each unit, deepening both subject knowledge and methodological competence.
Be challenged and inspired by internationally renowned scholars whose research addresses many of the most pressing challenges of the twenty-first century. Join an intellectually vibrant, inclusive learning environment where respectful debate and critical inquiry thrive.
Become part of a diverse postgraduate community committed to understanding global politics and developing the tools needed to drive positive change.
Benefit from the opportunity to focus on the issues you care about and make your own contribution to human knowledge through your dissertation. Guided by a dedicated supervisor, you will focus on the topic that matters most to you, producing original research that demonstrates your ability to gather evidence, analyse complexity, and communicate findings clearly.
Gain a thorough grasp of the major theoretical traditions in the field and a nuanced appreciation of the forces reshaping international politics. Graduate with advanced research, writing and presentation skills valued in diplomacy, policy analysis, journalism, non-governmental advocacy and doctoral study, preparing you to engage critically and constructively with the challenges of an interconnected world.
Programme structure
You will take a combination of mandatory and optional taught units within the School of Sociology, Politics and International Studies. Each unit is assessed by an essay (or equivalent form of written submission). The taught section of the programme is followed in the summer term by a dissertation.
Visit our programme catalogue for full details of the structure and unit content for our MSc in International Relations.
Entry requirements
You will typically need an upper second-class honours degree or an international equivalent in any discipline.
We will consider your application if your interim grades are currently slightly lower than the programme's entry requirements and may make you an aspirational offer. This offer would be at the standard level, so you would need to achieve the standard entry requirements by the end of your degree. Specific module requirements would still apply.
We will also consider your application if your final overall achieved grade is slightly lower than the programme's entry requirement.
If your achieved grade is lower than our entry requirements, your application may be more likely to receive an offer if you have a relevant postgraduate qualification. If you have one of the following, please include your CV (curriculum vitae / résumé) when you apply, showing:
- A relevant postgraduate qualification.
See international equivalent qualifications on the International Office website.
Read the programme admissions statement for important information on entry requirements, the application process and supporting documents required.
If English is not your first language, you will need to reach the requirements outlined in our profile level C.
Further information about English language requirements and profile levels.
Fees and funding
- Home: full-time
- £18,800 per year
- Home: part-time
- £9,400 per year
- Overseas: full-time
- £30,400 per year
Fees are subject to an annual review. For programmes that last longer than one year, please budget for up to an 8% increase in fees each year.
More about tuition fees, living costs and financial support.
Alumni discount
University of Bristol students and graduates can benefit from a 25% reduction in tuition fees for postgraduate study. Check your eligibility for an alumni discount.
Funding and scholarships
Further information on funding for prospective UK and international postgraduate students.
Career prospects
Bristol graduates are in high demand and have an excellent record of employment following graduation. Students of our MSc programmes go on to pursue varied and interesting careers.
Many sectors - such as the civil service, NGOs and charities - require an MSc and some volunteering or internship experience. Graduates from our programmes have gone on to work for Refugee UK, Shelter, Barnardo's, Amnesty International, government departments and the European Parliament, among others.
Read more about Sociology and Politics graduate career destinations.
Contact us
- Contact
- Enquiries Team
- Phone
- +44 (0) 117 394 1649
- choosebristol-pg@bristol.ac.uk