MSc International Relations
- MSc
Overview
The School of Sociology, Politics and International Studies has built a world-class reputation for excellence in international relations education and research, which guides our teaching mission to deliver the best learning experience to students coming to Bristol from all over the world.
Choose your pathway
Our MA in International Relations is an advanced postgraduate programme split into four pathways for you to choose from: our core International Relations programme, or International Relations with Security, Gender or Development specialisms. The pathway of your choice will provide you with theoretical and practical knowledge to make you a competitive professional in the respective field and related sectors.
You will acquire skills and knowledge to:
- Understand our fast-changing world, whether in relation to issues of global governance, conflict and cooperation, development and security, gender, or the challenges of climate change, amongst many other topics.
- Research, write, and discuss the challenges that governments, governmental and non-governmental organisations, private institutions, societies, and individuals face in a more complex and contested geopolitical context.
- Use theories and methodologies to produce rigorous, original analysis, equipping you to solve complex problems and become an indispensable asset to any future employer.
The school hosts three academically excellent and impactful research centres which link into our pathways:
- The Global Insecurities Centre (GIC), investigating how and why the perceptions and realities of insecurity in world politics are shaped.
- The Gender and Sexuality Research Centre (GSRC), focusing on the intersections between gender, politics, and society.
- The Centre for the Study of Ethnicity and Citizenship is internationally recognised for research on multiculturalism, religious and ethnic identities, inequality and citizenship.
In addition, the school hosts distinctive areas of research concentrating on climate change, digital technologies, and regional specialisms such as Sub-Saharan Africa, the Horn of Africa, the Middle East, and East Asia.
Supporting your development
You will be supported in your studies by a personal tutor, and your dissertation will be supervised in one-to-one meetings by an expert in the subject of your research.
You will join a thriving academic community, working alongside active researchers, preparing you to become a professional who stands out for their expertise, insight and critical thinking skills.
Programme structure
The MSc in International Relations offers a pathway-based structure, which allows students to acquire broad and transferrable skills and knowledge of international politics, while having the opportunity to specialise in a subject of their choice. Students take 180 credit points of units, comprising a total of six 20 credit point taught units in Teaching Blocks 1 and 2, plus a 60 credit point year-long dissertation.
All MSc pathways share a core International Relations unit, alongside a specialised curriculum designed around the pathway concerned. You choose your pathway at the application stage, and you will graduate with a Master's in that pathway. The options are as follows:
- MSc International Relations: the core pathway in international relations provides students with a broad and highly relevant expertise with a combined focus on real-world examples and theoretical approaches to global dynamics.
- MSc International Relations (Security Pathway): for students wanting to specialise in security in theory and practice and its relevance for international politics.
- MSc International Relations (Gender Pathway): for students who want to integrate knowledge and skills about international politics with gender-aware analyses.
- MSc International Relations (Development Pathway): this pathway combines international relations with skills and competencies necessary to address todays global development challenges.
For your dissertation you will produce a piece of original research on a subject of your choice relevant to your pathway under the supervision of an appropriate academic member of staff. We offer two dissertation routes:
- A research-based dissertation, where a student develops and completes a project on a subject of their choosing with expert supervisory support.
- An applied dissertation (pending availability), which involves working with external organisations to deliver a research project that supports the organisation's work. We offer support in accessing an external organisation and the process offers practical UK-based research experience.
Visit our programme catalogue for full details of the structure and unit contents.
(Under certain conditions and within a limited timeframe you can change your pathway also after the beginning of teaching.)
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 a strong second-class honours degree (55% or higher) or an international equivalent in any subject.
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.
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 E.
Further information about English language requirements and profile levels.
Fees and funding
- Home: full-time
- £18,800 per year
- Overseas: full-time
- £31,600 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
International Relations enhances your understanding of world politics, as well as the specific skills needed to think critically, research, analyse, interpret and present knowledge and data. The course prepares students for a diverse range of careers. Recent IR graduates have started careers in international organisations, international NGOs, government ministries and national agencies in the UK and elsewhere, local government, business, content management, risk analysis, audit accounting, consultancy, teaching, police and journalism.
Our school also has a close relationship with the Careers Service, which provides bespoke support to MSc students. This includes one-to-one appointments, job talks, mock assessment centres, employer-led events, funded internship schemes, entrepreneurial support and advice, and talks from recent graduates that profile different industries.
The Careers Service provides extensive support for international students, with dedicated resources on labour markets in China, Hong Kong, India, Southeast Asia and Africa. There are regular training sessions on finding work opportunities in the UK as well as overseas. International students also receive free access to Student Circus platform - a leading job readiness platform for international students, with pre-filtered visa-sponsored jobs as well as careers advice. All students can use the full resources of the Careers Service, including one-to-one appointments, for 3 years after their graduation.
Contact us
- Contact
- Enquiries Team
- Phone
- +44 (0) 117 394 1649
- choosebristol-pg@bristol.ac.uk