Description
This masters degree will equip you with the tools to understand and analyse a range of contemporary global issues. You’ll look at real-world challenges, including international division, rising powers, national and global security threats, the rise of populism, and worldwide ethical dilemmas. This will give you a comprehensive grounding in core conceptual, empirical and theoretical debates in international relations. Mainstream and critical approaches are taught side by side, covering a range of practical cases and perspectives from around the world. In addition, you'll deepen a number of skills that are crucial to enhancing your career development and research ability.
Key features of the course
- Engage with some of the most important global challenges facing the world today.
- Emphasises real world issues, including international division, diplomacy, rising powers, security threats, the rise of populism, and global ethical dilemmas.
- Learn a range of theoretical approaches, concepts, methods and scholarly debates within International Relations.
- Develops your independent research skills culminating in a dissertation project.
Planning your studies
You must hold a UK honours degree or equivalent to be accepted for the MA in International Relations. A degree in International Relations, International Studies or a closely related subject would be ideal. If your degree is not in International Relations, you will be required to show some knowledge of the subject and the study skills expected of a graduate in this field. You should be aware that a degree of at least 2.1 or equivalent will greatly increase your chances of successfully completing the MA.
Your spoken and written English must be of an adequate standard for postgraduate study. If English is not your first language, we recommend that you will need a minimum score of 6.5 under the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Please see the IELTS website for details. If you’re not sure whether your English skills are good enough, there is some help and guidance at our Skills for OU Study website.
How long it takes
Most students study the MA in International Relations part-time, completing 90 credits a year over two years. Typically, this means 20–25 study hours each week.
You must complete the MA in International Relations within 10 years.
Career relevance and employability
This masters degree will give you advanced knowledge and a critical understanding of contemporary global changes, preparing you for jobs relating to International Relations. It develops your social science research skills, applying these across multiple projects and an independently researched dissertation. Students graduating from this degree will have demonstrated analysis of complex situations, finding, evaluating and using various sources, and presenting work to different audiences.
The MA will be relevant to International Relations jobs in a range of sectors including the civil service, international organisations and charities, think-tank and policy research, and serves as excellent preparation for further academic research (e.g. a PhD).
Careers and Employability Services have more information on how OU study can improve your employability.
Modules
To gain the 180 credits you require for this qualification, you must study the modules in the order shown below and pass part 1 before progressing to part 2.
You should note that the University’s unique study rule applies to this qualification. This means that you must include at least 60 credits from OU modules that have not been counted in any other OU qualification that has previously been awarded to you.
Learning outcomes
The learning outcomes of this qualification are described in four areas:
- Knowledge and understanding
- Cognitive skills
- Practical and professional skills
- Key skills
Read more detailed information about the learning outcomes, and how they are acquired through teaching, learning and assessment methods.
Credit for previous study elsewhere
If you’ve successfully completed some relevant postgraduate study elsewhere, you might be able to count it towards this qualification, reducing the number of modules you need to study. You should apply for credit transfer as soon as possible, before you register for your first module. For more details and an application form, visit our Credit Transfer website.
On completion
On successful completion of the required modules you can be awarded an MA in International Relations. You will be entitled you to use the letters MA (IR) (Open) after your name. You will have the opportunity to attend a degree ceremony.
Regulations
As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the qualification-specific regulations below and the academic regulations that are available on our Student Policies and Regulations website.
How to register
If you want to study for this qualification, read the description and check you meet any specific requirements (for example, some of
our qualifications, require you to be working in a particular environment, or be sponsored by your employer). Then select the
module you wish to study first and ensure it is suitable for you before following the registration procedure for that module.
During the registration procedure you will be asked to declare which qualification you are studying towards.
See a full list of modules available for this qualification