MA INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS DOUBLE DEGREE WITH RITSUMEIKAN UNIVERSITY, JAPAN

This degree offers students a unique opportunity to gain a double MA degree from UEA and Ritsumeikan University in Japan. Students will spend their first year at UEA then spend their second year at Ritsumeikan University, subject to government health advice at the time. 

You will study the big questions of global politics: Terrorism, poverty, war, climate change, famine, disease pandemics, gender inequality, financial crises, transnational crime and underdevelopment.  

You will also have the opportunity to live and study in Japan and to experience a different perspective on global politics.  

Our double MA will equip you with the knowledge and skills to grapple with these challenges, helping you understand their causes and consequences within the international system. 

Highlights of our course include a trip to Brussels, which we hope to run this year but this will be subject to government health advice at the time. The trip is expected to include visits to the European Union and NATO, opportunities to study with academics, politicians and officials, and visits to international organisations and non-governmental bodies and think tanks. 

About

International Relations looks at the big questions within global politics. These include issues surrounding war, peace, conflict and security, as well as a range of other important transnational dynamics, such as global economics, the environment, human rights, religion and migration. 

Whatever your background, this flexible and cross-disciplinary MA will have much to offer. Perhaps you have a degree in international relations, politics, economics, law or business studies, but you’re now looking to specialise. Perhaps you studied geography, environmental studies or economics, and are interested in the wider applications of your knowledge. Or maybe you simply have a keen interest in global politics, but no formal experience in any of these subjects. 

We organise an annual trip to Brussels for our MA students and we hope this will take place. However, this will be subject to government health advice at the time this activity takes place 

During the trip we visit the European Union and NATO, subject to availability, where there will be opportunities to speak to officials and military personnel about their work. We also meet graduates from UEA who are now living and working in or near Brussels. Other visits within our programme have included trips to Paris, Kortrijk in Flanders, and Geneva and will be subject to government health advice at the time.. 

The course also includes study and discussion with academics, politicians and officials, as well as visits to international organisations and non-governmental bodies and think tanks, such as the European Institute for Asian Studies, International Committee of the Red Cross, World Health Organization and UNESCO. All of these opportunities will be subject to government health advice. 

As a member of our postgraduate community you will also have the opportunity to attend numerous events and talks during your time here. We regularly attract distinguished lecturers, with previous guests including Jeremy Corbyn, former Leader of the Labour Party; Caroline Lucas, MP for the Green Party; Gary Gibbon, Political Editor for Channel 4 News; Owen Jones, author and columnist for The Guardian; Caroline Flint, Labour MP; John Bercow, former Speaker of the House of Commons; Shami Chakrabarti, former director of Liberty; Liberal Democrat peer Baroness Shirley Williams; Professor Anthony Giddens of the London School of Economics; Douglas Carswell, former UK Independence Party MP; Sir Stephen Wall, retired diplomat; and Lord Richard Dannatt, formerly Chief of the General Staff. 

See our webpages to find out more about our postgraduate community and experience some of these lectures. 

Placement Year and Study Abroad

The double degree requires two semesters abroad at Ritsukeikan University. 

For further details, visit our Study Abroad section of our website. 

You may be eligible for reduced fees during the year abroad. Further details are available on our Tuition Fees website. 

After the Course

A double degree with significant time spent studying in Japan should strengthen the employability of participating students who will have achieved two separately awarded Master’s degrees.  

Recent graduates from our school have taken jobs in business, teaching, research, journalism, and many international organisations, including the United Nations, European Union and NATO. 

We work closely with UEA’s Careers Service, which can provide advice on all aspects of graduate employment as well as helping you arrange internships and work placements. 

Career destinations

This double degree can lead to careers in many different areas, including the following: 

• Teaching 

• Research 

• Journalism 

• The United Nations 

• The European Union 

• NATO