Politics and International Relations at UEA
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Find out moreMA International Relations
Key Details
- Attendance
- Full Time
- Award
- Degree of Master of Arts
- Course Length
- 1 year
- Course Start Date
- January 2027
Other Start Dates
Other Start Dates
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Why you should choose us
14th
UEA is ranked 14th overall for research quality Politics and International Studies
Times Higher Education REF 2021 AnalysisTop 20
UEA is ranked top 20 in the UK for Research Quality
UEA is ranked top 20 in the UK for Research QualityCourse Overview
If you’re eager to build a career grappling with some of the most urgent challenges facing the world, our MA in International Relations is for you.
It’s an inspiring course of study, and our field-leading team of experts is here to support you. You’ll delve into the most pressing issues in global politics, such as climate change and war. You'll explore the rise of emerging powers and the Global South. You’ll study key concepts within IR to give you frameworks that help you get to grips with those issues. The course also gives you flexibility to choose specialist modules. You might tackle global economics, human rights, foreign policy, and regional politics from Europe to Asia-Pacific.
Our many links with thinktanks and policymakers give our students exciting opportunities. For example, our postgraduate students recently visited the European Institute for Asian Studies (EIAS) in Brussels. They worked with research assistants and UEA academics to produce policy briefs and op-eds for international publications, gaining transformative career experience.
We welcome and support students from a variety of disciplinary backgrounds and global contexts, bringing a rich intellectual and cultural mix to each cohort. You may have studied IR before, or you may have a background in an associated degree. Or you may be coming to this area afresh, looking to change the course of your career.
Whether you aim to work in international organisations, government agencies, NGOs, think tanks, or academia, this MA will set you firmly on the path towards your future career.
This version of the course gives you the flexible opportunity to begin your studies in January.
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Study and Modules
Structure
You’ll find this one-year, full-time Master’s degree a rich and exciting experience from the start. Face-to-face teaching will take place through lectures, seminars, and workshops during two semesters.
In your first semester, you’ll have the flexibility to choose from a wide range of options depending on your interests. For example, you may wish to specialise in European politics, the foreign relations of China and Japan in the modern world, or American foreign policy.
In your second semester, you'll set the individual case studies of your first semester into the broader context of the theory of international relations. You'll also study methods of social enquiry which will support your ongoing dissertation work. You’ll acquire key research skills in conducting interviews or conducting surveys. You’ll also be able to choose from a range of optional modules exploring topics such as global governance, emerging powers, war games, diplomacy, and strategy.
You’ll also work on your dissertation, which is an integral element of your MA and an excellent opportunity to conduct independent research into a subject area that you find stimulating. You’ll select your own topic and will be allocated an expert individual supervisor to advise you on all aspects of writing and research.
Compulsory Modules
Optional A Modules
(Credits: 20)Optional B Modules
(Credits: 60)Important Information
Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring, review and update of modules. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes and their constituent modules, the University will endeavour to consult with students and others. It is also possible that the University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff. In some cases optional modules can have limited places available and so you may be asked to make additional module choices in the event you do not gain a place on your first choice. Where this is the case, the University will inform students.
Teaching and Learning
Our teaching is designed to encourage you to critically analyse all sources and develop your ability to engage in informed debates. We place significant emphasis on enabling you to advance your opinions in an academically grounded manner.
The department comprises members of staff who are specialists in their area of teaching and actively engaged with cutting-edge research in the field. This means that you’ll be taught by experts in international relations theory, global political economy, security studies, political philosophy, political communications and media studies. Our teaching is research-led, in that we ask the same questions of our students as we do in our research. This means you can be sure your learning is at the forefront of the discipline.
We take an interdisciplinary and cross-disciplinary approach to our work, linking theory to practice, to create a distinctive programme of research. This has given us a strong international reputation for research in a wide variety of areas, including international relations, international security, Britain, the EU, Japan and the Asia Pacific, the US, the mass media (including digital media), political communications, popular culture, identity politics, public administration and public policy, political theory, and political rhetoric.
Independent study
Learning how to study and research independently, and how to present your work, are important skills that you’ll gain during this postgraduate degree. You’ll develop and hone these abilities from your first week with us, and you’ll build on them as you progress through the degree to your final dissertation. You’ll also meet regularly with your dissertation supervisor.
Assessment
You’ll be assessed through a range of methods, including essays, project work, presentations, and the dissertation.
Most of our modules include opportunities for formative assessments, which will provide you with expert feedback before submitting your final work.
Employability
After the Course
An understanding of international affairs is increasingly important in all kinds of careers, and our programme will provide you with vital employability skills and many networking opportunities.
Recent graduates from our school have taken jobs in business, teaching, research, journalism, and many international organisations, including the UN, EU and NATO.
We work closely with UEA’s Careers Service, which can provide advice on all aspects of graduate employment as well as help you arrange internships and work placements. The school has a dedicated employability director and career adviser who will help you think about what you want to do next and how to get there.
Careers
Examples of careers that you could enter include:
- Political/ Policy analyst
- Programme/ Development officer
- Risk analyst
- Advocacy/ Outreach officer
- Journalist
- Management position in international organisations, NGOs, government, media, and academia
Discover more on our Careers webpages.
Entry Requirements
- This course is open to
This course is open to UK and International applicants. The annual intake for this course is in September each year.
- Typical UK Entry Requirements
Degree classification
Bachelors degree - 2.2
Degree Subject
Any subject area
- Admissions Policy
Our Admissions Policy applies to the admissions of all postgraduate applicants.
- This course is open to
This course is open to UK and International applicants. The annual intake for this course is in September each year.
- Typical International Entry Requirements
Degree classification
UK Bachelors degree - 2.2 or equivalent
Degree Subject
Any subject area
- English Foreign Language
Applications from students whose first language is not English are welcome. We require evidence of proficiency in English (including writing, speaking, listening and reading):
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IELTS: 6.0 overall with minimum 5.5 in each component.
Test dates should be within 2 years of the course start date.
We also accept a number of other English language tests. Review our English Language Equivalencies for a list of qualifications that we may accept to meet this requirement.
If you do not meet the English language requirements for this course, our UEA International Study Centre offers a variety of English language programmes which are designed to help you develop the required English skills.
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- UEA International Study Centre
If you do not meet the academic requirements for this course, you may be able to study the International Pre-Masters programme offered by our partner UEA International Study Centre. This programme guarantees progression to selected Master's degrees if students achieve the appropriate grade. For more details, please click here:
International Pre-Masters in Business, Economics and Social Sciences
- Admissions Policy
Our Admissions Policy applies to the admissions of all postgraduate applicants.
Fees and Funding
Tuition fees for the Academic Year 2026/27 are:
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UK Students: £11,200
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International Students: £23,850
If you choose to study part-time, the fee per annum will be half the annual fee for that year, or a pro-rata fee for the module credit you are taking (only available for Home students).
We estimate living expenses at £1,136 per month.
Further Information on tuition fees can be found here.
Scholarships and Bursaries
The University of East Anglia offers a range of Scholarships; please click the link for eligibility, details of how to apply and closing dates.
Course Related Costs
Please see Additional Course Fees for details of course-related costs.
How to Apply
How to apply
Applications for Postgraduate Taught programmes at the University of East Anglia should be made directly to the University.
To apply please use our online application form.
Further information
If you would like to discuss your individual circumstances prior to applying, please do contact us:
Postgraduate Admissions Office
Tel: +44 (0)1603 591515
Email: admissions@uea.ac.uk
International candidates are also encouraged to access the International Students section of our website.