Political Science

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Social and political theory is an exciting interdisciplinary combination of classical and contemporary theoretical developments in the social sciences and philosophy which raise important questions about the way we analyse society and about the scope of critical thought.

This is a distinctive MA programme taught by specialists from the Social and Political Theory Research Group in the School of Government and Society. This research group is in the unique position of being able to offer a social and political theory MA programme from a genuinely interdisciplinary team drawn from the Sociology Group and the wider politics staff in POLSIS. It offers an exciting range of modules dealing with topics of perennial interest together with topics of contemporary relevance.

Topics studied can include debates about religious and cultural diversity and conflict, third wave feminism and post-feminism, critical theory and criticism after Marx, the relationship of philosophy to social and political enquiry and criticism, and the study of democracy.

With this programme you are able to explore critically the development of social and political theory and the key current debates. The sociological component of this degree is run by the Social Theory research cluster, which has strengths in:

* Critical theory
* Postmodernism
* Critical realism
* The philosophy of the social sciences
* Theories of modernity, social movements, and reflexivity

One of the real strengths of our masters programmes is the wide range of available modules, giving students the ability to tailor their course of study to their own academic interests.

This degree is designed for flexibility, allowing you to choose over half of the MA content from a wide range of optional modules. This degree comprises the following modules:Core modules * 20 credits - Social Theory and Critique: Contested Knowledge
* 20 credits - Social Theory: From Marxism to Post Marxism
* 60 credits - Dissertation, MA students to submit a 13,500 word dissertation (not applicable to Diploma students)
* You'll take at least 40 credits from the optional modules A list. These are modules that we believe best fit this degree. We recommend that you also take some or all of your remaining credits from this list.

Optional Modules A (at least 40 credits from the following)
* 20 credits Democracy, Power and Citizenship
* 20 credits Multiculturalism and Religious Conflict
* 20 credits Revolution and Enlightenment (Political Ideas A)
* 20 credits Totalitarianism & The State (Political Ideas B)
* We also offer you the opportunity to choose from our much longer list of Optional Modules B.

Optional Modules B (up to 40 credits from the following)
* 20 credits - Advanced Political Analysis
* 40 credits - Asia Pacific Security
* 20 credits - The Caucasus: History, Culture and Contemporary Politics
* 20 credits - Central Asia: Islam, Nationalism and Globalisation
* 20 credits - Civil War, Conflict Management and Peacekeeping
* 40 credits - Contemporary Debates in International Relations Theory
* 20 credits - Contemporary Issues in Global Ethics
* 20 credits - Development and Emerging Inequalities in Europe
* 40 credits - Diplomacy and Statecraft
* 40 credits - Diplomatic History of the 20th Century
* 20 credits - Ethical Dimensions of Terrorism, Political Violence and War
* 40 credits - European Security
* 20 credits - Foreign Policy Analysis
* 20 credits - Gender and Global Governance
* 20 credits - Germany's Foreign Policy since the end of the Cold War
* 20 credits - Global Climate Change
* 20 credits - Global Environmental Governance
* 20 credits - Global Ethics: Theories and Approaches
* 40 credits - Globalisation and Governance
* 20 credits - History and Politics of South Africa (CWAS)
* 40 credits - International Political Economy
* 20 credits - The Politics of the Arab-Israeli Conflict
* 20 credits - Post-Conflict Peacekeeping and International Order
* 20 credits - Readings in Russian and East European Studies
* 20 credits - Researching Russia and Eastern Europe
* 20 credits - Rising Powers and Global Order
* 20 credits - Russian and Ukrainian Politics and International Relations
* 40 credits - Security Studies
* 20 credits - Sex, Death, Gender and (in) Security
* 20 credits - Social Theory and Critique Contested Knowledge
* 20 credits - Social Theory: from Marxism to Post Marxism
* 40 credits - Strategic Studies
* 20 credits - Terrorism and Political Violence
* 20 credits - Terrorism and Contemporary Conflict
* 20 credits - Theory and Ethics of Terrorism and Political Violence
* 40 credits - US Foreign and Defence Policy

For the MA programme you require a good Honours degree or its equivalent. For those whose first language is not English, an IELTS Certificate is required. Entry at Graduate Diploma level is possible for those with a reasonable first degree. Graduate Diploma students can upgrade to the MA on satisfactory examination performance.International students:Academic requirementsWe accept a range of qualifications, our country pages show you what qualifications we accept from your country.English language requirementsYou can satisfy our English language requirements in two ways: * by holding an English language qualification to the right level * by taking and successfully completing one of our English courses for international students English Language Requirements IELTS band: 6.5 IMPORTANT NOTE: Since April 2014 the ETS tests (including TOEFL and TOEIC) are no longer accepted for Tier 4 visa applications to the United Kingdom. The university might still accept these tests to admit you to the university, but if you require a Tier 4 visa to enter the UK and begin your degree programme, these tests will not be sufficient to obtain your Visa. The IELTS test is most widely accepted by universities and is also accepted for Tier 4 visas to the UK- learn more.

Scholarships may be available. International students can often gain funding through overseas research scholarships, Commonwealth scholarships or their home government.

Accreditation

In the School of Government and Society we offer much more than a degree. As a student here, whether undergraduate or postgraduate, you have the opportunity to take part in a wide range of events, with some or all of the costs paid for by the School.
Sociology at Birmingham is an excellent place to develop a sociological imagination to understand the challenges and opportunities we face.