International Conflict and Cooperation

Advertisement

The MSc combines core modules in International Conflict and Cooperation and International Organisation in Semester 1 with a research methods course. In the Semester 2, research methods continues and students take two option modules from a range of choices that focus on the Middle East, Africa, Migration and Resource Conflicts amongst others.

Course objectives
The course looks at the dynamics of international conflict and cooperation in light of major developments such as the end of the Cold War, the 9/11 terror attacks and the Arab Spring. The course takes a thematic approach to conflict resolution and the role of international organisations to focus on the role of conflict prevention and management in specific geographical areas in addition to the development and regulation of conflict in relation to factors such as natural resources and migration.

Structure and Content

Core Modules:

* International Conflict and Cooperation Analysis: Critically evaluates theories and causes of conflict in international relations, issues of war and peace in modern European and world history, and attempts at international cooperation through a variety of actors in international affairs
* International Organisations: Provides an in-depth analysis of the UN, NATO, OSCE and the EU as an international organisation. It will also consider non-governmental international organisations, such as Amnesty International and the Red Cross.
* Research Skills and Methods A: During the first semester, you will be taught comparative methods in the social sciences, with particular emphasis on the study of political and economic history and international relations/conflict
* Research Skills and Methods B/Project design: During the second semester, you will present your own research plan, leading to your research dissertation project, thus achieving both standards of independent intellectual analysis and a spirit of community

Optional Modules (note that not all optional modules are available at any one time):

* Conflicts and Cooperation in the Balkans: Examines the rise and fall of Yugoslavia, the ethnic and religious conflicts that marred the wider Balkan region in the 1990s, as well as the role of external actors in the management and, at times, accentuation of conflicts
* Eu-Russia Relations and the Shared neighbourhood: The focus of this module is the developing relationship between an expanding EU and a new, post-Cold War Russia, and the implications this relationship has for the wider geo-politics and geo-economics of the Eurasian continent
* Conflict in Independent Africa: Explores conflict in post-colonial Africa. It will focus on its causes and consequences, the role of international actors in African conflicts (for example, the Cold War and the Angolan civil war), regional conflicts such as that in the Great Lakes region, border wars (for example, Nigeria vs. Cameroon), civil wars (for example, Liberia and Sierra Leone) and genocide (for example, Rwanda)
* Middle East: Examines conflict in the modern Middle East in the context of addressing the widely held but increasingly contested belief that the region has unique characteristics which differentiates its political and security development from other regions in the developing world
* Peoples in Movement:Migrants, Refugees and Human Security: Looks at the causes and consequences of human displacement through colonization, boundary changes, political violence and the emergence of international organizations and frameworks to address migration-related issues
* Climate Change, Human Security and Resource Conflicts: Examines violent and non-violent conflicts where natural resources are a major contributing factor. It seeks to assess the causes, processes, solutions and implications of resource conflicts, focusing on a range of perspectives such as equity, ethics and environmental justice within the context of resource scarcity and rapid climate change

Research dissertation Project: A research project conducted and reported to publishable standard in a 15,000-word dissertation. The project is supervised by a member of staff and represents a major part of the final MSc assessment.

Delivery and Assessment

Modules will typically be delivered in the evenings by lecture and seminar, although the emphasis will be on student participation and discussion, workshop sessions, as well as a variety of formal and informal presentations.

Timetable

Contact the School for information on your timetable and reading lists.

Normally an upper second class Honours degree in Politics, International Relations or an allied discipline, or equivalent qualification.English Language RequirementsIf English is not your first language, you must provide evidence of your proficiency such as a minimum IELTS score of 6 (minimum 5.5 in each skill), or TOEFL: Listening 21, Reading 22, Speaking 23, Writing 21. English Language Requirements IELTS band: 6 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.

Accreditation

In the most recent Research Assessment Exercise (RAE), the vast majority of the outputs submitted by the History and Politics staff were graded as international quality and a significant proportion was of World-leading quality. All staff in History and Politics were assessed, an indicator of how central research is to our activity.