International Relations

The MPhil in International Relations is a two-year (21-month) course which offers intellectually rigorous training in the recent history of world politics, and in the theoretical or conceptual study of international relations, as well as the appropriate research methods.

The MPhil International Relations course equips you with the skills you require to undertake research and study at an advanced level and also to undertake many forms of professional work in the field. This MPhil is a very popular course, attracting students from the world’s leading institutions. Entry is competitive and students come from a wide range of backgrounds and nationalities.

The department is internationally recognised as a leader in research in the field of international relations and is home to the Centre for International Studies.

The objective of the course is to give you, in your first-year, a thorough mastery of the major facts, methodologies and perspectives in the field, as well as to develop research skills. This is supplemented in the second year by specialised course work on two optional subjects and a 30,000-word thesis.

In the first year as an MPhil in International Relations student, you must complete core classes in the development of the international system and contemporary debates in international relations theory, and a course on research design and methods in international relations, which includes the writing of a research design proposal in preparation for the MPhil thesis.

At the end of your first year, you have to sit two three-hour written examinations, with questions in the first drawn from the compulsory subject and questions in the second from the research design and methods course. Progression to the second year is conditional on satisfactory performance in these examinations.

In your second year you will write a thesis and complete two specialist optional papers. Options offered in recent years have covered European international history since 1945, strategic studies, the international relations of the Middle East, and Classical theories of international relations.

At the end of the course, you are required to sit two three-hour written examinations in the optional papers of your choice and submit a thesis of not more than 30,000 words.

Applicants are normally expected to be predicted or have achieved a first-class or strong upper second-class undergraduate degree with honours (or equivalent international qualifications), as a minimum, in political science or international relations, or in a closely related discipline (eg economics, history, philosophy, sociology, law, etc).

Nonetheless, each application will be assessed upon its own merits, and so candidates with a degree in an unrelated discipline should demonstrate the relevance of their academic background to their proposed subject or topic of study. 

Entrance is very competitive and most successful applicants have a first-class degree or the equivalent.

For applicants with a degree from the USA, the minimum GPA sought is 3.7 out of 4.0.

If you hold non-UK qualifications and wish to check how your qualifications match these requirements, you can contact the National Recognition Information Centre for the United Kingdom (UK NARIC).

No Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or GMAT scores are sought.

Other appropriate indicators will include:

• Official transcript(s)
• CV/résumé
• Statement of purpose/personal statement:500 words
• References/letters of recommendation:Three overall, of which at least two must be academic

Scholarships

• Global Education
• Hill Foundation Scholarships