Master of International Relations

Build your theoretical foundations with the core course, Approaches to International Relations.

Hone your ability to think critically and creatively about pressing geopolitical issues, including war and its aftermath, international migration, China and the world, identity in world politics, global political economy, and the challenges to international order.

You can complement your International Relations courses with approved Political Science and Strategic Studies courses. These include the China Field Study and the Japan Field Study, which run every second year.

The MIR is made up of two parts—a taught component and a research component.

Part 1
The taught component starts with the core course and a range of approved courses.
Part 2
For the research component you can choose between a 60-point dissertation and a combination of a 30-point research project and a taught course.
With the permission of the MIR coordinator, you may be allowed to do a 90-point thesis in place of the Part 2 research component and some Part 1 courses.

Duration and workload

The MIR will usually take 12 months of full-time study to complete, while the PGDipIR generally takes two trimesters full time.

Studying full time, you can expect a workload of 40 to 45 hours a week for much of the year.

You can estimate your workload by adding up the number of points you'll be doing. One point is roughly equal to 10 to 12 hours of work.