MA International Relations with Placement Year

Why choose Herts?

Industry-focused content: You will explore contemporary debates within international relations, to study energy scarcity, ecological changes, and ideas on global justice.
Work-placement opportunities: We offer advanced research and sandwich year pathway options with placements available in the media, at political organisations, and research institutes.
Employment prospects: Graduates work as policy advisers, communications managers, and researchers for NGOs, government institutions, and large multinational organisations.

A good second-class honours degree, or equivalent, with the merit of each application being assessed on an individual basis. Please contact Dr Benjamin Nutt for more details.
Short personal statement (no more than 1000 words), explaining why you are interested in international relations as well as some background information on yourself.
A work or academic reference.
All students from non-majority English speaking countries require proof of English language proficiency, equivalent to an overall IELTS score of 6.5 with a minimum of 6.5 in Writing and 6.0 in all other bands.
If you do not have the required IELTS or equivalent for direct entry on to your degree programme, our Pre-sessional English may help you to achieve this level.
More information about English language qualifications are available on our international pages.


Institution code	H36
School of study	School of Life and Medical Sciences
Course length	Sandwich Placement, 2 Years
Location	University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield

Employability
Careers

Individuals with a postgraduate degree in International Relations are well-equipped for employment and often pursue careers in:
- Policy: graduates may wish to seek employment in policy analysis and creation within the government, think tanks or NGOs.
- Vocation: graduates often want to use the skills developed on the course in a more vocational setting, including journalism, human resources or marketing within both the media and private sector industries.
- Research: graduates may want to pursue a career researching in either the public sector, academia or government agencies, or private sector businesses, including polling, market research or research and development.

About the course

Study our MA in International Relations to gain an understanding of the forces that shape global politics in the 21st Century. A postgraduate degree in international relations provides a pathway to a range of careers from policy-related roles in NGOs and government to vocational positions in the media and the private sector.

Whether your background is in politics and international relations, or another discipline, our MA equips you with the knowledge, skills and tools to critically analyse and tackle global society’s most pressing issues. Our innovative teaching methods, including simulations and panel-style debates, help establish a thorough grasp of the theoretical approaches and empirical methods used to study international relations. Specialist modules allow you to study and analyse a range of topics, from traditional issues like war, peace and security to more contemporary debates on the international economy, global ethics, energy scarcity, and ecological changes. Our lecturers are active researchers who will give insight into current debates, developments and perspectives within the discipline of international relations. You will undertake a dissertation, on a topic of your choice, and will be supervised through this task by one, or more, of the department’s dedicated research staff.

The MA is delivered with flexibility in mind, combining in-class activities with online learning provisions to ensure that studies can be balanced with other commitments, including work and family life. There are a number of different pathways on offer to fit with your individual needs and professional aims. The standard route MA is offered full-time (one year) or part-time (two years). Alternatively, you may wish to take a Sandwich option (two years full-time), which combines a year of university study with a year-long work placement, or the with Advanced Research route (two years full-time), where you will complete an extended, year-long research project in addition to one year of university study.

Sandwich pathway (Work-Placement)

Choosing the Sandwich route enhances your employability as it gives you an additional year to work in a policy-related field, the media or private sector. The Sandwich option offers you the opportunity to put your knowledge and skills into practice, as well as enrich your personal network of contacts.

Please contact Dr Benjamin Nutt for more information on the MA International Relations.

Why choose this course?

Personal learning experience: You will be part of a closely connected community of students. Small class sizes and a large range of modules means you will benefit from extensive, personalised support that fits your individual study needs and development goals.
Research-led teaching: You’ll be taught by a team of researchers working at the forefront of the discipline of international relations. Build your experience and put your knowledge into action by getting involved in our research group events, such as workshops with experts in political research and practice.
Topical focus: You will study modules on topics that sit at the forefront of contemporary debates within international relations, including energy scarcity, ecological changes, and ideas pertaining to global justice. Expert staff will encourage you to explore how the traditional aspects of international relations are being challenged by current events and changes.
Flexibility: You will have the opportunity to engage with course material in a manner that blends in class and online learning and suits your individual needs. Learning materials will be provided in a way that makes them accessible whatever your personal circumstances.
Join us in exploring how the world you live in operates and learn skills for life: Alongside your subject-based knowledge, we will help you develop a set of professional and interchangeable soft skills that will improve your overall employability. A postgraduate degree in international relations will hone and improve your communication, organisational, and critical analysis skills, providing you with tools that are appealing to future employers.

Is this course for me?

This course would appeal to:

graduates who have just finished their BA degree in politics and/or international relations and would like to extend and deepen their knowledge of the subject
graduates from related disciplines in the humanities and social sciences, such as history, philosophy or sociology, who would like to focus their second degree on international politics
graduates who are looking for an MA degree which is taught in a flexible way and can be balanced with work and family commitments
UK and international graduates who seek to combine MA studies with advanced professional and research training
graduates who are looking for MA studies in a closely-knit, supportive research community, for example because they are returning to education as mature students
working, or retired, professionals who would like to expand their theoretical and empirical knowledge of the global political system.

What will I study?

Our award winning lecturers are active researchers who will introduce and explain topics that are at the forefront of the discipline of international relations. The programme will be delivered using a number of different methods:

interactive lectures and seminars where you will be encouraged to participate in, and take ownership of, your own learning within a supportive and managed environment
simulation activities, which replicate the environment and experiences within which international relations take place
regular, detailed and personal supervision sessions for independent student research
opportunities to present your research at a student conference, where you will gain experience in presenting and providing answers to unprepared questions
external speakers and visits allow you to gain a wider understanding of where your degree fits into the broader framework of international politics
our study and research skills sessions are applied to the discipline, which means you will attain insights into how theories, methods and methodologies operate in a real research environment.

Level 7

Module	Credits	Compulsory/optional
Debates and Dilemmas in International Relations	30 Credits	Compulsory
This module aims to provide you with advanced knowledge of scholarly debates in the discipline of International Relations as well as their significance for the analysis of practices in the international scenario. The module begins by contextualising the origins of the discipline, which lead to the emergence of the first great debates in International Relations. It then explores the evolution of paradigms, theories and debates throughout the 20th century until the fade of the Cold War. In the last part of the module, you are introduced with most recent, cutting-edge theoretical approaches to make sense of the current challenges in the international arena.
Energy and Environmental Politics	15 Credits	Optional
This module seeks to enhance your capacity to develop an interdisciplinary, systematic and critical understanding of the interrelated nature of energy policy and environmental issues. Focusing primarily on the EU framework, but also other regions, the course enriches your understanding of energy sector strategic responses and governmental initiatives to key current environmental challenges. It introduces you to the key historical stages in the evolution of environmental politics, focusing particularly on the tipping point from which there is a growing awareness of the human impact on ecosystems. You will also examine the political processes and realities that shape energy and environmental policy, including: internal political debates, decision-making procedures, and policy design and implementation. Finally, the module also seeks to comprehensively unpack the key features of real cases and trends in contemporary energy and environmental policy.
International Political Economy: Contemporary Dynamics and Approaches	15 Credits	Optional
Do we live in an age of recurrent economic crises? Should finance be regulated and, if so, how and by whom? What are gig economy and platform capitalism? This module provides you with a robust and critical knowledge of key concepts, issues and developments which characterise the global economy of the late 20th and 21st century and offers you both mainstream and critical theoretical approaches to understand these. It draws attention to the social and ethical implications of financial speculation, post-Fordist production and consumption, especially with regard to global inequality. Through the module, you will develop an ability to analyse, compare and critically evaluate fundamental assumptions and arguments in IPE and IPE-related literature. Against this background, you will be able to independently assess the challenges faced by any attempt to politically regulate the contemporary global economy and will have the opportunity to propose and sketch innovative ways to overcome these.
Justice in International Relations	15 Credits	Optional
Whether focusing on climate change and conduct in war or human rights and world hunger, International Relations is an ethically charged subject. However, there is no agreement on how best to address these issues or even if ethical considerations should influence global political actions. This module focuses on whether or not questions of justice should and/or do shape the contours of global politics. Throughout this module you will critically analyse the theoretical debates on global justice and apply these positions to real-life policies and problems. You will also explore the scholarly debate between questions about order, how the world 'is' structured, and justice, how the world 'should' be structured. By the end of the module, you will have a comprehensive grasp of the theories of global justice and an in-depth understanding of how ethical considerations shape international relations.
Governing the International, the Global, and the Planetary	15 Credits	Compulsory
In recent years, governance at a supra-state level has been in crisis. The international, the global and the planetary are conceptual and normative tools put in place to challenge an increasingly convoluted world. What is the future for governance in contemporary international politics? Who will be its vanguard? Are there state-based approaches applicable for the emerging planetary crises, such as global pandemics and climate change? These are the thematic questions that underpin the module. To explore these, you will engage with a range of theoretical perspectives, and apply these to a variety of practical cases and contemporary topics, including peace and security, human rights, global health, and climate change, amongst others. By the end of the module, you will possess a detailed understanding of how the governance of the international, the global and the planetary attempt to overcome some of the most pressing contemporary political issues.
Designing Research in Global Politics	15 Credits	Compulsory
On this module, you will be introduced to the complex world of professional research and exposed to the range of skills and tools researchers use to produce, critique and disseminate knowledge. You will learn how to design research projects from scratch and the best practice for circumnavigating any ethical conundrums you might face in the field. Dynamic, research active staff, will introduce you to the different methods and methodologies used to conduct International Relations-based research as well as many of the approaches used to analyse data within the Social Sciences more broadly. You will be given the opportunity to explore and practise these approaches and methods in a practical context, so as to better understand their individual strengths and weaknesses. By the end of the module, you will possess a competent understanding of the research process and have a sophisticated knowledge of the different ways you can communicate your findings.
Geopolitics: Development and Diplomacy	15 Credits	Optional
The emergence of new global powers, rapidly changing and developing spheres of influences, and conflicts defined by geography, make Geopolitics a field of study with contemporary relevance. Through a combination of both topical and historical issues, students will unpack the intricacies of debates within geopolitics, geostrategy, diplomacy, and development. Applying a historico-spatial narrative, the module will allow students to explore key events in Geopolitical history, including, but not limited to, the development of nation-states, border disputes, diplomatic relations, and broader theoretical concepts like imperialism, post-colonialism, and globalisation. Additionally, students will analyse contemporary world events within a spatial context, including: terrorism, irredentism, partition, shatterzones, food security, and climate change. The module is underpinned by the ontologies and epistemologies that have shaped theories of Geopolitical thought and how knowledge is simultaneously changing over time, shaping the world, and altering our perceptions of it.
Work Placement - IR	60 Credits	Compulsory
This module provides students with the opportunity to set their academic studies in a broader work environment. Students will be given the opportunity to apply their intellectual skills gained in a professional setting. Students will also apply the transferable skills developed in a work-based environment.
Conflict, Peace and Security	15 Credits	Compulsory
The module explores the causes and contributing factors to international and domestic conflict. The module covers themes concerning national and international governance of conflict-related insecurities, including conflict resolution, peacekeeping, and peacebuilding approaches. The module explores advanced theoretical perspectives of a qualitative nature aimed at providing a comprehensive understanding of violent conflict, and engages with advanced approaches to peacebuilding, including liberal and post-liberal frameworks. The module offers an in-depth discussion of the dynamics of conflict at the micro, meso and meta levels of analysis.
Conspiracy and Truth in International Politics	15 Credits	Optional
From the idea that 9/11 was an 'inside job' orchestrated by the US government to the political 'hoax' of the COVID-19 pandemic and Donald Trump's stolen election win of 2020, 21st century politics is rife in conspiracy theories. But why are events of political significance surrounded by conspiracies offering alternative explanations? And is the prevalence of conspiracies in democratic politics actually new? This module introduces different theoretical perspectives from political philosophy, political psychology and sociology that provide understanding for the political quality of truth and conspiracy. Through a number of historical and contemporary case studies, the module unpacks how international politics is shaped and changed by truth claims, their contestation, and conspiracy theories. The module explores both what is distinct about contemporary 'post-truth politics' and how it mirrors the national and international political dynamics of 19th and 20th century conspiracies.

Key staff

Dr Benjamin Nutt

Find out more about Dr Benjamin Nutt

Further course information

Course fact sheets
MA (SW) International Relations	Download
MA (SW) International Relations	Download

Programme specifications
MA International Relations	Download
MA International Relations	Download

Additional information
Sandwich placement or study abroad year	n/a
Applications open to international and EU students	Yes

Student experience

At the University of Hertfordshire, we want to make sure your time studying with us is as stress-free and rewarding as possible. We offer a range of support services including; student wellbeing, academic support, accommodation and childcare to ensure that you make the most of your time at Herts and can focus on studying and having fun.

Find out about how we support our students

You can also read our student blogs to find out about life at Herts.

Funding and fees
Other financial support

Find out more about other financial support available to UK and EU students

Fees 2024
UK Students
Full time
- £11655 for 2024/2025 and 2025/2026 inclusive
EU Students
Full time
- £17950 for 2024/2025 and 2025/2026 inclusive
International Students
Full time
- £17950 for 2024/2025 and 2025/2026 inclusive
Fees 2025
UK Students
Full time
- £12360 for 2025/2026 and 2026/2027 inclusive
EU Students
Full time
- £18800 for 2025/2026 and 2026/2027 inclusive
International Students
Full time
- £18800 for 2025/2026 and 2026/2027 inclusive
*Tuition fees are charged annually. The fees quoted above are for the specified year(s) only. Fees may be higher in future years, for both new and continuing students. Please see the University's Fees and Finance Policy (and in particular the section headed "When tuition fees change"), for further information about when and by how much the University may increase its fees for future years.

View detailed information about tuition fees

Living costs / accommodation

The University of Hertfordshire offers a great choice of student accommodation, on campus or nearby in the local area, to suit every student budget.

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Read more about additional fees in the course fact sheet
How to apply

International/EU applicants without pre-settled status in the UK

Apply through our international/EU application portal

Home and EU applicants with pre-settled/settled status in the UK

2025
Start Date End Date Year Location Link
25/09/2025 31/05/2026 1 UH Hatfield Campus Apply online (Sandwich)
2026
Start Date End Date Year Location Link
25/09/2026 31/05/2027 1 UH Hatfield Campus Apply online (Sandwich)

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MA International Relations with Placement Year

Why choose Herts?

Careers

About the course

Sandwich pathway (Work-Placement)

Why choose this course?

Is this course for me?

What will I study?

Key staff

Further course information

Student experience

Other financial support

Fees 2024

UK Students

Full time

EU Students

Full time

International Students

Full time

Fees 2025

UK Students

Full time

EU Students

Full time

International Students

Full time

Living costs / accommodation

International/EU applicants without pre-settled status in the UK

Home and EU applicants with pre-settled/settled status in the UK

2025

2026