International Relations MPhil

The MPhil in International Relations is a two-year (21-month) course which combines intellectually rigorous training in theoretical and conceptual approaches to international relations with the study of the recent history of world politics, as well as providing methodological training and personalised guidance for the production of high-quality original research .

The MPhil International Relations course equips you with the knowledge and skills you require to pursue further 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 very competitive and students come from a wide range of backgrounds and nationalities.

The DPIR 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. Methods training spans a variety of approaches, both quantitative and qualitative, and is intended to provide the skills necessary to both critically evaluate existing work and produce rigorous original research.

The core course culminates in a three-hour examination at the end of the first year. Research design and methods training is assessed by tests across the first year. Progression to the second year is conditional on satisfactory performance in these examinations and tests.