MA International Relations and Security

Birmingham City University

Overview

The International Relations and Security course explores issues of power, governance, security, decision-making, conflict, and cooperation across the globe. Students develop knowledge and high-level skills that equip them for success in their careers.

The course provides knowledge and critical understanding of communities and states facing challenges such as migration, terrorism, state violence, climate change and social inequalities. The study of International Relations encompasses relations between human beings and their socio-political and ecological environments at local, national and global levels. This course explores security, power relations, globalisation and the ways states interact, whether through cooperation or through conflict.

This course is designed with employability at its core, both through the teaching and through authentic assessments.

Authentic assessments such as projects, crisis games, live debates or presentations, directly link learning to meaningful contexts. Students actively engage with the material, seeing its relevance to future careers. This fosters intrinsic motivation and deeper understanding. Through authentic tasks you develop key skills: authentic tasks require you to apply knowledge, analyse, synthesise, and collaborate with classmates. These skills are sought by employers and are vital for lifelong learning. Authentic assessments provide opportunities for ongoing feedback and self-reflection.

Opportunities include placements, work experience or volunteering with external organisations, or through work-like learning and research experiences embedded into the course via simulations, role-play and practical problem-solving activities. You will gain work-related learning through employer insight visits, authentic assessments and volunteering you will be able to apply knowledge in combination with transferrable skills, through guest lectures and employer-led skills sessions, as well as in-class tasks that help you develop skills in negotiation, time management, risk assessment, leadership and teamwork.

You can succeed in a wide variety of career pathways: policy-oriented work - within domestic and international NGO, charity and other third sector organisations enterprise work - within social sciences-driven start-ups or private sector organisations and working within institutional settings such as the civil service or diplomatic service, educational institutions, media and political institutions at the national and local levels.

Employability

Employability is embedded in the curriculum, and at the heart of the course. We aim to produce graduates with competence and skills in problem solving, time management, effective communication, conflict management, harm mitigation, flexibility and diplomacy, so that you are well-prepared for your future career.