MA International Relations

This core module provides an introduction to International Relations by examining the theories, key concepts and authors. It aims to:

• engage you in independent and critical thinking
• develop and engage with the theoretical concepts and apply them to the world
• develop the ability to present and defend arguments and interpretations in an appropriate and scholarly manner
• help you understand global events from the state, non-state and international perspectives

This module provides a thorough understanding of the key skills required to develop and carry-out a research-based project or dissertation on the subject of International Relations. It aims to:

• introduce you to postgraduate-level methodological and theoretical approaches to researching international relations
• provide the opportunity to critically appraise methodological and theoretical approaches to researching international relations
• provide the skills required to undertake a research project at postgraduate level

This module develops a comprehension of the theory, practice and historical development of the War/Peace Cycle. It will demonstrate an understanding of the strategic significance of the War/Peace cycle in international relations over the course of the last 200 years. It also builds in-depth knowledge of  particular problems in the War/Peace cycle.

This module will prepare you to undertake your dissertation following the relevant research methods module. It will enable you to:

• engage in independent and critical thinking and apply theoretical concepts in the field of international relations
• apply knowledge of recent advances within the field of international relations and situate the proposed work accordingly
• identify, access and critically evaluate relevant research resources
• present and defend research findings in an appropriate and scholarly manner
• examine an appropriate area of research and modify the project after discussion, reflection and feedback

This module engages with both political science and historical approaches to the study of warfare in contemporary Africa. It will enable you to:

• consider the nature of international interventions in African wars
• consider the dilemmas of post-conflict agendas of justice and reconciliation

This module aims to:

• consider current controversies in international law pertaining to the use of force between states
• provide you with an understanding of legal limitations on methods and means of armed conflict
• explore modern and emerging challenges to the law of armed conflict

The module aims to teach the students the various theories on philosophy of history (linear and directional vs. cyclical history; ‘end of history’ theories; Marxist notion of history; recognition of patterns in history, such as, cycles; theory of history as history of ‘civilizations’; Nietzsche’s eternal recurrence theory; decline of the West; Carl Schmitt’s Land vs. Sea dichotomy) and to familiarize the students with the works of the thinkers who developed these theories (Kant, Hegel, Marx, Fukuyama, Popper, Tolstoy, Nietzsche, Huntington, Spengler, Schmitt, Toynbee, Gibbon etc.). The module aims in particular to show the relevance of these theories to international relations (IR) and European integration theory.

IR can indeed be understood in different ways depending on the different conceptions of history; for example, as international ‘class struggle’ (Marxist approach), as ‘clash or encounter of civilizations’ (Huntington, Spengler, Toynbee), as ‘struggle for recognition’ (Fukuyama), as conflict between terrestrial powers and thalassocracies (Schmitt), as ‘eternal recurrence’ of the same patterns and conflicts (Nietzsche). The module will therefore encourage the students to think about IR in combination with a particular conception of history.

The module is relevant to European integration theory. The most important theories on European integration (especially neofunctionalism, but also, although less evidently, liberal intergovernmentalism) adopt a deterministic approach or at least an approach which draws inspiration from historical determinism. Accordingly, European integration theories reveal an underpinning ‘philosophy of history’ that sees integration as an automatic result of certain premises (for example, economic integration as leading necessarily to political integration) and that sees the EU as the most important example of ‘post-historical’ (Fukuyama) and ‘post-political’ entity (Majone). The module will therefore disclose to students a new way to look at European integration theory in combination with a particular conception of history.

This module enables you to examine and critically analyse contemporary issues arising from the EU Foreign, Security and Justice Policy. You will also be able to consider contemporary global problems through EU law and policy.

This module aims to enable students to analyse contemporary issues of the Asia-Pacific region and be able to pinpoint its significance in world politics, so the module will be taught by closely engaging provocative debates on contemporary events, headlines and widest media coverage of the region.

The module aims to:

• introduce you to the work of the United Nations in the maintenance and restoration of international peace and security
• develop your understanding of the legal framework which governs the work of the UN in this area
  

This module aims to:

• provide you with an appreciation of the nature of the state within international law
• develop an awareness of the causes, consequences and responses to statelessness and the awareness of the challenges posed to the integrity of the state and international law’s response to these
  

Introduces students to the basic conceptual, institutional and substantive elements of international human rights law, current debates regarding the interpretation and application of international human rights law.

The module will provide students with critical appreciation of contemporary issues of global and regional concern relating to the interpretation and application of international human rights law.

This module provides a grounding in gender as a critical theoretical lens for understanding how certain categories of power impact upon international peace and security. It will be important for students interested in working in industries concerned with peace, security, and development, as the WPS agenda continues to gain recognition and grounding internationally.