MSc International Relations Research

1 Year On Campus Masters Program

London School of Economics and Political Science

Program Overview

The MSc International Relations (Research) at LSE offers a deep, theory-driven exploration of how global politics are conceptualised — perfect for students aiming for research, academia, or advanced policy analysis. It suits those who want not just to study world affairs, but to understand and critically analyse international relations as a discipline, with an eye toward producing original research.

Curriculum Structure

This programme is a one-year full-time (12-month) or two-year part-time (24-month) master’s.

First phase: You take a compulsory course in theory — “International Relations: Core Theories and Debates” — covering major theoretical traditions (realism, liberalism, constructivism, English School, normative, feminist/post-colonial perspectives). This gives a solid conceptual foundation to think about global politics.
Methodology training: As part of the research track, you also enrol in “Research Design for International Relations”, a methods module designed to equip you with qualitative/quantitative research tools, critical methods, and academic-level research design — preparing you to produce high-quality, publishable academic work.
Electives: Alongside core and methods modules, you choose optional courses from a wide pool — including topics such as Foreign Policy Analysis; International Institutions; Global Governance; Regional Studies (Middle East, China, Europe, Global South); Security & Conflict; Human Rights; International Political Economy; Climate & Global Risk; etc. This lets you shape the program around your interests.
Dissertation: The programme culminates in a 10,000-word dissertation, giving you scope to research independently under supervision — a real opportunity to contribute original insight, build a research profile, and prepare for PhD or professional policy/research roles.

Focus areas

“In ternational Relations Theory; Global Governance & Institutions; Security & Conflict Studies; Regional and Area Studies; International Political Economy; Global Challenges (climate, migration, human rights); Foreign Policy Analysis; Normative & Critical IR; Research Methods & Social Science Research Design.”

Learning outcomes

“You will gain a deep theoretical mastery of different IR paradigms, advanced research-methodology skills, capacity to design and conduct original research, analytic tools to assess global political phenomena, and ability to produce academically rigorous dissertations — preparing you for careers in research, academia, policy-analysis, international institutions.”

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

When you enrol in this research-oriented MSc, you don’t just attend lectures — you step into a fully-equipped research environment with excellent resources, expert support, and tools that help you build real-world analytical and academic skills.

Here’s what you get in concrete terms:

Access to a world-class social-sciences library system: As a student, you gain full access to the British Library of Political and Economic Science, which is one of the largest libraries globally devoted to social sciences — with millions of books, thousands of journals, extensive archives, digital collections, past exam papers, and course reading lists.
Comprehensive research-support services: Through LSE’s Research Support / Library Research-Support services, you get assistance with data access, digital scholarship tools, systematic literature reviews, secure data handling, guidance for research ethics, and support for managing research outputs.
Strong departmental research environment: The Department of International Relations at LSE is part of a vibrant research community — organised into research clusters (e.g. “Security & Statecraft”, “International Institutions, Law & Ethics”, “International Political Economy”, “Theory/Area/History”) — giving you access to seminars, workshops, faculty research, and peer collaboration.
Opportunities for publishing and active engagement: The department hosts a student-edited journal — Millennium Journal of International Studies — offering postgraduate students an opportunity to engage in editing, peer review, and academic publishing — an excellent way to build CVs for research or academic careers.
Career, method & skills support beyond academics: Via the school’s central services, IR students have access to a dedicated career consultant, support through LSE Careers (for internship/job search), language-learning opportunities via the Language Centre, and workshops via the LSE Digital Skills Lab, which provides training in digital literacy, research-oriented software, data analysis tools, etc.

Progression & Future Opportunities

Graduates of LSE’s IR (Research) programme frequently go on to roles in academia, international organisations, policy institutes, diplomacy, or global consultancy. Typical early-career positions include: Research Fellow / Analyst (think-tank or academic), Policy Advisor / Analyst (government or international organisations), Diplomatic / Foreign Service Officer, International Organisations Officer.

Because LSE enjoys exceptional global standing — and the IR department regularly reports strong graduate-destination outcomes — the degree also opens doors to work in NGOs, media/communications related to global affairs, global business strategy, and further academic research.

🔹 What LSE Offers to Support These Outcomes

Dedicated career-support services via LSE Careers — you get access to career-consulting, CV/interview prep, internships/placements, alumni-network outreach, employer-engagement events (especially in international organisations, diplomacy, NGOs).
High employability rankings and global employer reputation — LSE is among the top UK universities in graduate employability, giving its graduates a strong edge in competitive fields worldwide.
Wide-ranging employer and sector network — IR graduates from LSE have gone on to work at major institutions including multilateral organisations, governments, NGOs, media houses, consultancy firms, think-tanks, international law organisations, and private sector firms needing global-affairs expertise.
Strong global mobility and international reputation — LSE’s global brand and the international composition of its student body facilitate mobility across countries and continents, making you competitive in both UK and global job markets.
Pathway to advanced academic and research careers — The research-oriented nature of the MSc (Research) better prepares you for further research (MPhil/PhD), academic roles (lectureship, fellowship), or high-level policymaking and analytical roles requiring strong research credentials.