MA International Relations: Global Security and Development

1 Year On Campus Masters Program

University of Plymouth

Program Overview

University of Plymouth’s MA International Relations: Global Security and Development equips you with sharp insights into today’s pressing global challenges, from poverty and climate threats to conflict and governance—ideal for driven grads aiming at policy, NGOs, or international agencies. You’ll explore how politics, economics, and culture fuel security issues and development gaps, gaining practical tools to analyse and influence world affairs .

Curriculum Structure

In the first term, you’ll tackle International Security, dissecting war, terrorism, nuclear risks, and emerging threats like climate migration through case studies from Africa to Asia, sharpening your grasp of strategy in a multipolar world. Alongside Global Governance, you’ll debate UN reforms, trade policies, and human rights via seminars that blend theory with real policy dilemmas, building critical evaluation skills .

Term two offers specialisation with modules like Strategy and Security Studies, probing 21st-century risks from cyber attacks to organised crime through simulations and group analysis. Research, Professional Skills & Methodology hones your toolkit for data handling, ethics, and professional writing, prepping you for independent inquiry on development inequities .

Summer delivers the MA Dissertation in Global Security and Development, your 60-credit showcase researching a topic like trade wars or peacebuilding, with expert guidance for career-boosting outputs .

Focus areas: Global security, governance, trade politics, research methodology, regional conflicts .

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

At University of Plymouth’s MA International Relations: Global Security and Development, you’ll develop hands-on research and policy analysis skills through seminars, simulation exercises, and dissertation projects that tackle real global crises like conflict and inequality. Supported by the university’s research-active faculty and specialist resources in the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business, including access to digital archives and collaborative study spaces, you’ll practice professional writing, data evaluation, and presentation techniques used by policymakers . This blend of theory and practice builds career-ready expertise: key elements include.

• Simulation exercises: Role-playing global governance scenarios in modules like Global Governance and International Security .

• Group seminars and presentations: Collaborative debates on security threats, development policy, and regional conflicts .

• Research and methodology workshops: Practical training in ethics, data analysis, and professional skills via IRL712 module .

• Plymouth University Library and faculty resources: Specialist collections for IR research, digital tools for analysis—no specific software, internships, field trips, or labs noted for this program .

Progression & Future Opportunities

Graduates from University of Plymouth’s MA International Relations: Global Security and Development launch into vital roles addressing worldwide crises, from civil service policy work to NGO programme management and security analysis. You’ll excel as a UK Civil Service Officer, Department of International Development Specialist, Refugee Services Coordinator, or Armed Forces Analyst: this program forges the expertise global organisations seek .

• Plymouth Careers Service provides tailored CV advice, interview prep, networking with policy experts, and graduate schemes for public sector and NGO paths .

• High employability with 95%+ postgrads in work/study soon after; security/development roles start at £28k-£42k, advancing to leadership .

• Guest speakers and alumni networks link to Social Development Direct, Latitude Global, and government bodies for practical connections .

• No formal accreditation, but research-led training offers lasting value for policy and advisory careers .

• Alumni thrive in civil service, NGOs like Social Development Direct, refugee services, armed forces, and private security consulting .

Further Academic Progression: Advance to a PhD in International Relations at Plymouth, leveraging your dissertation for funded research on security or development, ideal for academia or senior think tank roles .

Program Key Stats

£18,700
£10,000


Eligibility Criteria

3

N/A
N/A
N/A
6.5
90
2:1
70
7
80

Additional Information & Requirements

Country Requirements

Career Options

  • UK Civil Service Officer
  • Department of International Development Specialist
  • NGO Programme Manager (Social Development Direct)
  • Refugee Services Coordinator
  • Latitude Global Volunteering Officer
  • Armed Forces Analyst
  • Public Sector Policy Advisor
  • Private Sector Security Consultant
  • Research Assistant

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