The course

The upheaval of global politics in recent years has brought with it unique and unforeseen challenges, from the threat of environmental catastrophe and resource shortages, to the rise of populist political parties, infrastructural and economic failure and global terror. An MSc in Global Futures: Geopolitics and Security at Royal Holloway, University of London equips students with the knowledge and skills needed to tackle these era-defining issues, to mitigate the impact of potential crises, and to reflect critically and creatively on the strategies and techniques which seek to keep us secure.

Whether you are still an undergraduate or someone already in a professional career, graduates of this course will gain a Masters of Science in a discipline offering excellent employability prospects, while professionals seeking further academic training will learn transferable risk management skills ideal for further career development. Study an MSc Global Futures: Geopolitics and Security at Royal Holloway and you’ll graduate with a range of transferable skills to take with you into the workplace or further postgraduate study.

In the Department of Geography you’ll join a vibrant research community (ranked 2nd in the UK for research excellence in the most recent REF2014 assessment) and contribute to our renowned research culture with your own independent dissertation project. You’ll benefit from networking and placement opportunities with leading organisations and institutions, and enjoy exciting field working opportunities. In particular, you will work with the leading researchers based in our Geopolitics, Development, Security and Justice (GDSJ) research group, and benefit from their links to scholars in Politics and International Relations and Information Security, including the EPSRC Doctoral Training Centre in Cyber Security for the Everyday.

Engage with some of the most profound challenges of our times in this exciting Masters degree.

Teaching & assessment

Assessment is by coursework only. Formative feedback and detailed ongoing discussion of work before final submission is a central part of the teaching ethos of the course. Students also have significant autonomy in the selection of topics for coursework and dissertation allowing them to develop particular interests and specialisms.

Your future career

Graduates of this course will possess in-depth social scientific research skills and critical knowledge of contemporary geographic issues. Also, there is the opportunity to develop important public engagement skills, as well as to undertake placements and volunteer work in external institutions. The department has excellent links with a range of national and international charities business and political institutions such as the Big Data Institute, government departments and Google. These are actively used during the teaching of the course (via external speakers and field visits), and so students gain first hand experience and invaluable networks with this broad range of specialist institutions.

As such this is ideal preparation for careers in a wide-range of sectors including consultancy, government research, charities, intelligence, think tanks and private businesses.