Course overview

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Join a tight-knit community of International Relations researchers as a student on our MA by Research or PhD programmes. We produce innovative theoretical and empirical research, developing cutting-edge insights into the nature of global political challenges and their solutions.

We welcome proposals for research degrees from across the breadth of International Relations. Our particular research strengths are in:

• Climate change geopolitics
• Gender equality and secularism
• Global austerity
• Global health
• Labour exploitation and labour rights
• Low wage labour migration and family migration dynamics
• Middle East politics
• Post-conflict recovery in sub-Saharan Africa
• Security and identity in digital spaces.

Study style

Contributing original knowledge to your chosen specialism in International Relations, you’ll develop your own research project under the guidance of an expert team of academic supervisors.

Develop a 30,000-word thesis on the MA by Research programme or an 80,000-word thesis on the PhD programme. You may also have the opportunity, subject to progress, to upgrade from the MA by Research programme to the PhD programme if you wish to develop your MA project into a PhD.

You’ll be supported to develop an extensive range of research skills and professional aptitudes to ensure you graduate as an expert independent professional researcher. This training is delivered through an exciting research design and methods programme and a range of bespoke workshops – connecting you to researchers and research students across the university.

As an integral part of University of Gloucestershire’s International Relations department, you’ll be invited to participate in the Academic School’s research seminar series, and use dedicated office space for postgraduates at Francis Close Hall campus in Cheltenham.

Careers

Our postgraduate research students cultivate a diverse set of skills that are highly valued in the UK and internationally, preparing them for successful careers within academia and beyond.

As a postgraduate research student at UoG, you’ll develop and refine a range of skills across research, academic practice, project management and critical analysis to equip you for your future. Whether it’s contributing to ground-breaking academic research or applying problem-solving skills in the workplace, we’ll ensure you’re ready to take on your next challenge.

This versatility opens doors to opportunities across various sectors, from education and research institutions to commercial organisations and NGOs, where you’ll have the confidence to apply your researcher skills and develop innovative solutions to meet your ambitions.