Course description

This degree will provide you with the skills and resources necessary to ask critical questions about the politics of conflict and violence in the modern world. Combining theoretical and empirical approaches, you will explore the politics, sites, logics, technologies and ethics of conflict and violence.

This course is suitable if you have an academic background in (but not limited to) international relations, politics, political theory, war studies, terrorism studies, history, human rights, journalism, philosophy or law. The course will benefit you if you are seeking professional development and enhanced employability in relevant sectors such as non-governmental organisations, the military, media, private security, the UN or other international organisations.

Distance learning gives you the flexibility to tailor your study around your other commitments and gain your qualification whilst still working.

Teaching and learning

Distance Learning

This course is taught entirely online via our virtual learning environment, Blackboard, therefore it is essential that you have reliable, regular access to the internet (preferably with a broadband connection) in order to participate.

As a distance learning student, you will have access to the University Library's electronic service, the Leicester Digital Library, which includes a large number of e-journals and e-books. You can also make use of the University’s Career Development Service as well as a broad range of other support services.

Teaching and Assessment

You will get a weekly reading list accompanied by questions or exercises to get you thinking and help you engage critically with that week’s literature. Each week you are invited to join our online forums to discuss your reading, ask questions, share ideas and debate arguments.

Alongside your weekly reading and discussions you are expected to complete six E-tivities (or online activities). E-tivities are designed to build a supportive online community of students as well as develop your key scholarly skills. E-tivities take the form of a combination of non-credit bearing and credit-bearing assessments designed to complement and support the learning objectives for your particular module. Credit-bearing assessments for each module include an article analysis and 5,000-word end of module essay.

Careers and employability

Our postgraduate degrees are an excellent way to enhance your expertise and career prospects. A postgraduate course in politics and/or international relations provides a foundation for a wide range of career options. You may seek to use your knowledge to work in government service, international organisations or areas of political research and journalism. Or you may opt to look for employment in an unrelated field such as banking, business or teaching where your MA will be respected as a postgraduate qualification.

Our politics and international relations courses are offered via distance learning, enabling you to tailor your study around your other commitments. The wide range of option modules provide you with the flexibility to tailor your course around your interests and also provide you with the skills and knowledge to move into a variety of careers or postgraduate research.