Our MSc in War & Psychiatry will introduce you to ways of understanding how individuals, both members of the armed forces and civilians, prepare for and cope with psychological trauma. It is designed to develop the knowledge and skills required to explore the field of human conflict and it's impact on health and wellbeing. Drawing on multidisciplinary expertise from military history, psychology and epidemiology, you will have the opportunity to compare the experiences of different nations and conflicts to explore both theoretical and practical aspects of the subject. The course is relevant for careers in military psychiatry and related NGOs, emergency response and anti-terrorist services. We will use a delivery method that combines classroom-based learning with student presentations and discussion groups to explore issues in more detail.

Key benefits

• You will gain an understanding of how people prepare themselves for war, cope during conflict, respond to trauma and adjust to peacetime life.
• You will be taught about the rise of right-wing terrorism and the psychological techniques employed by groups such as Islamic State.
• You will learn not only about the psychological effects on soldiers fighting on the front line but also how civilians cope when subjected to the traumas of war (forced migration, detention, genocide), natural disaster, or terrorism.
• You will examine the psychology of conflict and trauma through different cultures.
• You will develop knowledge and skills not necessarily provided by clinical training.
• You will explore links between earlier conflicts (e.g. WW1/WW2) and current inter-state wars (e.g. Ukraine/Russia, Palestine/Israel).
• You will be taught by internationally recognised researchers and clinicians.
• High levels of student experience - The MSc achieved 100% overall satisfaction in the 2023/4 postgraduate taught experience student survey.

Employability

Graduates of the MSc come from a vast array of disciplines and go on to pursue a range of careers, including in the military, academia (research assistants, PhD study), clinical roles (nursing, psychologists, and therapists), government and policy, and charities (military or NGOs).

This MSc will help you to develop research skills as well as an in-depth understanding of the impacts of conflict and trauma on health and wellbeing.