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MA Global Conflict and Cooperation

Start date
September
Duration
1 year full-time; 2 years part-time
Course Type
Postgraduate, Taught
Fees

Fees 2024-2025
Masters:
£10,530 FT (UK)
£5,265 PT (UK)
£24,120 FT (International)
More Fees and funding details.

Our MA in Global Conflict and Cooperation explores the theory and practice of how individuals, states, and political institutions manage conflict, and develop cooperation in international relations.

The MA in Global Conflict and Cooperation will appeal to those interested in combining academic approaches to conflict and cooperation with an understanding of the practice of international diplomacy and confidence-building, decision-making, and conflict mitigation and resolution in world politics.

The course will encourage you to explore a wide variety of themes from both theoretical and practical perspectives. During the course you will be able to:

  • explore a range of contemporary issues related to managing both conflict and cooperation in different parts of the world;
  • examine in depth themes such as decision-making in international organisations, the role of individual foreign policy actors and changing structural contexts; and
  • respond to the need to develop cooperative responses to address major global challenges, as well as to analyse a selection of inter-state and intrastate conflicts.

Modules

You can follow a flexible programme with a wide choice of modules (part-time students are also welcome). Overall, our programme offers interdisciplinary training focused on the role of values, emotions, and beliefs in shaping the possibilities of conflict, cooperation and security at the international level.

Unless indicated otherwise the modules listed for this programme are for students starting in 2024.

Compulsory modules

Optional modules

You will choose 4 modules from the POLSIS optional modules list


Please note: The modules listed on the website for this programme are regularly reviewed to ensure they are up-to-date and informed by the latest research and teaching methods. On rare occasions, we may need to make unexpected changes to compulsory modules; in this event we will contact offer holders as soon as possible to inform or consult them as appropriate.

Fees

Fees 2024 - 2025

  • £10,530 Full time (UK)
  • £5,265 Part-time (UK)
  • £24,120 full-time (International)

Please check with the Institute for the latest fees information.
Learn more about fees.

Postgraduate Loans for Masters students

The Postgraduate Student Loan has increased its maximum loan amount to £12,167 (for 2023/2024 entry). For more detailed information visit our Postgraduate funding page.

Scholarships and studentships

The University of Birmingham is offering up to 200 awards of £2,000 via a tuition fee discount through its  Masters Scholarship Scheme to support the brightest and best applicants wishing to undertake Masters study at the University during 2024-25.

Other scholarships may be available.International students can often gain funding through overseas research scholarships, Commonwealth scholarships or their home government.

For further information contact the School directly or visit  StudentHelp.

How To Apply

7 May 2024 is the application deadline for international students applying through the student route who wish to study in the United Kingdom. We are not able to consider applications for 2024 made after this date. The deadline for Home students is 30 August 2024.

Application Fee

For international applicants this programme is subject to a £50 non-refundable application fee. At the end of the application form, before you can submit it to us, you will be required to pay, or indicate how you will pay the required fee in order for us to process your application. Please complete and submit your application before paying your application fee.

Personal Statement

Entry to this programme is highly competitive and as a result your application and personal statement will be closely scrutinised by our Admissions Tutors. Please ensure that you spend some time familiarising yourself with the programme modules and outcomes. Personal Statements should be relevant to the programme and how you believe it will enable you to achieve your career goals.

How to apply

To apply for a postgraduate taught programme, you will need to submit your application and supporting documents online. We have put together some helpful information on the taught programme application process and supporting documents on our how to apply page. Please read this information carefully before completing your application.

Apply now

Our Standard Requirements

A good honours degree (UK 2:1, GPA 3.00) is required for admission to taught Masters programmes. The application form must be supported by two letters of reference, and non-native English overseas students should also submit a statement of English language competence (TOEFL 580/237; IELTS 6.5). Entry at Graduate Diploma level is possible for those with a reasonable first degree. Graduate Diploma students can upgrade to the MA on satisfactory examination performance.

Learn more about entry requirements.

International Requirements



International Students

You can satisfy our English language requirements in two ways:


  • IELTS 6.5 with no less than 6.0 in any band
  • TOEFL: 88 overall with no less than 21 in Reading, 20 in Listening, 22 in Speaking and 21 in Writing
  • Pearson Test of English (PTE) including online: PTE Academic 67 with no less than 64 in all four skills
  • Cambridge English (exams taken from 2015): Advanced – minimum overall score of 176, with no less than 169 in any component

We advocate an enquiry-based approach to learning, which means that we encourage you to become an independent and self-motivated learner. Through the programme of study we offer, we will develop the qualities that employers value in today's university graduates - qualities that will set you apart in your future career.

To help you develop these skills, we adopt a range of teaching methods. They may include:

  • Lectures - listening to experts sharing their knowledge and discoveries in challenging and provocative ways. Students are expected to 'read-around' the subject matter of their lectures, adding to their understanding and developing their critical faculties and analytical skills.
  • Seminars - where you present and discuss your ideas and knowledge in smaller groups and debate interpretations and opinions with other students.
  • Tutorials - are your opportunity to discuss your work with your tutor, usually in small groups.
  • Workshops - are problem solving sessions facilitated by a member of academic staff; these sessions usually involve students working in groups.

Our MA students can pursue exciting and stimulating career opportunities with a range of organisations including government agencies, international organisations, the armed forces, NGOs, think-tanks, the media, the political world, and multinational corporations. Our excellent academic training is complemented by networking opportunities and voluntary work placements which are offered on a competitive basis, over the summer term for a maximum of 20 days in order to allow sufficient time for the completion of your dissertation.

Work placement: Brittany Atkinson

ICCS Work Placement: Christopher Featherstone

European Leadership Network

The European Leadership Network (ELN) was originally formed to help create the conditions for a world without nuclear weapons. It works on that agenda through its research, events programme and active network of former European political, military, and diplomatic leaders. The ELN carries out its work by producing and disseminating independent research and analysis, and by providing an independent platform for international dialogue and debate with a strong focus on workable and credible policy solutions. Its activities are currently structured around three areas: Global Security, Euro-Atlantic Security and the Middle East.

British American Security Information Council (BASIC)

BASIC's vision is a world free from the threat of nuclear weapons, established by a cooperative global security agenda and formalized in negotiated treaties. BASIC seeks to engage diverse perspectives and broaden the scope of the discussion to find ways past existing frustrations. The organisation has 27 years of experience building an extensive and diverse network across Europe, the US and the Middle East. BASIC has a reputation for non-partisan, non-judgmental engagement and for seeking common ground, in the interests of nuclear disarmament.

Find out more about careers and employability.

Alumni Profiles

Brittany Atkinson, Graduate Fellow with the US National Nuclear Security Administration

The course was all around excellent. I particularly enjoyed the five-day training programme, opportunity to complete a work placement, and the module diversity. The degree has helped me make a major career change. Following the degree, I am now pursuing a career that I am passionate about in national security.”

Ellen Moser, Research Associate

What attracted me to this course in particular was the fact that it balances theory with practice, which makes it quite unique compared to other courses which focus nearly exclusively on a theoretical approach.  

Hannah Keogh, Junior Caseworker for an MP

I really enjoyed studying under the real leaders in my field. The course was assessed in  a varied way, without too much emphasis on exams, which I believe allowed me to strengthen skills which would be more useful professionally.

Juweria Ali, Doctoral Researcher

One of the really interesting things about this masters programme was that we were taught by internationally recognised academics, we also had experts and practitioners on the topics we were studying come in and actually lead our seminars; for instance, Jamie Shea (Deputy Assistant Secretary for Emerging Security Challenges) from NATO.