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Future Skills Scholarship - International Relations Masters

Birmingham is awarding automatic £9,125 scholarships to Indian students studying our International Relations Masters from September 2026.
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Fund your future in international relations

The world of work is changing and the skills needed to succeed are changing too. That's why the University of Birmingham created the Future Skills Scholarship: to support ambitious students from India who are ready to build the strategic, digital and analytical capabilities that global employers are competing for.

What is the India Future Skills Scholarship?

The India Future Skills Scholarship is a £9,1250 award for students domiciled in India who are ready to develop the analytical and strategic skills that drive growth for the world's leading organisations.

The scholarship is automatically applied against your tuition fees. There's no separate application to complete. Once you hold an unconditional offer for MA International Relations and meet the eligibility criteria, the award is yours.

You can view the full eligibility criteria on The India Future Skills Scholarship webpage.

Why study International Relations at Birmingham?

Gain a global understanding of today's world and graduate with the knowledge and skills to build a meaningful career.

  • Explore the key issues shaping global politics, from conflict and security to global inequality, diplomacy and power.
  • You'll develop the knowledge and global perspective needed to drive ethical, practical and innovative change on a international scale.
  • Tailor your degree with a wide range of optional modules, including China and the World, The Politics of NATO, and the US Foreign and Defence Policy, allowing you to shape your studies around your interests and career goals.
  • Be taught by academics who are actively shaping debates in global politics, security, and international development.
  • Graduate with transferable skills in research, analysis, communication and policy-focused thinking.

Learn more about the MA International Relations programme at Birmingham.

Will International Relations skills really 'future-proof' my career?

In a rapidly changing global job market, the ability to understand complex international issues and respond to them effectively is more valuable than ever.

By studying MA International Relations at Birmingham, you'll develop a skill set designed to remain relevant in an ever-changing world. You'll gain highly transferable skills, including:

  • Critical thinking - analyse complex global issues and evaluate different perspectives
  • Research skills -gather, assess and interpret information from diverse sources
  • Policy analysis - understand how decisions are made and assess their real-world impact
  • Problem-solving - respond to global challenges with practical, evidence-based solutions
  • Global awareness - understand political, cultural and economic dynamics across the globe
  • Independent working - manage projects, deadlines and research autonomously
  • Collaboration - contribute to group discussions, debates and team-based projects

You'll graduate from Birmingham well prepared for careers in government, international organisations, NGOs, media and journalism, or for further academic research.

Where could a MA in International Relations take you?

Graduates from the MA International Relations programme use their skills across a wide range of international and policy‑focused careers, including:

  • Diplomatic Officer
  • Civil Affair Officer
  • External Relations & Partnerships Executive
  • Policy Analyst
  • International Development Officer
  • Communications & Public Affairs Executive
  • Risk & Intelligence Analyst

Our graduates have gone on to work for employers such as BNP Paribas, the European Commission, Age UK, Cygnet Health, China Minsheng Bank, and Bangladesh Government.

Register your interest

Register your interest in the future skills scholarship and we'll send you everything you need to know about the scholarship, the programme, and how to secure your place.

Hear from our alumni

Meet Grace, Managing Director of Headbox, an event technology company, who went on to build her career after completing an MA in International Relations at the University of Birmingham.

Transcript

0:01 Hi, I'm Grace Louisy.

0:03 I studied International Relations with a year abroad

0:06 here at the University of Birmingham.

0:09 I am Managing Director at HeadBox.

0:12 HeadBox is an event technology company.

0:14 We are essentially an award-winning meeting and events platform, with a mission

0:20 of bringing people and spaces together to make brilliant things happen everywhere.

0:24 I loved Birmingham, I loved everything about it.

0:27 I had the best time and personally,

0:3 1I'm still best friends with the people that I met on the very first day.

0:35 So it totally enriched my life. One of my biggest passions

0:38 is getting as many people into events as possible.

0:41 So you could be behind the scenes

0:42 planning the operations or the logistics of an event.

0:45 You could be on the creative side of production, filming, AV

0:49 making people feel something, whether that's feeling

0:52 part of the community or feeling inspired, then events is for you.

0:57 My advice to

0:58 current students would be to try everything.

1:02 Try, fail, try again, make more mistakes.

1:07 University is a time, I think, for learning,

1:10 for exploration, trying things out.

1:12 If it doesn't work, try something else. See what you like.

1:15 See what you're passionate about.

1:17 See what gets you up in the morning.

1:19 See what you find interesting and really make the most of everyone around you.

1:23 There's some brilliant leaders, some brilliant thinkers.

1:27 Your peers will go on to do amazing things.

1:29 So just take every opportunity that comes your way.

1:32 My degree in International Relations, it was so varied, which is why I chose it.

1:36 It was all about studying

1:38 political systems, political structures, leaders, history,

1:42 how countries negotiate with each other, how we view the world today.

1:47 That gave me loads of experience that I now apply in my day job.

1:52 My biggest achievement was

1:54 probably just learning who I was, learning what I liked,

1:59 learning what I was passionate about, and to solidify my sense of self.

2:04 I'd say that was probably my achievement.

2:07 I would wholeheartedly recommend studying at the University of Birmingham.

2:11 The level of teaching, the level of support that you get

2:17 from all of the tutors.

2:19 The level of conversation in the seminars. You are mixing with

2:24 some of the brightest people in the UK and you're really fortunate to do so.

2:29 I felt so lucky to know so many intelligent, wise,

2:33 creative, fun, inspiring people.

2:37 And it really is the heart of a lot of different industries here.

2:41 Everything about the university, I would say, just gives

2:44 you such a well-rounded, diverse, inspirational

2:49 experience that I don't feel like you can get anywhere else.

2:52 I really can't recommend it more highly.

Stories from MA International Relations

  • Salah Alhamidi

    Student

    International Relations

    MA International Relations student of the University of Birmingham.

  • Gautam Sanghmitra

    Student

    International Relations

    Gautam studies MA International Relations and is a Postgraduate Chancellors Scholar.

    • Home country: India

  • Fini Rubianti

    Alumni

    International Relations

    Fini currently works as a trade Negotiator at the Ministry of Trade of the Republic of Indonesia, Directorate General for International Trade Negotiations.

    • Home country: Indonesia

Register your interest