External summary

The Graduate School of Social and Political Science is an exciting place to study international relations. We are passionate about international relations and the pressing problems humanity faces in the international realm. Our staff and students are concerned with war, terrorism, power, diplomacy, climate change, trade, poverty, migration and international cooperation, but also what to do about them, how to understand them, and how to study them. Our International Relations programme is for anyone who shares these passions and concerns. It offers intensive training in the theory and practice of international relations, and preparation for a diverse range of international careers or further research.

Our approach to international relations combines innovative research with creative and inspirational teaching. Together, our staff combine intricate working knowledge of the great international institutions with a deep appreciation of historical change and the most important ideas in international thought. Through our research at the cutting edge of the discipline we hope to inspire our students to a world of possibilities, from the sociology of the financial crisis to state survival in the Middle East and the social construction of security.

Both the city and University of Edinburgh are dynamic, cosmopolitan centres of international political engagement, culture and learning. They combine centuries of political, economic, military and intellectual history, including the legacy of the Scottish Enlightenment, with the modern institutions of a forward thinking capital city. Edinburgh itself is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the University is currently ranked 20th in the world in the Times Higher Education - QS World University Rankings.

Educational aims of programme

The MSc in International Relations is designed to equip students with an advanced knowledge and understanding of contemporary international relations, including IR theories, international institutions and structures, and processes of conflict resolution and cooperation. The programme enables students to analyse and evaluate alternative explanations of developments in contemporary international relations.

Programme outcomes: Knowledge and understanding

By the end of the programme all students would be expected:

• to know and understand core explanatory theories, concepts, institutions and issues in the study of international relations,
• to have specialist in-depth knowledge of specific areas and issues in international relations,
• to know key contemporary debates in existing academic literatures in journals and books on international relations,
• to be able to analyse and evaluate competing theoretical paradigms in the explanation and judgment of international relations,
• to be able to apply explanatory models to analyse and understand specific developments within international relations, and
• to be able to draw on a variety of disciplinary approaches in the understanding of international relations.
• demonstrate a knowledge and understanding of the origins and evolution of the international relations, including contemporary changes underway,
• an understanding of issues of social responsibility, sustainability, equality and diversity in international relations.

Programme outcomes: Graduate attributes - Skills and abilities in research and enquiry

By the end of the programme all students would be expected to be able:

• to analyse, use and assess empirical evidence in support of explanatory and normative claims,
• to analyse, use and assess complex concepts and ideas (both explanatory and normative),
• to articulate, sustain and defend a line of argument, and
• to exercise informed independent thought and critical judgment.
• to apply concepts, theories and methods used in the study of international relations to the analysis of political ideas, practices and issues,

Programme outcomes: Graduate attributes - Skills and abilities in personal and intellectual autonomy

By the end of the programme all students would be expected to be able:

• to recognise the structure of an intellectual argument
• to be able to construct an intellectual argument themselves, using empirical and theoretical evidence
• to think independently and critically
• to recognise the different between dogmatic thought and autonomous thought.

Programme outcomes: Graduate attributes - Skills and abilities in communication

Students will learn how to present and communicate information and ideas orally and in writing. They will gain these skills through essay writing workshops, formative feedback, and participating in seminars.

Programme outcomes: Graduate attributes - Skills and abilities in personal effectiveness

Through participation in the programme, students will learn:

• to think clearly under pressure,
• to manage their time and plan their academic workload,
• to undertake and manage independent research projects, and
• to work both independently and co-operatively with others.

Programme outcomes: Technical/practical skills

By the end of the programme all students would be expected to be able:

•        to locate relevant information through library and IT resources,

•        to collect and synthesise large amounts of empirical and theoretical material from a variety of sources.

Programme structure and features

Programme structure: The MSc programme is taken over twelve months of full-time study (September - August). Part-time candidates normally fill the requirements of the degree in twenty-four months.

Candidates for the MSc are required to take the compulsory core course (International Relations Theory) and EITHER International Security OR International Political Economy, as well as four options of their choosing from a list of eligible courses. All courses consist of twenty class-contact hours, including lectures and seminars. The individual courses within the programme are assessed by a paper/essay (or other equivalent exercises) and/or examination. All work is assessed according to the University's common postgraduate marking scheme. MSc students are required to pass the coursework before undertaking a dissertation during the summer months.

The dissertation (60 credits) is the point at which students’ progress from the structured study of courses to independent self-structured study.  In preparation, students benefit from the experience and guidance of staff members as well as a dissertation workshop. The dissertation is a maximum 15,000 words. Students select the topic of the dissertation. They are expected to demonstrate ability to engage critically and analytically in literature in the field, building upon relevant concepts and theory covered in the taught element of the degree.  There is usually expected to be a balance of empirical and theoretical work.  However, students are not required to conduct primary empirical research.  The dissertation may vary in breadth of coverage, depending on the interests of the student.

The dissertation is marked by two internal examiners and reviewed by an external examiner. Any student who does not pass the dissertation is eligible to receive the diploma.

Progression and Awards:

To proceed to the dissertation, students must have an overall average of at least 50% for the six taught courses.  The Postgraduate Diploma is awarded if the overall average is between 40% and 50%.  In addition, at least four of the marks must be 50% or more. To graduate with an MSc, students also have to pass the dissertation with a mark of at least 50%.

The MSc degree may be awarded with distinction.  To achieve a distinction, a student must be awarded at least 70% on the University’s Common Marking Scheme for the dissertation, and must pass all other courses with an average of at least 70%. Borderlines (from two percentage points below the boundary up to the boundary itself), for both the dissertation and course average elements, are considered for distinctions.

The Diploma can be awarded on the basis of coursework alone.

Modes of study: MSc full-time (12 months) or part-time (24 months)

SCCF credit points and exit awards: 

Successful completion of 180 credits is required for an award of MSc: 120 taught credits (level 11) plus 60 credits for the dissertation.  Students completing only 120 taught credits may be eligible for a degree of Postgraduate Diploma.

Teaching and learning methods and strategies

Teaching is delivered through lectures, seminars and individual dissertation supervision.

Many courses are structured around the research interests and live research projects of staff so students receive the latest research findings and discuss the research with the people who conducted it.

Graduate School students play a significant part in Innovative Learning Week, running discussions, workshops, alumni evenings, and many other events.

Assessment methods and strategies

A wide range of assessment methods are used, including:

Short and long essays

Policy analysis reports

Assessed oral presentations

Assessed groupwork

Research based dissertations

Theoretical and conceptual dissertations

Detailed written feedback is given for all assessed work, with further oral feedback offered if requested.

Career opportunities

People with Graduate School degrees have gone onto a vast range of professions including journalism, the civil service, development, international NGOs, the police and social services, and many others.

Other items

During the year MSc students are advised by their programme director in the capacity of personal tutor, who provides guidance on course selection and other aspects of the programme.