Global politics is undergoing fast and increasingly dramatic change. This course offers a thorough analysis of international relations, providing insight into the complexities of global politics from a range of perspectives.
Through discussions and debates in class, you'll carry out a detailed examination of international relations – analysing both historic events and current issues in the global political landscape, from power and responsibility to humanitarian and environmental law. You’ll study a wide range of theoretical perspectives across international relations and the social sciences, giving you a unique interdisciplinary basis from which to examine world affairs.
You’ll analyse the relationships between countries, institutions, international non-governmental organisations (INGOs) and non-state operators – exploring the internal structures of international institutions (such as the United Nations) and the complexities and processes involved in world affairs, including the importance of international law.
The research and analytical skills you develop will be matched by a strong practical focus, using current case studies to illustrate how theory relates to practice – developing new policy strategies and solutions. You’ll be exposed to leading practitioners in politics, human rights, media and academia, who'll provide cutting-edge analysis and bring the subject to life by sharing their direct experiences.
Plus, you'll have the chance to join our Model United Nations Conference: taking part in organised debates and panel discussions with over 2500 students from across London.
You'll graduate with both a broad and deep understanding of international relations, geopolitics and human rights – prepared for an exciting career in the fast-moving and uncertain world of global politics. Our alumni have successfully launched careers in international organisations and inter-governmental institutions such as the UN and the EU, and have explored policy-making and human rights.
Upon graduation, you’ll also receive an exclusive discounted membership to the Royal Institute of International Affairs at Chatham House – enabling you to attend prominent meetings, policy discussions and exclusive member events with high-profile speakers such as Nancy Pelosi, Michel Barnier, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and Tony Blair.
Applying to Regent's is quick and easy. We accept direct applications year-round and there's no application fee. If you haven't received your exam results, you can still apply and we'll issue you with a conditional offer. You just need be clear in your application which qualifications you're currently studying for.
During the application process, you'll have the chance to upload supporting documents, including:
Credit transfer
If you’ve already studied part of your degree elsewhere, you may be able to apply for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) and join your new course at an advanced entry point. To apply for RPL, you'll need to state this clearly in your application and provide us with the certificates, transcripts and module descriptions for your previous course.
You can expect to receive a decision on your application within 10 working days. We'll assess whether you meet our entry requirements and will notify you of our decision via email. UCAS applicants will also receive official notification via the UCAS system.
For some of our courses, the selection process may include an interview or audition. They can take the form of a one-to-one interview, a group interview or a portfolio review, which may be conducted by telephone or online. Arrangements of these are made between you and the Admissions department.
If you wish to accept your offer, you must pay your (non-refundable) advance tuition fee deposit. This will confirm your place. Here's how.
Closer to the start of term, our Admissions team will send instructions regarding your registration process. This will include information on completing your online enrolment before you arrive, as well as a checklist of documents you'll need to bring with you to campus.
If you're an overseas student, you'll likely require a visa to study in the UK. Here's how to apply.
There are a wide variety of funding and scholarship opportunities to help you finance your studies. For more information, please visit our scholarships and funding page.
Tuition fee:
Non-refundable advance deposit:
UK students: £1,000
International students: £4,000
Read more about tuition fees.
If you receive an offer for a course, you’ll receive a pro forma invoice. To accept your offer and secure your place, pay your deposit payment as soon as possible.
The remaining portion of your first year’s tuition fees will be due when you enrol. At this time, you’ll receive your invoice for the full year. You can choose to pay for the year in full before the start of your first academic year or in two instalments, spread out across the academic year. The dates of these instalments will be determined by when your course starts.
What do fees include?
Fees cover the cost of all tuition and access to the University’s IT infrastructure and library learning resources. Fees are presented for the first level of study which equates to two terms.
What other costs should I budget for?
You will need to budget additional funds for accommodation and living expenses, travel, and any additional trips, visits, activities or courses that you choose to participate in outside of the tuition offered as part of your course.
The library holds a limited number of copies of core textbooks and where possible in e-format. You will be encouraged to purchase your own textbooks and will need to budget approximately £80-£100 per year, depending on your course.
At Regent's you’ll have the freedom to explore your interests in a supportive and nurturing environment with interactive classes, regular one-to-one contact with tutors, specialist facilities, industry opportunities and tailored careers advice – ensuring you develop the skills, experience and confidence you need to succeed.
We centre our teaching around your individual goals, identifying support you need to thrive. You'll be part of a collaborative environment, that brings all the nuances of international relations to life in the classroom: facilitating entrepreneurship and teamwork as you explore current issues and propose solutions to real problems.
You’ll pair deep industry knowledge with hands-on experiences, taking part in a blend of learning formats to give your studies context:
You’ll analyse historic events and current issues; explore the relationships between countries, states and international institutions; examine the internal structures of global organisations; develop policy strategies and solutions; and receive discounted memberships to international affairs organisations.
Based in London, you'll also have opportunities to meet employers through guest lectures, live briefs, field trips and industry visits – giving you insights into the world of international relations and enabling you to put theory into practice.
Contact hours – Term one: 12 hours per week, term two: 14 hours per week, term three: one hour per week while completing your consultation project or dissertation.
You'll be taught by a variety of business leaders and research-active academics, who have extensive experience working in international relations and related fields – from publishing work in journals to advising governments and the EU, chairing committees, consulting and contributing to media organisations like the BBC. Their knowledge and experience ensure your classes are shaped by the most current industry practices.
You'll also be allocated a personal tutor, who'll meet you on a one-to-one basis at various stages throughout the year to provide you with guidance and advice to support your personal and professional development.
We're really proud of the global nature of our business courses, and our tutors also reflect this ethos – coming from a wide variety of countries and cultures across the world. In every way, you'll feel part of a global family.
Throughout the course, you'll be expected to undertake extra reading, research, revision and reflection, as well as preparing work for workshops, and working collaboratively with other students in preparation for assessment.
Your skills and knowledge will be assessed via a wide range of task-based projects, reports, presentations, debates and research plans, as well as essays and case study analysis. It's important to us that your learning and assessment is:
We welcome and support students with a wide range of disabilities and health concerns, including learning difficulties, visual and hearing impairments, mental health difficulties, autism conditions, mobility difficulties and temporary or chronic health conditions.
Our Student Support & Welfare team is here to support you. We ask that you speak with us as early as possible to enable us to support you. Find out more about our disability support and contact us.
We're interested in your potential, as well as your prior achievements – and review each application comprehensively on its own merit.
Minimum entry requirements for Level 7 – you'll need one of the following qualifications:
We also welcome applications from students who don't meet our entry requirements. In order to be accepted for exceptional entry, you must:
This will be assessed on a case-by-case basis by academic referral only.
Minimum English proficiency requirement through one of the following qualifications (or equivalent):
| Qualification | Subject | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| GSCE* | English | C (4) |
| PTE Academic | Academic | Overall score of 67, with 59 or above in each component |
| IB SL or HL* | English A | 4 |
| IB HL* | English B | 5 |
| US HSD (studied in a majority English-speaking country)* | Cumulative GPA | 2.5 |
| IELTS* | Academic | Overall score of 6.5, with 5.5 or above in each component |
| UG degree | From English-speaking countries – defined by the UKVI | Second class |
*Qualification satisfies the English language requirements of the UKVI for non-UK/Irish nationals.
We also offer conditional students a free, online diagnostic test known as the Regent’s English Proficiency Test (REPT). This must be booked in advance. Discover more.
We aim to empower our graduates to become leaders in their communities, domestically
and internationally. You'll graduate with both a broad and deep understanding of international relations, geopolitics and human rights – prepared for an exciting career in the fast-moving and uncertain world of global politics.
You'll leave Regent's with a range of transferable skills, including the ability to assess global situations and analyse different perspectives in a range of sectors, including:
Our alumni have successfully launched careers in international organisations and inter-governmental institutions such as the UN and the EU, and have explored policy-making and human rights.
This course will give you a strong awareness of different perspectives in global politics, together with a high level of competence in research, presentation and negotiation.
The skills you will learn are also highly valued beyond the world of international relations, in diverse fields such as finance and media.
After you've completed your course, you may be eligible to apply for a Graduate visa. This enables you to work, or look for work, in the UK for up to two years after you leave Regent's, without the pressure of having to secure a job immediately – applying your skills and advancing your career with valuable experiences and industry connections.
Don't worry if you feel overwhelmed – our Careers, Enterprise and Industry team are here to provide personalised advice and access to resources for life!
This is a full-time course, comprising three terms of study.
View the 2024-25 academic calendar.
| Module Title | |
|---|---|
| Introduction to International Relations | The Introduction to International Relations module will provide students with an in-depth introduction to the breadth of theories and approaches within international relations. Students will acquire the theoretical foundations of international relations, and will learn to distinguish academic debate in IR from the practice of relations between major players including states, international organisations, and NGOs. Through participation in discussions and debates in class, students will carry out a thorough examination of IR as an interdisciplinary approach, which will be used to analyse both historical event and current issues in the global political landscape. |
| International Law | The International Law module introduces students to the principles and study of public international law. It analyses the role and importance of International Law and its impact on international relations and international organisations. The course provides students with a solid knowledge of the sources of International Law, examining its application (and misapplication) in history and in contemporary politics. It highlights and critically analyses current debates and changes in International Law. Topics may include state jurisdiction and state responsibility, international legal personality, diplomatic immunity, the regulation of the use of force, international human rights and humanitarian law, international criminal law, environmental law, trade law, and the legal aspects and structures of international institutions including the United Nations and WTO. The course aims to develop students’ analytical and critical thinking skills in the field of international law as it relates to international relations, and to sharpen problem-solving skills referring to relevant sections of the law and with the support of specific case studies. |
| International Political Economy | This module aims to introduce students to the leading issues and theories that underpin today’s international political economy. Synthesising the interplay between trends at both the local and global levels, it provides students with the conceptual frameworks for exploring the modern world system as a complex evolving ecology of political, economic, cultural and technological processes. Combining in-class discussions, research and experiential learning, this module introduces students to a systemic understanding of the global environment. Students will learn to explore the interdependencies and intricate linkages between different political, social and economic processes and develop a deeper understanding of the dynamic forces shaping our current and future world. They will also learn and critically assess policy alternatives as perceived through the differing perspectives of decision makers and stakeholders involved in promoting socially inclusive and sustainable growth. |
| Research Methods in International Relations | Research Methods in International Relations offers students a range of epistemological approaches within the international relations discipline, and will explore a range of research methods in both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. Students will learn to apply philosophical foundations, and acquire the skills necessary to conduct original research within the discipline. Topics to be discussed include: research design, research methodology; qualitative and quantitative analysis, SPSS, and output. This module aims to familiarise students tools needed to research a variety of topics within the international relations landscape and from a wide range of academic and professional sources; they will also learn how to collect, interpret and analyse data, and will explore how to present findings. |
| Dissertation | The dissertation requires of the student a research effort, sustained over the whole length of the MA programme and using primary and secondary sources,on a specific topic in international relations of particular interest to the student, the output of which is a dissertation of 15,000 words, featuring an element of originality within an appropriate theoretical framework and/or in the method of analysing evidence. The dissertation must address the relations between states and/or societies; the topic is required to address a major issue or issues which are of concern to the study of IR (states, systems, organisations, war and peace, diplomacy or any other concepts of importance and relevance. The dissertation ties together all learning outcomes of the MAIR as a whole. It provides students with an opportunity to conduct an individual research study, under supervised contact; students will develop specialisation, and synthesise knowledge acquired throughout the year. |
| Please note that only two of the following four modules will run in any given year, which will be at the discretion of the teaching staff. | |
|---|---|
| Foreign Policy & Negotiation | The Foreign Policy and Negotiation module aims to familiarise students with a wide range instruments in foreign affairs and provide them with sound analytical skills in the field. The aim of this module is to analyse how states and non-state actors conduct their foreign relations and the role diplomatic negotiations play in the overall external relations of states. The module combines historical and theoretical approaches in exploring the evolution of the role of foreign policy in world affairs. This includes examining different foreign policy tools including diplomacy, military and force, economic incentives and negotiation strategies. It is the module’s aim to analyse the success or failure of foreign policy tools. Furthermore, this module puts great emphasis on examining diplomacy and negotiations in comparison to other instruments of foreign policy such as war, crisis, and sanctions, and evaluates under what circumstances diplomacy is preferable over other tools of foreign policy. Students will explore and examine the principal debates in the field of diplomacy, and by the end of the module will acquire important negotiation skills and techniques. This will be achieved through meticulous preparations for an MUN conference and the introduction of Alternative Dispute Resolution (mediation) skills. |
| International Security | This module introduces students to theoretical, normative and policy issues in security studies. It begins by looking at international security from a traditional perspective, focusing on theories of peace and war and investigating domestic and international responses to conflict. It then moves to new security threats including the rise in terrorism and radicalisation, but also the proliferation of nuclear weapons, organised crime and trafficking. The module then moves on to non-traditional security threats such as human security, food security, environmental security, energy security, population movements and health. The course assesses the role of the media and modernity in risk perception and examines the strategies adopted regionally and internationally to manage trans-border security threats. Students will develop analytical and critical thinking skills in the field of international security and to sharpen problem-solving skills by engaging with live cases and through role-play. |
| Human Rights | The Human Rights module will focus on the historical and philosophical underpinning of human rights, in the context of international relations. It aims to introduce key concepts and theories in the field of human rights, as well as explore the history and development of the international human rights regime, including the study of international institutions and international non-government organisations. Students will become familiar with current political and ethical debates about human rights, and learn how such debates shape human protection. The module will encourage students to critically analyse the construction and application of human rights language in a wide variety of cases pertinent to the study of international relations. |
| The State and Sovereignty | This module allows students to analyse the evolution of the modern state system from its origins in the late medieval period to contemporary notions of sovereignty in an age of globalization. We look at theoretical interpretations of sovereignty and statehood developed by contemporary actors and later scholars. At the end of the course students have an understanding of the importance of the state in the study of IR in relation to other actors, which is both theoretically sophisticated and historically literate. |
‘I can't think of a better place to study International Relations than Regent's, where students and teachers come from all over the world. It's really expanded my horizons and helped me to understand the world better. An experience I'll cherish forever!' Željana Švonja, MA International Relations alumnaRead Željana's Story
