The MA in International Studies is a one year, full-time programme which uses the disciplinary insights provided by international relations theories to investigate and explain contemporary international issues. Core modules are supplemented by a wide range of departmental electives, allowing students develop expertise in areas of their own interests. Download programme description here,

Programme Outline

Programme Content

The core of the MA in International Studies comprises modules in International Relations, International Cooperation and Conflict, Global Transformation and Exclusion, and Research Methods. In addition to these, students are able to select additional modules from across the department’s range of specialisms, according to their own intellectual and professional interests. Students also complete a 15,000 word dissertation, written on a topic of their choosing under the guidance of a faculty supervisor.

Semester 1

During semester one, students take core modules in Research Methods, International Relations, International Cooperation and Conflict, and Academic and Transferrable Skills.

Research Methods: This module introduces students to the logic and design of social science research. After reviewing fundamental philosophical issues in the generation of reliable scientific knowledge, the module discusses the structure and elements of scientific theories, the ability of different research designs to generate sound causal inferences, and different methods for collecting and analysing quantitative and qualitative data. In particular, methodological topics include the fundamentals of statistical analysis, comparative analysis and case selection, questionnaire design and interviewing, as well as archival research and document analysis.

International Relations: The main aim of this module is to examine some of the more significant themes in the study of International Relations theory, with particular attention to the intellectual history and the development of the discipline. This will be achieved through a close reading of a number of IR texts, each of which covers issues that are core to our understanding of international affairs. An email-based simulation exercise will allow students to apply what they learn in the seminars.

International Cooperation and Conflict: The aim of this module is to develop students’ understanding of the theories and methods used to empirically study research questions in International Relations. The first part of the module reviews major theoretical approaches and introduces students to different types of formal methods used to study international relations. Knowledge of prevailing theories and a basic understanding of game theory and quantitative methods will help to competently assess the literature discussed in the second and third parts of the module. The second part of the module deals with the functions and decision-making structures of international organizations, especially the United Nations and the European Union. The third part of the module discusses a selection of current topics in International Relations research. These topics include the democratic peace thesis, the causes and consequences of international terrorism, and the effects of military interventions.

Semester 2

During semester two, students take core modules in Global Transformation and Exclusion, and Research Methods, and choose two additional electives.

Global Transformation and Exclusion: This course seeks to critically understand the transformations that have occurred with global politics and more explicitly within the global political economy within the last 30 or so years. It explores the historical significance of ‘globalisation’, the nature and its effects on the development of the ‘south’, the different theoretical perspectives given to globalisation, the nature of global economic institutions and agencies, the growth of the ‘network’ society and the nature and forms of global/national/local contestation and resistance. It aims to engage students with the many debates that are on-going within many of the social sciences and demonstrates how far theories are altering due to the upheavals that are occurring at the global level.

Electives: The electives offered from year to year, and may include the following:

• Comparative Politics
• International Security
• Political Reconciliation in the Aftermath of Conflict
• Foreign Aid and Development
• Global Justice
• Development Practice and Programme Management
• European Public Administration: Actors, Institutions and Policy Process
• Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding

Entry Qualifications

Applicants must have a primary degree in a social science or related discipline, with first or second-class honours or an approved equivalent qualification. Candidates should be proficient in the use of English.

Careers

The programme will equip students with substantive knowledge about a variety of international political phenomena, competence in the use of social scientific research methods, as well as analytical and transferable skills. Some graduates continue studying towards a Ph.D. or towards professional qualifications in fields such as law and commerce. Others may go on to pursue careers in journalism, public administration, civil society organisations, think tanks, interest groups and business.

Fees

Students from EU countries: €4,660

Students from non-EU countries: €10,780

Please note that these fees refer to the academic year 2012/13 and are subject to annual review.

How to Apply

Please apply through the online application system.

Postgraduate Admissions Office
Graduate School
Foundation Building
University of Limerick
Tel: +353 61 234377
Fax: +353 61 233287
E-mail: postgradadmissions@ul.ie

Further information can be found at www.graduateschool.ul.ie.