International Political Economy

MA International Political Economy - explores the international trade, monetary and finance systems, the processes of globalisation, the impact of emerging economies, and the causes and consequences of economic underdevelopment.

probes the linkages of the global economy with international environmental, human rights, gender and migration issues
includes core modules covering both the ‘British’ and ‘American’ schools of IPE.
allows you to choose to complete a dissertation or apply for an internship.

The MA International Political Economy is a 90-credit programme. Full time students must take three 10-credit modules in the autumn trimester, and three 10-credit modules in the spring trimester. Students must also submit a thesis worth 30-credits or pursue an Internship instead in the summer trimester.

SPIRe part time programmes run for 2 years and students normally do 1 -2 modules per semester. The final 30-credit module is completed during the second year of the programme. PT students should complete the research design module in year 2.

Please note that our part-time programmes run during the day and are not timetabled in the evenings or at weekends.

Core and Option Modules for MA International Political Economy

These are the current modules for 2023/24 but are subject to change. Each of the following modules carries 10 credits unless otherwise specified.

Core Modules

POL41650 The Global Political Economy of Europe (Autumn)
POL42330 Research Design (Autumn)
POL40370 International Political Economy (Spring)

Option Modules

Autumn
POL40050 Theories of International Relations
POL40140 Theories of Global Justice
POL40160 Comparative Public Policy
POL40540 Comparative European Politics
POL40950 Introduction to Statistics
POL41020 Politics of Human Rights
POL41510 Politics and Change in the Middle East and North Africa
POL41870 Political Economy of Institutions and Comparative Development
POL41980 Peace & Conflict Studies
POL42040 Gender & the Political System
POL42070 Politics of (mis-)information
POL42470 Gender Identity & Difference
POL42490 Politics of Ireland North & South

Spring
DEV40020 Gender and Development
POL40100 Politics of Development
POL40610 EU Foreign, Security, and Defence Policy
POL40970 Politics of European Governance
POL41030 Theory of Human Rights
POL41640 Qualitative Research Methods for Political Science
POL41720 Gender Peace and Security
POL41780 The Politics of Inequality
POL41860 Governance, Politics and Development
POL42050 Quantitative Text Analysis
POL42060 International Security
POL42340 Programming for Social Scientists
POL42440 Political Economy of Security
POL42480 Contemporary Election Campaigns: Democratic Norms and Empirical Research
POL42500 Politics of Authoritarianism

Summer Trimester Core Module
POL42300 SPIRe Internship (30 credits) or
POL42310 Thesis (30 credits)

A primary degree with at least Second Class Honours Grade 1 (2H1) in a relevant subject such as political science, international relations, social science, sociology, history, geography, economics, global studies, public policy, development studies, EU studies, law. 2H1 is equivalent to 60 per cent, B minus or 3.08 GPA - in American system: B or 3.00 GPA.

Your application will be considered on its individual merits and relevant professional experience will also be taken into account.

English language requirements: applicants whose first language is not English should have met TOEFL, IELTs, or computer-based TOEFL requirements (600, 6.5, or 250 respectively), or the Cambridge English Test (Certificate in Advanced English at a minimum of Grade B, or Certificate of Proficiency in English at Grade C). Applicants who obtained a previous degree from an English-speaking university may be exempted from this requirement. Click here for further info.

Students meeting the programme’s academic entry requirements but not the English language requirements, may enter the programme upon successful completion of UCD’s Pre-Sessional or International Pre-Master’s Pathway programmes. Please see the following link for further information http://www.ucd.ie/alc/programmes/pathways/

These are the minimum entry requirements – additional criteria may be requested for some programmes

How to apply?
The following entry routes are available:
MA International Political Economy FT (W290)
Deadline Rolling *

MA International Political Economy PT (W291)
Deadline Rolling *

* Courses will remain open until such time as all places have been filled, therefore early application is advised.

W290: 1 year full-time
W291: 2 years part-time
Mode of delivery: Face-to-Face

Next Intake: 2024/2025 September.

Careers & Employability

Graduates work with international private-sector employers, government agencies and NGOs as:

Government Social Researcher
Diplomatic Advisor
Public Affairs Consultant
Political Advisor

Recent graduates of UCD School of Politics & International Relations now work in:

United Nations, New York and Geneva
World Trade Organisation
Ministry of Economic Affairs, Taipei
Asia Development Bank
IMF
Dutch-German Chamber of Commerce & Industry
Korean Foreign Trade Association