International Relations

MSc International Relations probes into the causes and consequences of phenomena such as war, trade, regional integration, migration and terrorism.



Examine theoretical approaches in the contemporary study of international politics and their application.

Improve your skills in research design and qualitative and quantitative analysis.

A wide range of specialisations are available to enable you to develop your specific expertise.

The MSc in International Relations 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 that will be written during the summer term.



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.



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 MSc International Relations



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

POL40950 Introduction to Statistics (Autumn)

POL40050 Theories of International Relations (Autumn)

POL41640 Qualitative Research Methods for Political Science (Spring)

POL42310 Thesis (30 credits) (Summer)



Core Options Choose minimum of 1

POL42440 Political Economy of Security (Spring)

POL42060 International Security (Spring)



Option Modules (Select Two)



Autumn Trimester

POL40140 Theories of Global Justice

​POL40160 Comparative Public Policy

POL40540 Comparative European Politics

POL41020 Politics of Human Rights

POL41510 Politics and Change in the Middle East and North Africa

POL41650 The Global Political Economy of Europe

POL41870 Political Economy of Institutions and Comparative Development

POL41980 Peace & Conflict Studies

POL42040 Gender & the Political System

POL42070 Politics of (mis-)information



Spring Trimester

POL40100 Politics of Development

​POL40370 International Political Economy

POL40610 EU Foreign, Security, and Defence Policy

POL40970 Politics of European Governance

POL41030 Theory of Human Rights

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

POL42350 Connected_Politics

POL42440 Political Economy of Security

POL42510 Party Organisation in the 21st Century

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:



MSc International Relations FT (W036)

Deadline Rolling *



MSc International Relations PT (W109)

Deadline Rolling *



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

90

W036: 1 year full-time

W109: 2 years part-time

Mode of delivery: Face-to-Face

MSc International Relations (W036) Full Time

EU fee per year - € 8525

nonEU fee per year - € 19900


MSc International Relations (W109) Part Time

EU fee per year - € 5600

nonEU fee per year - € 9950


***Fees are subject to change


Tuition fee information is available on the UCD Fees website. Please note that UCD offers a number of graduate scholarships for full-time, self-funding international students, holding an offer of a place on a UCD graduate degree programme. For further information please see International Scholarships.


SPIRe operates a Graduate Scholarship programme. To access details, see SPIRe Graduate Scholarship Scheme.

Next Intake: 2024/2025 September.

Careers & Employability

Graduates are employed in roles such as Government Social Researcher, Diplomatic Advisor, and Public Affairs Consultant.



Graduates work with international private-sector employers, government agencies and Non-Governmental Organisations including:

• United Nations, New York and Geneva

• EU Delegation of the European Commission

• IBRD (World Bank)

• Anderson Consulting

• Embassy of the United States of America

• Economist Intelligence Unit, The Economist