Peace & Conflict

World Top 100 in the QS Ranking 2024 in Politics | Oldest and Largest School of its Kind in Ireland.



UCD School of Politics & International Relations is the oldest and largest school of its kind in Ireland with over 150 years of experience in political studies and a world-renowned faculty drawn from many countries.



This programme uses comparative political science models and methods to analyse patterns of conflict and settlement, with a focus on internal violent conflicts, past and present.



This course allows analysis of the different ways that religion, ethnicity and inequality combine to generate violence.

Specialist resources in the study of theories of ethnicity, identity, conflict; comparative ethnic conflict; Northern Ireland, Western Europe and relevant cognate specialisms in civic republicanism, justice and human rights, international security, European politics, and development studies.

Module Trimester Credits



Stage 1 Core Modules

POL41980 Peace & Conflict Studies Autumn 10

POL42330 Research Design Autumn 10

POL42060 International Security Spring 10

Stage 1 Options - B)1 of:

Students must pick either POL42300 SPIRe Internship or POL42310 Thesis as a core module

POL42300 SPIRe Internship Summer 30

POL42310 Thesis Summer 30



Stage 1 Options - D) Min 0 of:

Select from list

AMST40030 Media and US Foreign Policy Autumn 10

LAW42280 International Refugee Law Autumn 10

POL40050 Theories of International Relations Autumn 10

POL40950 Introduction to Statistics Autumn 10

POL40970 Politics of European Governance Autumn 10

POL41020 Politics of Human Rights Autumn 10

POL41510 Politics and Change in the Middle East and North Africa Autumn 10

POL42040 Gender & the Political System Autumn 10

GS40120 Decoloniality and Intersectionality Thinking Spring 10

LAW42290 Gender, Conflict-related Harm & Transitional Justice Spring 10

POL40100 Politics of Development Spring 10

POL40140 Theories of Global Justice Spring 10

POL40160 Comparative Public Policy Spring 10

POL40370 International Political Economy Spring 10

POL40540 Comparative European Politics Spring 10

POL40610 EU Foreign, Security, and Defence Pol. Spring 10

POL41030 Theory of Human Rights Spring 10

POL41640 Qualitative Research Methods for Political Science Spring 10

POL41720 Gender, Peace, and Security Spring 10

POL41910 Political Violence Spring 10

POL42050 Quantitative Text Analysis Spring 10

POL42340 Programming for Soc Scientists Spring 10

POL42430 IR Theory: Conflict and Identity Spring 10

SOC40620 Nationalism and Social Change Spring 10

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 International Pre-Master’s Pathway programmes. Please see the following link for further information: https://www.ucd.ie/alc/programmes/pathways/int%20pmp/



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



You may be eligible for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), as UCD recognises formal, informal, and/or experiential learning. RPL may be awarded to gain Admission and/or credit exemptions on a programme. Please visit the UCD Registry RPL web page for further information. Any exceptions are also listed on this webpage. https://tinyurl.com/2ae2ffax

1 Year Full-Time (W410) or 2 Years Part-Time (W411).

Commencing September 2025

Careers & Employability

Graduates work with international bodies, non-governmental organisations and state agencies in roles such as: government social researchers, diplomatic advisors and public affair consultants.



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

United Nations

World Trade Organisation

IMF

European Commission

Asia Development Bank