Politics & International Relations

MA Politics & International Relations
Graduate Taught (level 9 nfq, credits 90)

The MA Politics and International Relations is designed to accommodate the scheduling needs of working professionals in government, journalism, the NGO sector and other areas who wish to deepen their education in politics and international relations whilst continuing their employment.

- 90-credit, part-time programme including six optional 10-credit modules (no particular module is required)

- MA students have the option of pursuing an internship in lieu of a thesis.

The MA Politics and International Relations is a 90-credit programme.

Part time students take a total of 90-credits over the two-year duration of the part-time programme. It is advisable for students to take any core modules in Year 1. As the Research Design module is provided to support students writing their thesis, it is advised to take this in the second year of study.

MA students have the option of pursuing an internship in lieu of a thesis.

Core and Option Modules for MA Politics and 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
POL42330 Research Design (Autumn) - Should be completed in Year 2

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
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​
POL42470 Gender, Identity, & Difference
POL42490 Politics of Ireland North & South

Spring
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
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
POL42510 Party Organisation in the 21st Century

Summer Trimester Core Module (Year 2)
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.

How to apply?
The following entry routes are available:
MA Politics & International Relations PT (W292)
Duration
2 Years
Attend
Part Time
Deadline
Rolling*

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

2 years part-time. Mode of Delivery: Face-to-Face.

NEXT INTAKE: 2024/2025 September.

Careers & Employability
Graduates work with a wide variety of international private-sector employers, government agencies and Non-Governmental Organisations such as:
Public Affairs Consultant
Government Social Researcher
Diplomatic Advisor
Public Relations Officer
Political Advisor

Recent graduates of UCD School of Politics & International Relations now work in:
European Parliament
OSCE
European Institute for the Media
Korean Delegation to the OECD
KPMG Management Consulting
Queen's University Belfast