Politics

MSc Politics
Graduate Taught (level 9 nfq, credits 90)
The MSc Politics degree, which was developed for those who wish to understand the role of politics in shaping the great issues of our day including power and conflict, distribution and inequality, relations between nations, and the new challenges of globalisation, financial crisis, national security, and climate change.

- The course focuses on the two traditional pillars of the discipline – political theory and comparative politics.
- Comparative politics looks at the European nation-states in a comparative perspective.
- Political theory - the reflection on the nature and morality of politics.

Subjects taught

The MSc Politics 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 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.

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 Politics

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)
POL40540 Comparative European Politics (Autumn)
POL41640 Qualitative Research Methods for Political Science (Spring)

Option Modules
Autumn
GS40110 Gender, Sexuality, and the Body; The Politics of Belonging
POL40050 Theories of International Relations
POL40140 Theories of Global Justice
POL40160 Comparative Public Policy
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
SPOL41110 Ideas, Ideology in Public Policy

Spring
DEV40020 Gender and Development
​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
POL42350 Connected_Politics
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
SOC40620 Nationalism and Social Change

Summer Trimester Core Module
POL42310 Thesis (30 credits)

Entry requirements

- 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.

- 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.

Application dates

How to apply?
The following entry routes are available:
MSc Politics FT (W233)
Duration
1 Years
Attend
Full Time
Deadline
Rolling*

MSc Politics PT (W234)
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.

Credits

90

Duration

1 year full-time, 2 years part-time. Mode of Delivery: Face-to-Face.

Fees

MSc Politics (W233) Full Time
EU fee per year - € 8525
nonEU fee per year - € 19900

MSc Politics (W234) 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.

Enrolment dates

NEXT INTAKE: 2024/2025 September.

Post Course Info

Careers & Employability
Graduates work with a wide variety of international private-sector employers, government agencies and Non-Governmental Organisations, in roles that include:

Government Social Researcher
Diplomatic Advisor
Public Affairs Consultant
Public Relations Officer
Political Advisor

Recent graduates of UCD School of Politics & International Relations now work in:
United Nations, New York and Geneva
World Trade Organisation
IMF
OSCE
Asia Development Bank
Saatchi & Saatchi
Credit Suisse First Boston

More details
  • Qualification letters

    MSc

  • Qualifications

    Degree - Masters (Level 9 NFQ)

  • Attendance type

    Full time,Part time

  • Apply to

    Course provider