Contact: Dr
Maura Conway maura.conway@dcu.ie
Tel: +353 1 700 6472 Room: C232
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Students on this programme come not only from Ireland and Europe but from all corners of the globe including China, Nigeria and the United States. Many come directly from undergraduate studies. Our programme provides such students with the option of obtaining a focused postgraduate degree. Others, such as members of NGOs or teachers, having worked for some years already in the field, choose our programme to help further their professional development.
Our experience suggests that the programme is suitable for students from a wide range of discipline backgrounds and a typical class will include those who have studied subjects as diverse as politics, law, languages, history, business, science etc.
Contemporary international relations impacts on our lives in realms such as international politics, human rights, the economy, communications and trade. This degree offers a broad interdisciplinary introduction to international relations. It explores the concepts, forces and processes underpinning international relations, looking at the role of international organisations and powerful states, legal frameworks, foreign policy, and the international political economy.
The MA in International Relations may be taken as a one year full-time programme or a two year part-time programme. The part-time programme runs over two years on Fridays from 2pm to 8.30pm. For full-time students, first semester modules are all core and are as set out in the table below. In semester two, students take a module in research methods, a second core module and three options. The dissertation is submitted in early September.
Part-time International Relations students take two core modules in semester one of Year 1 (International Relations Theory in the New World Order and The Principles of Public International Law). They take Research Methods and one or two options in Semester 2. In Year 2 they take three further core modules in International Political Economy, Development: Theory and Practice and Research Methods and one or two optional module. The dissertation for part-time students is submitted at the end of the second year.
Applicants will normally have an honours primary degree or equivalent, but appropriate combinations of professional qualifications and experience may be accepted as equivalent to an honours degree, in accordance with the relevant regulations of the University.
Applicants will be ranked by prior academic achievement, their work experience where relevant, and their stated reasons for wishing to take the programme. Applicants are asked to include a 200 word statement outlining
1) why they wish to study International Relations,
2) what in their record and experience makes them suitable for the M.A. programme
3) the impact which they expect the M.A. would have on their futures.
Some applicants may be called for interview. Such interviews will be held
during the month of June.
Applicants who are awaiting their degree results should indicate both the level of award expected, and their undergraduate record to date. Some applicants may be called for interview. The closing date for receipt of applications is the 15th July 2008, though we recommend that international students apply early and we will make some decisions on international applications at an earlier date where this is necessary to allow applicants secure funding or visas.
International candidates are expected to have educational qualifications of a standard equivalent to those outlined above. In addition, where such candidates are non-native speakers of the English language they must satisfy the university of their competency in the English language. For further information on international applications click here.
EU Applicants Apply online through the Postgraduate Applications Centre »
Non-EU Applicants: Apply online through the Postgraduate Applications Centre »
Queries on completed applications can be made by e-mail to DeirdreSheridan@dcu.ie
September each year.
Graduates from the programme have gone on to work for development agencies, in the media, in diplomatic services, in international businesses, in communications and to further research. In previous years the Department of Foreign Affairs and some non- governmental organisations have offered a limited number of short-term 'stagiaire' posts to the top graduates in each class, indicating the high regard with which the programme is held. See what past graduates did »
The MA Programme features seminars and presentations by guest speakers with particular experience and expertise, be it as politicians, officials, academics or diplomats, in foreign policy and international relations. The intention is to facilitate the exploration of key issues in international relations in an informal, interactive environment. Further information is avaialble here.
UN General Assembly President Meets Foreign Minister of Cuba