War Studies

Entry requirements

Undergraduate degree with high 2:1 honours (i.e. overall average of at least 65% across all years of study) in history, international relations, political science, economics or other appropriate subject.

In order to meet the academic entry requirements for this programme you should have a minimum high 2:1 undergraduate degree with a final mark of at least 65% or above in the UK marking scheme. If you are still studying you should be achieving an average of at least 65% or above in the UK marking scheme.

Months of entry

September

Course content

War is a key aspect of human experience, and people have long sought to understand it from a diverse range of perspectives. You will study alongside historians, social scientists, philosophers, jurists and artists, benefitting from their perspectives and those of the students around you.

We will provide you with an intellectual ‘toolbox’ composed of skills and techniques drawn from a range of disciplines associated with the humanities and social sciences. We will not train you as a specialist historian, philosopher, strategist, etc., but you will be introduced to elements of various disciplines that are relevant to the study of war. The challenge lies in combining them in order to achieve a sophisticated and rounded understanding of the subject.

The course will appeal if you are a student of politics, history or strategic studies or if you are a professional in defence, diplomacy or foreign affairs who wants to reflect on the broader implications of your experiences.

This MA is based in the Department of War Studies, one of the only academic departments in the world to focus solely on the complexities of conflict and security. War Studies is an multidisciplinary department and all War Studies students benefit from research-led teaching in such subjects as the history and evolution of war and grand strategy, arms control and non-proliferation, migration, strategic thought, cyber, conflict and the environment, the influence of science and technology on international security, along with regional specialisms covering Africa, Asia (East and South), Russia and elsewhere.