Study options
- Starting in
- September 2025
- Location
- Mile End
- Fees
- Home: £8,200
Overseas: £17,000
EU/EEA/Swiss students
What you'll study
Get trained in the fascinating area of international relations on a global level in this thought-provoking Postgraduate Diploma. This course is developed with a real focus on the traditional geographic areas of international relations as well as emerging areas of interest in the developing world.
You will enjoy engaging group sessions, seminars and lectures on fascinating subjects such as the nuances of conflict and war, human rights and foreign military interventions in civil wars.
You will be taught by a diverse set of academics at the cutting-edge of their fields. Our faculty members have internationally-recognised research strengths in the politics of the developing world and critical theory, as well as regional expertise in South America, South East Asia and the Middle East.
The academics who are involved in the Mile End Institute and the Centre for European Research continue to conduct research on constantly changing policy issues and organise free events throughout the year - giving you front-row access to groundbreaking research in action.
If you successfully complete this postgraduate certificate, you may be eligible for progression onto our our MA in International Relations.
Structure
- One compulsory taught module
- Three elective taught modules
- No dissertation
Compulsory/Core modules
The module is designed to give students a good command and understanding of key concepts and theoretical traditions in International Relations and their relevance for understanding contemporary themes in world politics. The module seeks to provide students with a more nuanced understanding of the various social forces and processes shaping world politics including the co-constitutive relationship between the theory and practice of international relations. The module also aims at developing the students' capacity to reflect critically about the main claims, strengths and weaknesses of theories in international relations.
Elective modules
This module will consider the principal forms in which US foreign policy has been practised and interpreted since the foundation of the Republic. Amongst these are American Exceptionalism and Anti-Americanism, spheres of influence, liberal interventionism and protectionist isolationism, Cold War containment, the War on Terror following 9/11, and the strains on unipolarity in the early 21st century. Amongst the case studies linked to these themes, we shall consider the role of Native Americans and immigration, the war of 1898, gunboat diplomacy in the Caribbean, the ideas of Woodrow Wilson, the Vietnam War, the consequences of the 9/11 attacks, and the challenges posed by China.
This module will examine the key concepts, debates, actors and processes within international public policy in the contemporary period. Concepts explored include cooperation, international law, globalisation and governance, and regionalism. The module will explore the role of various agents, including states, international organisations, regiobal organisations, private authorities and NGOs in the processes of international public policy-making. The course also examines these issues through a series of case studies, including climate change negotiations, the global financial crisis, human rights regimes, European policy-making and the International Criminal Court.
This module provides an introduction to the theoretical foundations of the contemporary analyses of advanced capitalism. How have thinkers within politics and economics theorised and analysed the relationship between the two disciplines? Is it even possible to analytically distinguish between the two? The aim of this module is to answer these two questions by reference to the major theories within the field of political economy. The module analyses both classical and contemporary theories of political economy, and explores their continued relevance to understanding the development of advanced capitalism. Towards the end of the module we will consider some heterodox approaches brought to the fore by the onset of the ongoing financial and economic crisis and consider their relevance.
This module will examine the historical and contemporary place of Latin America in the world system through issues of political economy, cultural identity and international relations. The module will explore dependency, modernization and marxist theories, the legacy of European empires, and the independence movements of the 19th century. It will then consider the more contemporary phenomena of a contested Pan-Americanism, exceptionalist theses for Cuba and Brazil, the evolving role of indigenous American societies and that of Latinos in the USA. The module will conclude with appraisal of the regional experience of neo-liberalism and the reactions to it on continental and international planes.
This module gives students the opportunity to study the international relations of the Middle East through the lens of contemporary conflict. The Middle East is often characterized as the most conflict-ridden region of the world. This module seeks to explore firstly if that is an accurate assessment and secondly why so many conflicts have occurred in this region. Focusing on the contemporary Middle East, while also discussing recent history, `conflict¿ is broadly defined to mean not just wars, but also contested politics. Exploration of these conflicts will be framed by international relations theory and the theories of civil conflicts. The module will first consider the key state (and non-state) actors involved in many of these conflicts, whether regional (Turkey, Iran, Saudi, Israel, UAE/Qatar) or international (US, Russia, China). Thereafter, we will explore different conflict case studies each week in which these rivalries have play out and interacted with domestic politics: Syria, Yemen, Iraq, Lebanon, Kurdistan, Palestine and Libya.
Students will get a comprehensive understanding of how migration policy works at European and International levels and of the cutting-edge debates surrounding the so-called 'migration crisis'. Students will explore and critically analyse the causes and consequences of the migration crises from a public policy perspective. The module is divided in four parts. First, migration as a phenomenon of globalisation is introduced as well as the way states and the supranational level (EU and UN) have developed policies to `manage' and `control¿ migration. Second, the module offer a theoretical and empirical explanation of security and border policies and practices developed to control migration as well as of policies of integration. Third, the course spends some time discuss the so-called 2015 migration and refugee `crisis¿, the policies adopted by the EU, the divergent policies adopted by European member states and the role of European cities and regions. Fourth, the course studies the migration policies that are in place in North Africa, with a specific focus on the Moroccan immigration reform, and in West Africa, with a focus on ECOWAS.
This module will provide an advanced examination of International Organisations (IOs) as a transnational political workspace for both cooperation and contestation between global actors. The module will be grounded in a historical and critical examination of the development of IOs in the 19th century as a tool to manage European international order, and it will emphasize the ways in which IOs developed in conjunction with the modern state. Building upon this critical grounding, the module will examine today's IOs, with a particular focus on the UN system, and their effectiveness in confronting global challenges in the 21st century. The module will conclude with a capstone day-long Model UN simulation.
US politics attracts high levels of attention around elections, but far less notice afterwards. In order to understand the politics of the United States, we must study not only who holds power but also how power is exercised. Public policy is the marshalling of public resources and legal power to shape individual and collective outcomes. This module explores the US policy-making process before examining a wide range of domestic and foreign policy competences, such as education, housing, trade, and immigration.
Assessment
Students are assessed by a combination of coursework and exams. Many modules are assessed by coursework only, usually in the form of research essays. The course convener offers guidance and support in the researching and writing of this piece of assessment.
Teaching
Our interdisciplinary approach offers lectures led by internationally recognised academics and interaction with Queen Mary’s independent Virtual Learning Environment, QMplus.
This course offers a mixture of formal lectures and small group seminars. The seminars are designed to generate informed discussion around set topics, and may involve student presentations, group exercise and role-play as well as lively open discussions with your peers.
We invest in both your educational and personal development, and you will be assigned an Academic Adviser who will support you during your studies.
Professor James Dunkerley
Where you'll learn
Facilities
At Queen Mary you will have access to a number of advanced facilities, some of which are designated exclusively to postgraduate students. These include:
- Mile End Institute, a major policy centre based at Queen Mary which brings together policymakers, academics and local communities to address national political challenges
- state-of-the-art media suite with editing software (QUBE)
- A Graduate Centre, offering purpose-built study spaces and an exclusive rooftop common room
- Think Pod - an interactive collaboration space with presentation, recording and video conferencing facilities
- access to some of London’s outstanding facilities including The British Library, Senate House Library and Copac.
Campus
You will be studying in the heart of London, the UK’s capital. Home to parliament, political think tanks and economic powerhouses, London is where all the action takes place. We host a range of high-profile speakers on campus, and offer students regular contact with Westminster, Whitehall and the third sector through our events.
About the School
School of Politics and International Relations
The School of Politics and International Relations at Queen Mary has an interdisciplinary structure that enables us to deliver a modern approach to educational research.
With a focus on high-quality teaching and innovation, the school ensures engaging educational pathways, alongside supportive staff and excellent research facilities. Our staff are active researchers with diverse interests across politics, international relations, and sociology, from security and war to migration and environmental politics, which is reflected in our high-level teaching and the breadth of our programmes.
We are also a member of the Russell Group of leading research universities in the UK.
Career paths
Whether you’re looking to change profession or fast-track your current career trajectory, when you graduate from this course you can progress to positions of responsibility in government, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and international organisations, as well as broader roles in the media and finance sector.
The combination of theoretical understanding, rigorous debate, independent research, self-reflection and critical evaluation make graduates from the School of Politics and International Relations attractive to prospective employers and in a competitive position for further research or academia.
Previous graduates have gone into careers with:
- International Monetary Fund (IMF)
- Oxfam Australia
- HM Forces
- International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Society
- Volkswagen
- United Nations – Perú.
Fees and funding
Full-time study
September 2025 | 9 months
- Home: £8,200
- Overseas: £17,000
EU/EEA/Swiss students
Conditional deposit
Home: Not applicable
Overseas: £2000
Information about deposits
Funding
There are a number of ways you can fund your postgraduate degree.
- Scholarships and bursaries
- Postgraduate loans (UK students)
- Country-specific scholarships for international students
Our Advice and Counselling service offers specialist support on financial issues, which you can access as soon as you apply for a place at Queen Mary. Before you apply, you can access our funding guides and advice on managing your money:
Entry requirements
UK
Degree requirements
A 2:1 degree or above at undergraduate level in Politics or a related discipline .
Find out more about how to apply for our postgraduate taught courses.
International
English language requirements
The English language requirements for our programmes are indicated by English bands, and therefore the specific test and score acceptable is based on the band assigned to the academic department within which your chosen course of study is administered. Note that for some academic departments there are programmes with non-standard English language requirements.
The English Language requirements for entry to postgraduate taught and research programmes in the School of Politics and International Relations falls within the following English band:
Band 5: IELTS (Academic) minimum score 7.0 overall with 6.0 in each of Writing, Listening, Reading and Speaking
We accept a range of English tests and qualifications categorised in our English bands for you to demonstrate your level of English Language proficiency. See all accepted English tests that we deem equivalent to these IELTS scores.
Visas and immigration
Find out how to apply for a student visa.