How long does the MA in International Relations take?

The MA in International Relations runs one year full-time or two years part-time. Online and distance modes of the MA in International Relations follow the same weekly seminar and supervision timetable.

How is the MA in International Relations delivered?

You can study the MA in International Relations on-campus in central London, fully online or by structured distance learning. All modes of the MA in International Relations share the same seminar structure and dissertation supervision.

Is the MA in International Relations recognised in the UK?

Yes. The MA in International Relations is a UK Level 7 award aligned with BISA, PSA and Chatham House working standards, and is recognised across Whitehall, embassy and think-tank recruitment.

What are the entry requirements for the MA in International Relations?

You need a UK Bachelor's degree at 2:2 or above (or international equivalent) for the MA in International Relations. Portfolio applicants with five or more years of senior foreign-affairs experience are considered for the MA in International Relations on portfolio review.

What are the fees and funding options for the MA in International Relations?

Fees vary by residency and study mode. LSLPE publishes a full fee sheet at application and offers structured instalment plans and early-application discounts for the MA in International Relations; contact admissions for a personalised quotation.

MA in International Relations | LSLPE | Harold International College of London

Course Overview

The MA in International Relations at LSLPE is a research-informed Master's programme running one year full-time or two years part-time on-campus, online or by distance learning. The syllabus covers realist, liberal, constructivist and post-colonial IR theory alongside diplomatic practice, security studies and global political economy, aligned with British International Studies Association and Chatham House working conventions.

By graduation you will have produced a full IR-theory application to a live case, a country-risk brief, a global-political-economy analysis, and a supervised dissertation defended in oral viva. You will be able to write to the standard expected in a foreign ministry, an international body or a leading think tank.

Key Features

Weekly seminars aligned with British International Studies Association (BISA) and Political Studies Association (PSA) reading conventions.
Case sessions modelled on Chatham House working groups and IISS strategic surveys.
Guest sessions from serving foreign-policy advisers, embassy staff and international-organisation officers.
Supervised dissertation on a live international-affairs file, defended in oral viva.
Three parallel study modes so serving officers and progressor graduates share the same cohort.
Careers-day access to embassies, think tanks and international NGOs each academic year.

What You Will Learn

Applying realist, liberal and constructivist theory to live IR files.
Reading treaty text, joint communiques and UN resolutions with rigour.
Producing a full country-risk brief and a security assessment.
Modelling great-power competition and regional-bloc behaviour.
Analysing global political economy files including trade, finance and climate.
Handling post-colonial and gender critiques of the IR canon.
Running scenario and foresight exercises to Chatham House standard.
Defending a dissertation in an oral viva in front of a mixed academic and practitioner panel.

Who This Course Is For

Graduates aiming for the Diplomatic Service, embassy or international-organisation entry.
Serving foreign-affairs, defence or development officers updating their theoretical toolkit.
Journalists and NGO staff moving into structured IR analysis.
International applicants from foreign ministries and international bodies.
Portfolio-route applicants with five or more years of relevant senior experience.

Career Pathways

Foreign Policy Adviser
Diplomat and Political Officer
International Relations Analyst
International Affairs Officer at an NGO
Strategic Intelligence Analyst
Government Relations Manager
Public Affairs Officer with an international remit
Development Diplomat

The LSLPE careers service curates introductions across Whitehall, embassies, the UN Association UK network, Chatham House and international NGOs, and refreshes curriculum alignment annually against Bar Standards Board, Political Studies Association and Royal Economic Society guidance.

Entry Requirements

A UK Bachelor's degree (2:2 or above) or equivalent international qualification in international relations, politics, history or a related discipline.
IELTS 6.5 overall (no band below 6.0) for non-native English speakers.
Applicants without a Bachelor's degree but with 5+ years of senior professional experience in foreign affairs, defence or development are considered on portfolio.
One academic and one professional reference.
A 500-word research proposal or professional practice statement identifying your proposed dissertation area in international relations.

Why Study at LSLPE

LSLPE is a specialist division of Harold International College of London teaching in small, tutor-visible cohorts. Central London places Whitehall, Parliament, Chatham House, embassies and the LSE-adjacent think-tank ecosystem within a short tube ride of every seminar room, which matters when the IR files you will study are drafted nearby.

Every intake, on-campus or remote, joins the same weekly seminar structure with named programme-tutor support. Seminars are run in the case-room and select-committee tradition, evidence-led and argued in public, and the careers service connects students with employers across embassies, government departments, think tanks and international bodies.

Apply for MA in International Relations

Applications for the MA in International Relations are open now, with intakes calibrated to the UK academic year and rolling admissions for online and distance cohorts. Enrol on an LSLPE Master's programme and complete a supervised dissertation on a live IR file. Enrol Now