course page main image

International Relations and Security - MA

Currently viewing course to start in 2025/26 Entry.

Interested in studying International Relations and Security in Birmingham? This course, open to graduates from any subject, is the ideal preparation for careers in settings including domestic and international NGOs, third sector organisations, the civil or diplomatic service, educational institutions, and media and political institutions.

  • Level Postgraduate Taught
  • Study mode Full Time/Part Time
  • Award MA
  • Start date September 2025

This course is:

Open to International Students

Overview

Our International Relations and Security course explores issues of governance, international intelligence, security, decision-making, conflict, and cooperation across the globe. You will develop knowledge and high-level skills to equip you for a successful career in sectors such as policing, counterterrorism, the intelligence services and the diplomatic corps. You will gain knowledge and critical understanding of communities and states facing challenges such as migration, terrorism, state violence, climate change and social inequalities through exploring security, power relations, globalisation and the ways states interact, whether through cooperation or through conflict.

The course is designed with employability at its core, through both teaching and authentic assessments. These authentic assessments include projects, crisis games, live debates or presentations, designed to directly link learning to meaningful contexts. You will actively engage with the material, seeing its relevance to future careers, which will foster intrinsic motivation and deeper understanding. Through authentic tasks you will apply your knowledge, analyse, synthesise, and collaborate with classmates. These skills are sought by employers and are vital for lifelong learning.

Assessments also provide opportunities for ongoing feedback and self-reflection. You will receive plenty of opportunities to prepare for employment through placements, work experience or volunteering with external organisations, as well as work-like learning and research experiences embedded into the course via simulations, role-play and practical problem solving activities.

The optional Professional Placement is designed to improve your employability skills and allow you to evidence your professional skills, attitudes and behaviours at the point of entry to the postgraduate job market. Furthermore, you will be able to develop and enhance your understanding of the professional work environment, relevant to your chosen field of study, and reflect critically on your own professional skills development within the workplace.

You can succeed in a wide variety of career pathways: policy-oriented work - within domestic and international NGO, charity and other third sector organisations; enterprise work - within social sciences-driven start-ups or private sector organisations; and working within institutional settings such as the civil service or diplomatic service, educational institutions, media and political institutions at the national and local levels.

Professional Placement option

For our MA International Relations and Security degree, you will have the opportunity to take the Professional Placement version of the course, which is offered as an alternative to the standard version of the course.

This will allow you to complete a credit bearing, 20 week Professional Placement as an integral part of your Master’s Degree. The purpose of the Professional Placement is to improve your employability and transferable skills. The placement experience will allow you to evidence your professional skills, attitudes and behaviours at the point of entry to the postgraduate job market.

You will be responsible for finding and securing your own placement. The University, however, will draw on its extensive network of local, regional and national employers to support you in finding a suitable placement to complement your chosen area of study, with support from our Careers+ team as well as advice and guidance from your School.

Please note that placements will only be confirmed following a competitive, employer-led selection process, therefore the University will not be able to guarantee placements for students who have registered for the ‘with Professional Placement’ course.

For full details, please view the module specification.

This course is open to International students.

Why Choose Us?

  • You will critically explore the concept of security, asking what it is, who it is for and what it entails.
  • You’ll get to learn about issues of contemporary and international significance that reflect the breadth of the discipline from the proliferation of nuclear weapons to climate change.
  • You’ll experience research-led teaching and study alongside a team of academics with diverse expertise who are actively publishing in the field.
  • Separate yourself within the job marketplace by demonstrating to potential employers your academic commitment, expertise and transferable skills, such as research training and practice.

Find out more

OPEN DAY

Join us for a virtual Open Day where you'll be able to learn about this course in detail. Booking isn't open yet for this event, register your interest and we’ll email you as soon as booking goes live.

Next Event: 5 February 2025

Register your interest

Entry Requirements

Essential requirements

Essential Requirements
Typical Offers (UK Students)

A second class degree from a UK University or international equivalent.

Exceptions will be made on a case by case basis should a student possess enough relevant professional experience.

Additional information for EU/International students
Essential

Applications from international applicants with equivalent qualifications are welcome. Please see your country page for further details on the equivalent qualifications we accept.

In additional to the academic entry requirements listed above, international and EU students will also require the qualifications detailed in this table.

English language requirements 2020/21
IELTS

6.0 overall with 5.5 minimum in all bands

If you do not meet the required IELTS score, you may be eligible for one of our pre-sessional English courses. Please note that you must have a Secure English Language Test (SELT) to study on the pre-sessional English course. More information.

Other accepted qualifications Visit our English language page

If you have a qualification that is not listed, please contact us.

Fees & How to Apply

Please select your student status to view fees and apply
  • UK Student
  • International Student

UK students

Annual and modular tuition fees shown are applicable to the first year of study. The University reserves the right to increase fees for subsequent years of study in line with increases in inflation (capped at 5%) or to reflect changes in Government funding policies or changes agreed by Parliament. View fees for continuing students.

Award: MA

Starting: Sep 2025

  • Mode
  • Duration
  • Fees

International students

Annual and modular tuition fees shown are applicable to the first year of study. The University reserves the right to increase fees for subsequent years of study in line with increases in inflation (capped at 5%) or to reflect changes in Government funding policies or changes agreed by Parliament. View fees for continuing students.

Award: MA

Starting: Sep 2025

  • Mode
  • Duration
  • Fees

Access to computer equipment 

You will require use of a laptop, and most students do prefer to have their own. However, you can borrow a laptop from the university or use one of our shared computer rooms. 

Printing 

You will receive £5 print credit in each year of your course, available after enrolment. 

Field trips 

All essential field trips and associated travel costs will be included in your course fees. 

Access to Microsoft Office 365 

Every student at the University can download a free copy of Microsoft Office 365 to use whilst at university and for 18 months after graduation. 

Key software 

You will be able to download SPSS and Nvivo to your home computer to support with your studies and research. 

Key subscriptions 

Subscriptions to key journals and websites are available through our library. 

Excess printing (optional) 

Once you have spent your £5 credit, additional printing on campus costs from 5p per sheet. 

Personal stationery and study materials (optional) 

Based on the past experience of our students, you might find it helpful to set aside about £30 for each year of your studies for your personal stationery and study materials. 

Books (optional) 

All module key texts will be in the University library, but in limited numbers. You may choose to purchase a copy. We suggest budgeting approximately £200-300 for this. 

Accommodation and living costs (optional)

The cost of accommodation and other living costs are not included within your course fees. More information on the cost of accommodation can be found in our accommodation pages.

Personal statement

You’ll need to submit a personal statement as part of your application for this course. This will need to highlight your passion for postgraduate study – and your chosen course – as well as your personal skills and experience, academic success, and any other factors that will support your application for further study.

If you are applying for a stand alone module, please include the title of the module you want to study in your Personal Statement.

Not sure what to include? We’re here to help – take a look at our top tips for writing personal statements and download our free postgraduate personal statement guide for further advice and examples from real students.

Course in Depth

Modules

In order to complete this course a student must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 160 credits):

In order to complete this course a student must successfully complete at least 20 credits from the following indicative list of OPTIONAL modules:

Professional Placement Year

In order to qualify for the award of MA International Relations and Security with Professional Placement, a student must successfully complete all of the Level 7 modules listed above as well as the following Level 6 module:

Download course specification

Download now

Employability

The teaching team draws on the combined with the expertise of members of the Centre for Security and Extremism, who will give you cutting-edge criminological knowledge from their impactful and high-profile research, as well as giving you excellent access to experienced practitioners and Criminal Justice System organisations.

The access provided to professionals, the presence of practitioners among fellow students and the capacity to reflect upon relevant volunteering or work experience within the structure of the course means that the course provides excellent opportunities for building contacts and networking, as well as developing opportunities for employment.

International

Welcome to Birmingham City University, home to students from all around the world!

Most of our undergraduate and postgraduate courses within the faculty of Business, Law and Social Sciences are open to international students, and our courses have been tailored to take a global approach to learning.

More information for International students

Our international pages contain a wealth of information for international students who are considering applying to study here, including:

The University is conveniently placed, with Birmingham International Airport nearby and first-rate transport connections to London and the rest of the UK.

Facilities & Staff

Curzon facilities eatery
Curzon facilities staircase
Curzon facilities student hub

Our Facilities

We are constantly investing in our estate and have spent over £400 million on new learning facilities.

The Curzon Building

This course is based at our City Centre Campus – and specifically The Curzon Building, alongside other social sciences, law and business students.

The £63m building offers students a unique social learning space, including a dedicated student hub incorporating student support services, in the heart of Birmingham’s Eastside development.

Realistic, simulated environments include two mock court rooms, a Magistrates' and Crown Court, and an interviewing suite. We’re also exploring the use of virtual environments as a way to develop case study analysis.

For those studying on the BSc (Hons) Professional Policing or BA (Hons) Criminology, Policing and Investigation degrees, you’ll experience simulations of police interviewing environments for both suspects and witnesses, with access to tape recording and video playback analysis. You’ll also be able to utilise our unique mobile crime scene to simulate true-to-life and interactive situational simulations.

Crime investigation files are prepared using computer-based technology, and the crime data analysis requirements of the degree are supported by appropriate statistical and analytical software.

Psychology students can look forward to using state-of-the-art equipment as well, including the latest in eye-tracking software, and our new EEG machine, all geared towards giving you true hands-on experience with tools you’ll be using in your later career. You will also benefit from facilities across the wider campus including the Parkside and Millennium Point buildings.

The Curzon Building also features:

  • An impressive library with access to over 65 million full text items and stunning views of Eastside City Park
  • Your Students’ Union which is located in a beautifully restored 19th century pub, The Eagle and Ball
  • A modern 300-seat food court with space to study and socialise
  • Accessible IT facilities with full Office365 for all students for free
  • Shared facilities with the wider campus including the Parkside Building and Millennium Point

Our staff

Dr Lily Hamourtziadou

Senior Lecturer and Course Leader MA in Security Studies

Lily researches and teaches international politics and security. She is principal researcher for leading NGO Iraq Body Count, twice nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. Lily’s work contributes to peace efforts, civilian harm mitigation in conflict and humanitarian causes, while increasing awareness and understanding of world politics.

More about Lily