MA International Intervention

Entry standards

A good undergraduate degree (First or Second class) in a social science or humanities discipline (or an equivalent qualification). In exceptional cases students with relevant practical experience but no first degree may also be admitted. 

English language requirements

Non-native speakers of English will normally be required to have IELTS 6.5 or above, with a minimum of 6.0 in each component (or equivalent).

Please note that the University of Surrey offers English language programmes and is also an IELTS Test Centre.

MA International Intervention - structure and modules

Module Titles

Compulsory modules

• Politics of International Intervention 1
• Politics of International Intervention 2
• Global Governance
• International Human Rights Law
• Law of Armed Conflict
• Introduction to Research

Optional modules

• Theories of International Relations
• Key Issues in International Politics Today
• International Security and Defence
• Law of International Organisations
• Law, International Trade and Development

Compulsory modules

Politics of International Intervention 1

This module will examine, from both a theoretical and a practical perspective, different kinds of international intervention in response to poverty, humanitarian crisis, abuses of human rights, state failure and armed conflict. The different forms of intervention studied will include: development and humanitarian assistance; peace-making, peace-keeping and peace-building; use of international legal institutions and processes; and coercive military intervention to secure regime change.

Politics of International Intervention 2

This module builds on Politics of International Intervention I by exploring in more depth the varying analytical frameworks used to theorise international intervention and the practice of intervention. You will develop the skills to compare and contrast intervention in different crises and learn to evaluate the relative successes and failures.

Global Governance

This module introduces contemporary systems of global governance. It explores the links between national and international politics and provides an understanding of key concepts, structures and theoretical debates. 

International Human Rights Law

This module takes a progressive approach to the international human rights system, primarily studying the United Nations and then moving towards the regional systems, exploring how each system co-exists and works together.

Law of Armed Conflict

This module is an advanced level course on the principles of public international law which regulate the use of force in international society. It examines both the law relating to when it is permissible to use force and the law governing the conduct of hostilities once the decision to resort to force has been taken.

Introduction to Research

This module provides an introduction to the design and conduct of social science research. Emphasis is placed on the applicability of these methods to other subject areas across the social sciences. 

Optional modules

Theories of International Relations

This module explores a range of theoretical approaches to the study of international relations. It begins with the classical debates, moving on to mainstream theories, and concludes with critical approaches.

 

Key Issues in International Politics Today

This module investigates contemporary developments in international politics. You will cover a range of issues at regional and international levels, such as the war on terror, human rights, development, humanitarianism and the environment. 

 

International Security and Defence

This module provides an overview of the field since 1945, in particular the shifts resulting from the end of the Cold War. It moves on to consider contemporary themes and future scenarios for the development of security and defence. 

 

Law of International Organisations

This module focuses on the institutional legal aspects of the activities displayed by international organisations and the relationship of these activities to the methods and sources of public international law. It focuses in particular on the law of the United Nations and the function and powers of the International Court of Justice.

Law, International Trade and Development

This module explores the linkages between law, international trade and development. In particular, it considers the international framework of policies and legal measures adopted by states and international organisations to bridge the gap between developed and developing countries.

MA International Intervention - entry standards

Entry standards

A good undergraduate degree (First or Second class) in a social science or humanities discipline (or an equivalent qualification). In exceptional cases students with relevant practical experience but no first degree may also be admitted. 

English language requirements

Non-native speakers of English will normally be required to have IELTS 6.5 or above, with a minimum of 6.0 in each component (or equivalent).

Please note that the University of Surrey offers English language programmes and is also an IELTS Test Centre.

Start date

September

MA International Intervention - fees and funding

Fees

International Intervention (full time): 

UK/EU - £5,200 
Overseas - £11,550

www.surrey.ac.uk/pgfees/2012

Funding opportunities

Scholarships

We can offer several scholarships to support students taking their MA degrees. Currently, the Department has three scholarships of £2000 each, which will be awarded on the basis of academic merit. All applicants for the MA programmes will be automatically considered for these scholarships, without any additional application procedure. The decision will be made in the spring before the start of teaching and successful applicants informed at that point.

MA International Intervention - professional context

Careers

Our MA programmes are a great stepping stone in your career development, whatever your plans. Students from the Department have gone on to a wide range of activities. These include working for international organisations, national and local government, through to lobby groups and nongovernmental organisations, as well as private businesses and media organisations. If you wish to continue your studies, we also offer doctoral supervision in a wide range of political subjects.

MA International Intervention - teaching

Teaching hours

Full-time students typically have eight contact hours of teaching per week and are expected to spend approximately thirty additional hours on independent study.

Teaching

For each degree, there is a similar pattern of teaching and assessment. In the first semester, you will take four modules. For each of these, there is a weekly two-hour block, which combines lecturing and student discussion. Assessment in this semester is all by coursework. In the second semester, you take another four modules, again with a weekly class. The only difference here is that some of these modules have a final examination. Once the taught part of the programme is finished in early summer, you will work on your dissertation through until the end of the summer, supported by regular supervision from the Department.

Staff perspective

Programme Director

All five of our degrees will provide you with the theoretical tools to help you understand current political developments, with
the opportunity to develop considerable expertise in international intervention, international politics and/or European politics.

On all programmes you will receive a thorough training in research methods, which will enable you to complete an independent piece of research yourself, in an area of specific interest. You also have the possibility of gaining a fascinating insight into another country – by studying for a Dual MA with North Carolina State University in the United States or with Seoul National University in South Korea.

Our degrees will also help you into the world of work: you will gain a detailed knowledge and understanding of international and/or European politics, welcomed by many international organisations, as well as a broad range of transferable skills, valued by all employers. You will also benefit from the wide variety of student perspectives – our classes usually include students from many different parts of the world. This makes teaching on the programme particularly enjoyable, too.

MA International Intervention - learning

MA International Intervention - graduate profile

MA International Intervention - more

Our Department 

The Department of Politics was created in 2004, bringing together and reinforcing the various elements of politics teaching and research which have existed at Surrey since the 1970s. Our academics are all research-active, and the teaching you will receive on our MA degrees reflects those interests, helping to make your work all the more engaged and relevant to current issues and debates. The Department has a very active student body, which organises many academic and social events outside the formal programme. With students coming from all over the world, this is an excellent opportunity to meet and challenge each other’s ideas and perceptions.

Dual MAs with North Carolina State University and Seoul National University

This programme offers a unique opportunity for high-achieving students to study for a first year on one of our MA programmes at Surrey, then for a further year to obtain the Master of International Studies (MIS) at North Carolina State University (NCSU). Alternatively, students study for the MA in International Intervention at Surrey in their first year, then for an MA in International Relations at Seoul National University (SNU), South Korea, in their second year.

This programme allows students to specialise in two distinct subfields of politics and international relations whilst gaining experience of different cultural and educational environments. It provides, therefore, an opportunity for students to maximise their potential and exposure to American or South Korean academic life and scholarship. It also builds on the extensive expertise in politics available at our institution.

Students will be able to apply for the Dual Masters programme once they have successfully completed one semester at the University of Surrey. Once the student has been deemed to have satisfied all the requirements, the application will be forwarded to NCSU or to SNU for consideration. The MA at Surrey counts as the equivalent of the first year of the two-year MIS at NCSU or of the MA in International Relations at SNU. Therefore it is possible to complete the two Masters degrees in two years. In addition to the formal academic programme, both NCSU and SNU offer acculturation workshops for incoming students from overseas.

MA International Intervention - apply

• MA International Intervention - Part-time - starting September 2012
• MA International Intervention - Full-time - starting September 2012