International Relations with International Law - PDip, MA

Develop a unique appreciation of 21st century challenges by integrating political and legal perspectives. Deepen your understanding of critical issues, including the ethics and conduct of armed conflict, human rights under authoritarian regimes, and interstate negotiations on issues like trade, climate change, and peace. You will be equipped with the knowledge to interpret events, identify trends and make informed judgments about world politics.

Overview

Explore how international law shapes relations within and between states, focusing on key concepts and real-world issues. Learn from leading experts using innovative teaching practices, like mock negotiations, crisis simulations, and interactive seminars to develop your capacity for independent thinking and incisive analysis. Our alumni, who form an international network, have used this programme as a springboard into foreign offices and diplomatic services, the UN, EU and OECD, the IRC, Amnesty International and other NGOs, as well as businesses with an international outlook.

Reasons to study International Relations with International Law MA/PDip at Kent

  • Join our vibrant, diverse and international student community, bringing different perspectives into dialogue and facilitating a global network of close connections. Read about our first town hall on Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity.
  • Taught by world leading experts, including from one UK’s top law schools, working at the cutting edge of research, actively engaged in advising government and shaping debates.
  • Robust understanding of political and legal fundamentals, combined with the flexibility to follow your interest through a broad range of optional modules.
  • High-profile engagement through the Global Europe Centre and the Conflict Analysis Research Centre, which crystallise our research, policy and practitioner networks into an annual schedule of events.
  • State-of-the-art facilities at Kent Law School, including a purpose-built moot court where you can practice your advocacy skills in front of a bench comprised of local judges, barristers, solicitors and lecturers.
  • Canterbury campus offers an idyllic countryside setting on the edge of a lively student town, only an hour from London and a short train ride to Europe.

About the School of Politics and International Relations

The School of Politics and International Relations is one of the most dynamic places to study Politics and International Relations. We combine high-quality teaching with cutting-edge research in a supportive environment that welcomes students from all over the world.

Entry requirements

A first or second class honours degree or equivalent in a relevant subject.

All applicants are considered on an individual basis and additional qualifications, professional qualifications and relevant experience may also be taken into account when considering applications. 

International students

Please see our International Student website for entry requirements by country and other relevant information. Due to visa restrictions, students who require a student visa to study cannot study part-time unless undertaking a distance or blended-learning programme with no on-campus provision.

English language entry requirements

The University requires all non-native speakers of English to reach a minimum standard of proficiency in written and spoken English before beginning a postgraduate degree. Certain subjects require a higher level.

For detailed information see our English language requirements web pages. 

Need help with English?

Please note that if you are required to meet an English language condition, we offer a number of pre-sessional courses in English for Academic Purposes through Kent International Pathways.

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Course structure

Duration: 1 year full-time, 2 years part-time. Students who start in January, finish at the end of the Spring Term in the following academic year.

Full-time students who start in September complete the MA in International Relations with International Law over 12 months. Those who start their programmes in January take their modules in the Spring Term and Autumn Term of the subsequent academic year consecutively, and write their dissertation over their second Spring Term.

The MA can be taken on a part-time basis, typically over two years.

The programme is also offered as a Postgraduate Diploma – comprising six taught modules only – worth 120 Kent credits (60 ECTS) which can also be taken on a part-time basis.

Modules

The following modules are indicative of those offered on this programme. This list is based on the current curriculum and may change year to year in response to new curriculum developments and innovation.  Most programmes will require you to study a combination of compulsory and optional modules. You may also have the option to take modules from other programmes so that you may customise your programme and explore other subject areas that interest you.

Teaching

Teaching and assessment

Assessment is by coursework plus the dissertation.

Programme aims

This programme aims to:

  • provide a programme that will attract, and meet the needs of, those seeking advanced training in the disciplines of international relations and law
  • provide you with a research-active teaching environment which gives you a good grounding in the study of international relations, including its political, social, and economic aspects
  • examine how state, non-state and supra-national actors behave and interact through a dynamic appreciation of different levels of analysis
  • ensure that you acquire advanced knowledge of the theories of international relations, the heritage and development of the discipline, its major debates, its inherent nature as an interdisciplinary study, and a critical appreciation of the essentially contested nature of politics in general and international relations in particular
  • provide a sound knowledge and systematic understanding of the institutional structures, key legal principles and particular contexts of international law and international relations
  • encourage you to develop a critical awareness of the operation of public international law, particularly in contexts which are perceived to be controversial or in a state of evolution
  • ensure that you acquire an advanced understanding of the relationship between theoretical, methodological, and empirical content of the issue-areas studied.

MA only:

  • develop your general research skills and personal skills (transferable skills), in particular through a substantial dissertation.

Learning outcomes

Knowledge and understanding

You gain knowledge and understanding of:

  • historical and theoretical issues at the forefront of the disciplines of international relations and law, together with familiarity with appropriate bibliographical sources
  • the epistemological and methodological principles in their application to the study of international relations and law
  • key ontological, theoretical, and methodological problems of international relations and law
  • current challenges to international order, co-operation, identity, social formations, and global issues, and possible strategies to address them
  • the changing role of the state in the context of globalisation and regional integration and the implications for international peace and security
  • the institutions and structures of public international law, and the inter-relationships between these
  • the theoretical perspectives and academic debates that underlie the substantive areas of public international law
  • the relationship and inter-relationship between public international law theory and practice, and international relations theory and practice.

MA only:

  • how to carry out an independent research project and write in a scholarly manner, demonstrate familiarity with academic conventions, deal with complex issues both systematically and creatively, make sound judgements in the absence of complete data, and communicate your conclusions clearly.

Intellectual skills

You develop intellectual skills in:

  • general research skills, especially bibliographic and computing skills
  • gather, organise and deploy evidence, data and information from a variety of secondary and some primary sources
  • identify, investigate, analyse, formulate and advocate solutions to problems
  • develop reasoned arguments, synthesise relevant information and exercise critical judgement
  • reflect on, and manage, your own learning and seek to make use of constructive feedback from your peers and staff to enhance your performance and personal skills
  • manage your own learning self-critically.

Subject-specific skills

You gain subject-specific skills in:

  • effectively applying the knowledge of public international law and international relations theory to a wide range of situations where relevant practical or theoretical issues are under consideration and interpretations of political issues and events
  • describing, evaluating and applying different approaches to collecting, analysing and presenting political information
  • developing a good understanding of the main epistemological issues relative to research in the social sciences, including some major theoretical and epistemological debates in the social sciences, such as explanation of, and understanding the differences between, positivist, realist and other accounts of social science and the practical implications of the major alternative philosophical positions in the social sciences for research.

Transferable skills

You gain the following transferable skills:

  • communication: the ability to communicate effectively and fluently in speech and writing (including, where appropriate, the use of IT), organise information clearly and coherently, use communication and information technology for the retrieval and presentation of information, including, where appropriate, statistical or numerical information
  • information technology: produce written documents, undertake online research, communicate using email, process information using databases
  • working with others: define and review the work of others, work co-operatively on group tasks, understand how groups function, collaborate with others and contribute effectively to the achievement of common goals
  • improving your own learning: explore your strengths and weaknesses, time-management skills, review your working environment (especially the student-staff relationship), develop autonomy in learning, work independently, demonstrating initiative and self-organisation
  • important research management skills include the setting of appropriate timescales for different stages of the research, with clear starting and finishing dates (through a dissertation), presentation of a clear statement of the purposes and expected results of the research, and developing appropriate means of estimating and monitoring resources and use of time
  • problem-solving: identify and define problems, explore alternative solutions and discriminate between them.

Fees

January entry

The annual tuition fees for students starting this course in January 2024 can be found on the Student Finance page.


The fees for the 2024/25 year have not yet been set. As a guide, the tuition fees for postgraduate study in 2023/24 are shown below.

International Relations with International Law - MA at Canterbury

  • Home full-time £9500
  • EU full-time £13500
  • International full-time £18000
  • Home part-time £4750
  • EU part-time £6750
  • International part-time £9000

International Relations with International Law - PDip at Canterbury

  • Home full-time £6400
  • EU full-time £9000
  • International full-time £12000
  • Home part-time £3200
  • EU part-time £4500
  • International part-time £6000

For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.

For students continuing on this programme fees will increase year on year by no more than RPI + 3% in each academic year of study except where regulated.* If you are uncertain about your fee status please contact information@kent.ac.uk.

Your fee status

The University will assess your fee status as part of the application process. If you are uncertain about your fee status you may wish to seek advice from UKCISA before applying.

Additional costs

There are no compulsory additional costs associated with this course. All textbooks are available from the library, although some students prefer to purchase their own.

General additional costs

Find out more about general additional costs that you may pay when studying at Kent. 

Funding

Search our scholarships finder for possible funding opportunities. You may find it helpful to look at both:

We have a range of subject-specific awards and scholarships for academic, sporting and musical achievement.

Search scholarships

Independent rankings

In the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021, 100% of our Politics and International Studies research was classified as ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’ for environment and publications.

Research

Research areas

Our research interests span a broad spectrum of the discipline, with particular strengths in the fields of conflict analysis and resolution, political theory and European politics. The strength of the School’s research culture is reflected in the numerous books and articles published and in the existence of its three University-recognised research centres: the Conflict Analysis Research Centre (CARC), the Global Europe Centre (GEC). and the Centre for Critical Thought (CCT).

In 2011, the University successfully applied for ESRC recognition as a provider of doctoral training in political science and international studies (and other areas of the social sciences) as part of a consortium. As a result, we are now part of the South East ESRC Doctoral Training Centre, making us one of the key training outlets in our subject in the UK.

Conflict Analysis Research Centre (CARC)

Kent has been at the forefront of conflict negotiation and resolution for almost 50 years. The Conflict Analysis Research Centre brings together academics working on different aspects of conflict and security as well as PhD and Master’s students studying International Conflict Analysis, International Law and International Relations. Current research includes an investigation into how migrant communities can support peacebuilding in their home society and how South Africa and the UK treat refugees and security. The Centre is also at the forefront of trying to resolve actual conflicts – for example, it played a role in the Moldova-Transnistria peace process and has supported reconciliation efforts in Africa.

Global Europe Centre (GEC)

The Global Europe Centre is a pioneering research-led learning centre focusing on the study of Europe and its relations with the outside world. The GEC’s research focus is on contemporary policy challenges to Europe and its nation states, the engagement with policy-makers and policy-shapers is at the core of its activities. The GEC mission is to promote excellence, through innovative research and knowledge exchange and to facilitate research-driven impact through its learning and teaching activities. The GEC’s activities include dissemination of policy-relevant research via publications, research-led knowledge transfer workshops, conferences and public lectures, and keynote addresses by leading public figures. The Centre has a strong commitment to the creation of the next generation of ideas innovators and policymakers and pursues these through its learning, teaching and knowledge exchange activities and via the Global Europe Student Forum. GEC is an interdisciplinary research centre aiming to develop synergies across Politics and International Relations, Economics, Law, Business, History, and European Languages and Culture.

Centre for Critical Thought (CCT)

The Centre for Critical Thought is an exciting multidisciplinary initiative across both the Social Sciences and Humanities Faculties, co-ordinated by staff in Politics and International Relations, Law and Italian Studies. It enables staff and students interested in cutting-edge critical thought to discuss their work together and to explore the insights of interdisciplinary collaboration. In addition, it serves as a forum for distinguished lectures, seminars and an annual workshop. The Annual Kent Lecture in Political and Social Thought is the headline lecture series and recent speakers have included Professor Bernard Stiegler, Professor Chantal Mouffe and Professor William Outhwaite. All students interested in contemporary critical thought are encouraged to become members while at Kent.

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Careers

The School of Politics and International Relations has a dedicated Employability Coordinator who organises employability events within the School as well as providing students with assistance in securing graduate opportunities. Centrally, the Careers and Employability Service can help you plan for your future by providing one-to-one advice at any stage of your postgraduate studies.

Study support

Postgraduate resources

Students have access to an excellent library and extensive computing facilities. You also have access to online resources; inter-library loans; video library; online book renewals and reservations; laptop and netbook loan facilities; more than 1,300 study spaces/seats; more than 27,500 books and 10,500 bound periodicals catalogued under politics and international relations and related class marks plus British Government Publications and 50,000 online journals also available off-campus.

The School’s resources include a European Documentation Centre, with all official publications of the EU institutions, and a specialised collection on international conflict and federal studies as well as the University’s collection of political cartoons. In addition, postgraduate research students have their own designated room with 12 computer terminals.

Dynamic publishing culture

Staff publish regularly and widely in journals, conference proceedings and books. Recent contributions include: Contemporary Political Theory; International Political Sociology; Journal of Human Rights; New Political Economy; Political Studies; Telos. Details of recently published books can be found within the staff research interests section.

Global Skills Award

All students registered for a taught Master's programme are eligible to apply for a place on our Global Skills Award Programme. The programme is designed to broaden your understanding of global issues and current affairs as well as to develop personal skills which will enhance your employability.

Apply now

Learn more about the application process or begin your application by clicking on a link below.

You will be able to choose your preferred year of entry once you have started your application. You can also save and return to your application at any time.

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United Kingdom/EU enquiries

MA at Canterbury

PDip at Canterbury

Admissions enquiries

T: +44 (0)1227 768896

E: information@kent.ac.uk

Subject enquiries

E: hssadmissions@kent.ac.uk

 

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International student enquiries

Enquire online

T: +44 (0)1227 823254
E: internationalstudent@kent.ac.uk