Course description

The MA in Security and International Law offers the benefits of a specialist master's without the requirement of an undergraduate law degree.

You will gain advanced knowledge in the main areas of international security and the UN system, and the tools necessary to understand the issues surrounding armed conflicts, terrorism, modern warfare, and the security of international transactions and intellectual property.

Aims

The MA in Security and International Law is designed for students who seek to acquire a recognised expertise in the main areas of security and international law and become generalist in international security and the UN system. Upon successful completion of the course, students will be all-rounders and have knowledge and understanding of the rules, systems, techniques, practices, dynamics and discourses by virtue of which international security discourse develops.

The course endows students with the necessary research skills to autonomously continue to expand, sharpen and update their knowledge of international organisation and the UN system after the completion of the course.

Special features

This course offers the strongest students the opportunity of an internship with a renowned law firm or international organisation.

Teaching and learning

The course is based on small-group, seminar-style teaching by our research-active teaching staff as well as invited external experts.

This master's degree is offered part time to allow those with a professional occupation to follow the course.

Coursework and assessment

Most course units are assessed by standard methods - either one unseen written examination, or one coursework essay, or a combination of these two methods of assessment. The assessment method of each individual course unit is listed in the course unit description on The School of Law website.

Students must also submit two research papers for the MA degree (one research paper submitted in April, and one submitted in September).

Course unit details

You will be doing 180 credits in total, 120 of which will be taught modules and the remainder 60 credits in the form of two research papers (30 credits each).

Course units are of the value of 15 or 30 credits. You will be required to select course units to a total of 120 credits, and so must choose a minimum of four course units or may be able to choose a maximum of eight course units to make up your course of study.

The course has a compulsory research component, in which you must submit two research papers of 7,000-8,000 words each (and each of the value of 30 credits). The taught element of the degree programme will total 120 credits and the research element of the degree programme will total 60 credits i.e. you will study 180 credits for a master's programme. The first research paper must be within the area of a semester one course unit that you have chosen, and the second research paper within the area of a semester one or a semester two course unit you have taken.