International Political Economy MA
Year of entry: 2026
Course Length: 12 months Full-Time | 24 months Part-Time
About the course
International Political Economy, or Global Political Economy, is a vibrant and rapidly growing field of study.
On our MA International Political Economy, you’ll gain critical insight into how politics and economics are interconnected under conditions of globalisation.
By studying our courses in international political economy, you'll gain an interdisciplinary understanding of the dynamic relationship between states and markets on a global scale, examining how economic forces and political power interact to shape world events. You'll delve into pressing global political issues, such as: world poverty, inequality, gender relations, economic crises, and the environment.
Our research route is particularly suitable if you’re thinking of progressing to PhD study. Explore our International Political Economy courses:
Join one of the UK's Top 10 universities for Politics and International Studies
(Times Higher Education World Rankings 2025)
Study at one of the UK’s largest and most prestigious politics departments, situated in a uniquely political city
Graduate from one of the UK’s most targeted universities by top employers with the skills needed for a meaningful career
(High Fliers, The Graduate Market Report 2025)
Compulsory Units
- Comparative Political Analysis;
- Research Design and Skills;
- Critical Globalisation Studies;
- Critical Approaches to International Political Economy;
- Dissertation.
Optional Units
- Comparing Capitalisms in the Global Political Economy;
- The Politics of Money and Finance;
- Creating a Sustainable World: Interdisciplinary Applications of the Sustainable Development Goals;
- European Capitalisms: Crises, Transformations and Contestations;
- European Union Foreign Policy;
- Democracy and Autocracy in Eastern Europe and Latin America .
Course units vary by pathway. These are examples of units offered in 2024/25 and are subject to change.
Where will your course take you?
Our courses allow you to develop a variety of both subject-specific and transferable skills suited to a wide variety of roles, such as critical thinking, analysis, research, problem-solving and communication.
Most of our recent graduates have gone on to work with leading organisations such as local and central government; international and supranational institutions, such as the UN and the EU; research, policy, think-tanks, institutes, and NGOs; management and policy consulting, and at top universities, with job titles such as Civil Servant, Senior Legal Counsel, International Lawyer, Consultant, and Researcher.
Many graduates also continue their research by studying a PhD in Politics, either at Manchester or at another leading university, where they expand the boundaries of our knowledge and pursue careers in research or academia.
Louis Ridgway IV
International Political Economy MA Graduate
"The course gave me a solid background in theories about how the global political economy actually works, along with a diverse array of topical and regional classes.
"The lecturers were knowledgeable and always looking to encourage discussion and engagement from students."
Dr Robert Watt
International Political Economy MA Programme Director
"The MA in International Political Economy gives students crucial insights into the patterns and contradictions of the global economy. Students come to understand how global inequalities are produced and maintained economically and through raced and gendered forms of power. The Manchester approach to International Political Economy embraces critical theoretical debates that generate eye-opening perspectives on a range of fascinating cases from around the world."
Similar courses:
School of Social Sciences
Faculty of Humanities
The University of Manchester