School of Social Sciences

Peace and Conflict Studies MA

Year of entry: 2025

Course Length: 12 months full-time | 24 months part-time

About the course

This interdisciplinary MA explores the processes through which actors have attempted to define and build peace in areas affected by war and violence, particularly since the end of the Cold War.

Drawing on expertise from the fields of politics, history, anthropology and the arts, this newly revamped course will offer you the opportunity to engage with conflict management, conflict resolution, conflict transformation, peacebuilding and statebuilding theories and practices.

See the full course profile on our website >

Join one of the UK's Top 5 universities for Social Sciences

(Times Higher Education Rankings 2024)

See peacebuilding and peace formation in action on an academically and culturally enriching international field trip.

Our graduates are among the most targeted by top UK employers

(High Fliers 2024)

Compulsory Units

Peace and Social Agency, Security and Intervention: Theories and Practices
Practical Approaches to Studying Conflict Affected Societies
Dissertation

Optional Units

Humanitarianism and Conflict Response: Inquiries
Anthropology of Violence and Reconstruction
Humanitarian Diplomacy and Negotiation in Practice
Borders, Identities, Citizenship
Governing in an Unjust World: Justice and International Relations
The United Nations and International Security
The Ethics Of Killing
Global Governance

These are examples of units offered in 2023/24 and are subject to change.

See the full list of units and find out more on the full course profile >

Where will your degree take you?

The specialist knowledge you'll acquire on this course will prepare you for peacekeeping and peacebuilding related careers, working in organisations like NGOs, development agencies, the UN and the EU.

Throughout the course, you'll also develop transferrable skills in research, critical thinking and communication, setting you up well for a range of other interesting and worthwhile careers. Students may go on to work in areas like the Civil Service, think-tanks, further study and the media.

See the full course profile on our website >

Shannen Ann Enriquez

MA Peace and Conflict Studies Graduate

"What truly sets this program apart is its focus on practical application, which allowed me to bridge the gap between theory and practice, equipping me with the tools I currently use as a peacebuilding practitioner.

The highlight of this programme is the transformative field trip to Bosnia and Herzegovina. I learned how to apply conflict-sensitive methodologies and critical approaches to fieldwork, an invaluable skill for those who would like to work in peacebuilding."