MA Conflict, Security and Development

Entry requirements

We will consider applicants with a 2:2 Honours degree with 53% or above in their first degree in a relevant subject area. While we normally only consider applicants who meet this criteria, if you are coming from a different academic background which is equivalent to degree level, or have relevant work experience, we would welcome your application.

Course content

The MA Conflict, Security and Development builds on Exeter’s strengths in international relations and security and is particularly relevant to students hoping to work for NGOs, aid organisations, international bodies such as the United Nations or other international agencies. Our high quality academic training is balanced with valuable professional skills development, giving you a fully-rounded degree which truly enhances your CV.

The programme aims to give you first-hand insight into the challenges faced by organisations and government agencies when responding to humanitarian crises, civil wars and international conflict. By gaining an insider's view of the challenges involved in activities such as conflict analysis, post-conflict reconstruction or policy development, you'll be better equipped to interrogate the myths that surround conflict, security and development and improve your understanding of their relationship within a political context.

You can tailor your programme to your specific interests or careers ambitions with our array of optional modules such as Quantitative Data Analysis, State and Society in the Middle East, US Foreign Policy and State Building after Civil War.

The modules we outline here provide examples of what you can expect to learn on this degree course based on recent academic teaching. The precise modules available to you in future years may vary depending on staff availability and research interests, new topics of study, timetabling and student demand.

Fees

2025/26 entry

UK fees per year:

£12,500 full-time; £6,250 part-time

International fees per year:

£25,300 full-time; £12,650 part-time

Scholarships

The University of Exeter has many different scholarships available to support your education, including £5 million in scholarships for international students applying to study with us in the 2025/26 academic year, such as our Exeter Excellence Scholarships*.

For more information on scholarships and other financial support, please visit our scholarships and bursaries page.

^{*Terms and conditions apply. See online for details.}

Teaching and research

With the exception of the dissertation and work placement, each module on this programme is normally taught through academic lectures expanded through seminar discussion, presentations, group work, reading and essay assignments.

You will have an individual supervisor for your dissertation, which is a 15,000 word extended essay on a topic of your choice (following discussion and approval from your supervisor).

Library services

Our main library is open 24/7 throughout the academic year. With a book stock in excess of 1.2 million, we have one of the highest UK academic library ratios of books to students. The main library offers self-service machines, state-of-the-art multimedia facilities, and an extended wifi network. The library provides world-class study facilities to all students. It has extensive holdings of works on political science, international relations and the various sub-disciplines.

Careers

Employer-valued skills

In addition to the academic and knowledge-based skills provided by this programme’s subject material, your studies will also develop personal skills which are highly valued by employers, such as:

• Advanced independent thinking, with the ability to undertake self-directed learning and time management to achieve consistent, proficient and sustained attainment
• Experience of working as an individual on challenging material
• The ability to reflect on your learning, evaluate personal strengths and weakness, and map out a plan of personal development based on those reflections
• Competence with standard IT applications, and an understanding of efficient and effective ways to obtain information from library, database, and online sources.
• Experience of working as a participant and/or leader of a group, and of contributing effectively to the planning and achievement of that group’s objectives
• Experience of giving presentations to others in your field
• The ability to construct a rigorous argument, and defend that argument citing relevant sources, both in written form and orally.

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