International Relations

Course detail Description

The International Relations BA (Hons) programme comprises 360 credits in total and is studied over three years. You will learn to think critically and independently about the subjects you encounter in your studies, and develop a range of skills that will support your intellectual, vocational and personal development. The course is structured around four pillars of study: International History, International Theory, International Political Economy, and International practice (including diplomacy, foreign policy and strategy).

In the first year, you will study modules including International Relations Theory, History of the International System and Contemporary Security Issues, providing you with the foundations for the further study of International Relations.

In your second year, you will study Global Politics, and also a variety of additional subjects from within the War Studies Department and European & International Studies areas of the course. You will design your own curriculum to develop knowledge of the areas of study that appeal most to you.

The final year consists of three optional modules drawn from a wide range of specialist topics, including one regional specialism, and a connected research dissertation on a subject of your choice.

The optional modules provide you with opportunities to study in-depth on a range of specialist subjects that are designed to take advantage of current research expertise in the Departments of War Studies, European & International Studies, The Dickson Poon School of Law and the School of Global Affairs.

We use lectures, seminars and group tutorials to deliver most of the modules on the programme. You will also be expected to undertake a significant amount of independent study. You will be assigned a personal tutor who will provide pastoral support during your studies. Typically, one credit equates to 10 hours of work.

Assessment methods will depend on the modules you have selected to study. The primary methods of assessment for this course are coursework, assessed essays, written examinations and individual and group presentations. Informal assessments also form part of the course structure, and while not for credit, this type of evaluation is an essential component of the overall learning process that allows you to develop or discard ideas and arguments.

This course is mainly taught on the Strand and Waterloo Campuses. The prime, central position beside the River Thames brings outstanding advantages, and as a student you will enjoy the excellent social and cultural opportunities of the capital. The department is close to the seat of government, the City, the Royal Courts of Justice and the Inns of Court, the Imperial War Museum and the National Maritime Museum. This generates interaction between the study and practice of security and foreign policy.

• History & International Relations BA
• War Studies BA
• Politics BA/BSc
• European Politics BA

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Structure

• Year 1
• Year 2
• Year 3

Year 1

Courses are divided into modules. Each year you will normally take modules totalling 120 credits. You will have the option to take some modules from different departments.

King’s College London reviews the modules offered on a regular basis to provide up todate, innovative and relevant courses of study. Therefore, modules offered may change. We suggest you keep an eye on this page for updates.

You are required to take the following modules:

• International Relations Theory (30 credits)
• History of the International System (30 credits)
• Introduction to International Economics (30 credits)
• Conflict and Diplomacy (15 credits)
• Contemporary Security Issues (15 credits)

There are no optional modules in your first year.

Year 2 Required Modules

You are required to take the following modules:

• Global Politics (30 credits)

You will then select three additional 30-credit modules from a wide range of optional modules that may typically include:

• A History of the European Cold War (1917-91) (30 credits)
• Contemporary International Relations Theory (30 credits)
• Empires Imperialism & the History of the Modern World (30 credits)
• Foreign Policy Analysis (European and International Studies) (30 credits)
• Grand Strategy & the Foundations of Anglo-American Statecraft (30 credits)
• Human Rights, International Law & Humanitarian Intervention (30 credits)
• Intelligence in War Studies (30 credits)
• International Political Economy (European and International Studies) (30 credits)
• Military Strategy (30 credits)
• Statecraft & Diplomacy (30 credits)
• War & Society (30 credits)
• War in International Order (30 credits)
• World War II in Europe (30 credits)

You have the opportunity to study abroad in the second year. Partner institutions do change from time to time, but the list currently includes the following:

• Georgetown University
• Hong Kong University
• Sciences Po, Paris (basic French language required)
• University of California
• University of North Carolina
• University of Sydney
• Ca'Foscari University of Venice
• Yonsei University
• Keio University
• Korea University

Year 3

You are required to take the following module:

• Dissertation (30 Credits)

You are required to choose one 30 credit regional specialist module, which will provide an opportunity to study one area of the world in some depth. You will be expected to draw on the subject matter of your chosen regional specialism when writing your dissertation. These modules are designed to take advantage of the current research expertise of academic staff in the department and within King’s College London to bring you to the frontiers of scholarship. Typical modules may include:

• Security Issues in The Middle East since World War II (30 credits)
• Introduction to South Asia
• War and International Politics in Africa
• Japan and East Asian Security
• The European Union in the International System
• Latin America in International Relations

You are required to choose one 30 credit regional specialist module, which will provide an opportunity to study one area of the world in some depth. You will be expected to draw on the subject matter of your chosen regional specialism when writing your dissertation

These modules are designed to take advantage of the current research expertise of academic staff in the department and within King’s College London to bring you to the frontiers of scholarship. Typical modules may include:

You will take 60 credits from a wide range of optional modules which may typically include:

War Studies

• Transnational Movements, Networks & Revolutionary Strategy (30 credits)
• Diplomacy (30 credits)
• A History of Nations, Nationalism & Theories of the State (30 credits)
• Worlds of Security (30 credits)
• Contemporary debates in The English School of International Relations (30 credits)
• Power, Politics & Ethics in International Relations (30 credits)
• Leadership in a Time of War & Revolution (1960-69) (30 credits)
• The UN & Global Governance (30 credits)
• War & International Politics in Africa (30 credits)
• Nature of Riots (30 credits)
• Contemporary Military Strategy (30 credits)
• War & Strategy in East Asia (30 credits)
• The 9/11 Era: Anglo-American (30 credits)
• Foreign Policy since the End of the Cold War (30 credits)
• Critical Security Studies (30 credits)
• Cyber Security: Politics, Policy and Practice (30 credits)
• The UN & Global Governance (30 credits)
• Gendering Global Politics (30 credits)
• Weapons of Mass Destruction in International Politics (30 credits)
• Religion & Politics of the Middle East (30 credits)
• Political Economy of the Middle East (30 credits)

European & International Studies

• The Political Economy of Money, Finance & Crises (30 credits)
• Discovering Diffusion: Perspectives on the Interactions of the ‘French-German’ Couple (15 credits)
• German Foreign Policy (15 credits)
• European Political Economy (30 credits)

The Dickson Poon School of Law

• Public International Law (30 credits)