MA Global Diplomacy (Online Learning)

Students will study one core modules and a range of elective modules on offer each session. There are also four research mini modules.

• 1 x core modules
• 3 x elective modules
• 4 x research mini modules
• 1 x dissertation

You will learn about the key concepts of diplomacy and the institutional development of diplomatic relations. You will also be introduced to the strategy and tactics of negotiation and its place in international relations between states.

This is an opportunity for students to produce a sustained piece of individual, academic research on their chosen topic within the field of international relations under the guidance of one of CISD’s expert academics.

Students are able to indicate three preferred modules from the below list for each elective session. These are subject to availability.

You will examine the various approaches to the study and understanding of American foreign policy. Beginning with an introduction to relevant literature and influences, the module goes on to address US foreign policy-making process. Case-studies will be included, covering both the Cold War and post-Cold War eras. The module will culminate in an assessment of the nature, extent and likely development of American global power.

This module addresses a crucial element of contemporary diplomacy and international affairs, the role of digital technologies in practices, processes and language of diplomacy. As such, it will respond to rapidly changing environments for diplomacy and international relations. The module aims to introduce students to the complexities of digital diplomacy and unpack at least some of the key issues to help them navigate their way through the digital architecture of the 21st Century.

You will learn about the conditions in which diplomacy is stimulated and the nature of different diplomatic systems that arise as a result of variations in these conditions. You will also study historical and contemporary case studies from Byzantium to Ancient Greece and from the French system to a transatlantic system of diplomacy.

Foundations of International Law is an introductory module suitable for those who have not previously studied either law or international law. It aims to introduce students both to the 'building blocks' of international law and to basic legal research and writing skills. Students will also be encouraged to think critically about the rule and role of international law in international affairs.

This module offers insight into key issues in the study of gender and conflict in the Middle East. The module will introduce key issues in relation to the gendered dynamics of violence, conflict, and security. While focusing on conflict, the course will explore gendered mobilization for peace and wider political participation. Although the focus is on empirical case studies, we will also cover other relevant issues such as representation, knowledge production and artistic productions. In highlighting important issues in the study of gender and conflict in the Middle East, the module aims to challenge prevailing stereotypes about women and gender in the region.

Develop an understanding of how to influence policy at an international level and how to affect policy changes to meet the aims of non-governmental and international organisations. You will look at how to achieve change at a global level, networking across national boundaries and on global issues.

You will study the key themes and approaches in the study of global energy and climate policy as two closely interrelated global challenges. You will investigate international regime formation and diplomatic landscapes in the energy and climate change fields, analyse the geopolitical dimensions of energy supply and demand, and examine regulatory approaches to cutting greenhouse gases.

Examine the context of the United Nations (UN) and the UN system within other International Organisations (IOs). You will examine the ways in which International Organisations came into being and how they evolved into the United Nations Organisation in 1945. Learn how the UN system has changed in recent years, and what the short and medium-term effect of these changes are likely to be with particular attention on peacekeeping, collective security, and human rights.

In Global Media we will turn our critical attention to the ways in which media and communication technologies, operating amidst the complex dynamics of globalisation, can have a profound impact on our understanding and analysis of diplomacy and international relations. Throughout the course, you will develop analyses of the ways in which old political, cultural and social boundaries are challenged by the new networks of an emerging global civil society. By the end of the course you will have started to establish your own critique of how postnational cosmopolitan identifications coexist with local forms of social and cultural ‘belonging'.

Gain an understanding of public policy making in a context of intensifying globalisation and transnational political contestation. You will undertake rigorous and critical analysis of policy and the complex processes by which it is formulated, adopted and implemented.

You will learn about the theory of international economics and become familiar with the practice of international economic relations through the study of current policy debates about the workings of the contemporary international economy.

Focusing on developments since the end of the Cold War, you will be given the analytical tools to think critically and independently about the nature of contemporary international security. You will consider a range of contemporary security issues including terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the Iraq War and the future of the Middle East, and the prospects for peace and security in the 21st century.

An insight into the diversity of Muslim minority communities at a time when political shifts in Muslim majority countries – such as Turkey, Afghanistan, Iran and across the MENA region – have put Muslim minorities into the spotlight and impacted upon their relationship with host countries. You will trace the emergence and development of Muslim minorities in both Western and non-Western contexts, and examine how Muslims have forged new identities as they have negotiated their places within their host societies.

Since the era of the ancient Olympic Games, sporting competition has assisted human societies in mediating estrangements, resolving conflict and sublimating competitive urges. You will analyse how sports and diplomacy interrelate and consider how international sporting institutions have functioned as non-state actors in diplomacy, from antiquity to the present day.

The area of strategic studies is increasingly relevant in light of conflicts in the past decade in Ukraine, Georgia, Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Sudan, Iraq and Afghanistan. You will address a range of strategic influences such as power and force, asymmetric/irregular warfare, and the role of security providers such as NATO. The relationship between strategy and policy will be explored through a series of case studies including US involvement in Vietnam and conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

This module introduces students to the key theories and issues concerning the dealings of nations with each other as well as the institutions of global governance that impact trade relations. This module introduces students to economic theories of trade as well as international political economy. This module will focus on relevant issues such as the rise of China and its influence on global trade, the rise of non-state actors as pressure groups, the inclusion of non-trade related topics in trade negotiations and finally the 'Brexit' trade negotiations.

Important notice regarding changes to programmes and modules