Non-Proliferation & International Security – (M.A.)

The development and spread of weapons technology has always been of central importance in international relations, and it remains so in today's world with growing concern about the spread of chemical, biological and nuclear weapons and their means of delivery to both state and non-state actors. The MA programme enables students to examine the causes, processes and effects of weapons proliferation, the evolution and effectiveness of the international non-proliferation regime, and the way in which proliferation influences other key issues in international relations, including the causes of war and peace, military doctrine and strategy, and the rise (and decline) of the state as the central actor in international relations.
Drawing on the strengths of the Department of War Studies, this programme is multidisciplinary, utilising knowledge and tools of analysis from history, political science, the hard sciences, philosophy and sociology. Through field trips and guest speakers the programme also draws on the broad range of expertise available in government and the NGO community. The programme is designed for those interested in working in the area of non-proliferation as well as other policy issues, and for those interested in further graduate study in international relations, war studies, or political science. The Non-Proliferation and International Security Programme Director is Head of the Centre for Science and Security Studies, one of the research centres in the Department of War Studies.
The MA programme is designed as a one year full-time, or two year part-time taught programme which offers students the opportunity to engage critically with ideas in international relations and social and political thought concerned with the study of conflict and peace and their applications to empirical case-study material. The compulsory module applies these ideas to the issue of proliferation. The various options available will allow students to broaden their programme of study by taking other contemporary or historical options offered by the department, or to focus on proliferation by taking specialised options that are being developed.