Virtual Open Events
To learn more about the programme and the student experience, and to ask any questions you may have, join us for our virtual open events. To register, follow these links:
Watch the info session webinar recording here
Course aims
- Offer a broad overview of international relations theory and method, and the connections between ideas, evidence and interpretation specific to the subject of global politics.
- Consolidate students’ understanding of the theoretical and practical aspects of International Relations
- Develop academic skills in research, analysis, evaluation and problem solving
- Prepare students for further study at postgraduate level
Who is this course for?
The Diploma provides consolidation for those who want to continue their studies after completing the Certificate in International Relations. Others, who already have considerable knowledge in this field, may decide to apply for the Diploma directly. We require applicants to have some experience in International Relations and/or higher education in this or any other fields.
What will I be studying?
Unit 1: International Relations in Theory and Practice
This first unit will review the historical evolution leading to the establishment of the international order within a system of anarchy, and the processes entailed in structuring the international community of states. It will discuss the political thought that framed the growth of international institutions and international law, and the intellectual grounding for understanding the nature of contestation and cooperation. Students will likewise engage with alternative approaches to conceptualising global governance and regional interactions, so as to strengthen their foundations in the field.
Unit 2: Sovereignty, Security and Power
The state as sovereign actor within the international system is the focus of this unit, which will interrogate state behaviour and the nature of power in a world governed by great power competition, spheres of influence, alliances, enmities, and trade relations. In thinking about the state in both theoretical and practical ways, the aim is to accelerate and deepen students’ grasp of the tension between state sovereignty and the levers sustaining peace or promoting conflict. Students will be encouraged to think critically about the nature of security, hard and soft power, and different kinds of war, including conventional, proxy, nuclear, economic, terrorist and cyber, and how states strategically position their foreign policies and international communications, to address threats and opportunities.
Unit 3: The End of History? Climate Change and other Global Threats
As the international system shifts from being unipolar to multipolar, regional competition and fragmentation are on the rise, with implications for territorial boundaries, economic relationships, and ideological conflict. Students are asked to consider changing tensions within the global system brought about by political ideology and cultural identity, globalised social media networks, region-wide and globally networked social movements such as the Arab Uprisings, and the shared challenges presented by environmental issues and their consequences. Case studies and a field trip to an international research institute will enable students to explore state and regional responses to security and economic stressors brought about by climate distortion.
What can I go on to do?
Credit awarded by the Institute may also be transferred into the degree programmes of other higher education providers. However, the volume of credit and the curriculum which can be transferred into degree programmes varies from institution to institution and is always at the discretion of the receiving institution.
