MRes Security, Conflict and Human Rights

Entry requirements

For admission to the programme we would normally expect that you hold a 2:1 Honours degree (or equivalent) in a social science subject e.g. Psychology, Sociology, Social Policy, Politics and International Relations, Arab and Islamic Studies, Law or History.

However, the programme has been designed for students from a wide range of first degree backgrounds, enabling them to broaden their knowledge in this field. Non-standard applications will be considered on their merits.

Course content

We recognise that traditional approaches to this subject must now be complemented with new perspectives on issues such as human (in)security, domestic security and violence. Units contributing to this programme will draw on sociological and socio-legal research on topics that include: human rights, gender, violence and ethnopolitics; area studies’ expertise on language, culture and practice; and political and legal research on sovereignty, institutions and intervention and how these fields affect elements of security, conflict and human rights.

We will equip you with interdisciplinary skills which will have an impact on the research, policy and practice needed to avoid and mitigate security risks. The programme is designed to provide research training for students who will progress to a PhD and for those who want to pursue careers with a significant research element.

This programme has been accredited by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) as part of the South West Doctoral Training Centre.

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

2024/25 entry

UK fees per year:

£11,500 full-time; £5,750 part-time

International fees per year:

£23,800 full-time; £11,900 part-time

Scholarships

We invest heavily in scholarships for talented prospective Masters students. This includes over £5 million in scholarships for international students, such as our Global Excellence Scholarships*.

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

^{*Selected programmes only. Please see the Terms and Conditions for each scheme for further details.}

Teaching and research

Learning and teaching

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

Work on formulating a dissertation topic begins early in the academic year and you will have an individual supervisor for your dissertation.

Research

Students can take advantage of our seminar series and its long-running and highly successful annual postgraduate conference which brings together researchers from across all humanities and social sciences disciplines.

Careers

Career Paths

The MRes Security, Conflict and Human Rights is a training programme designed to equip you with the research skills necessary to progress to a doctoral research degree, or to embark upon on a career as a political researcher.

Employer valued skills

You will develop a range of academic, knowledge-based and personal skills:

• Advanced independent thinking
• 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
• 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

Careers support

The Exeter University careers advisory service offer expert guidance to all students and will help you plan your future through activities such as psychometric testing, employer presentations, skills events, practice job interviews and CV preparation. Visit the employment and professional development pages for more information, including podcasts and profiles, about the range of support available.

Related courses

View all Security Studies courses