Program Overview

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MA in War Studies and Contemporary Military History for Staff Colleges Graduates

Course Overview

The University of Buckingham offers a special six-months discounted MA by Research in the field of Modern War Studies and Contemporary Military History. This offer is available to all officers (regular and reserve) who have graduated from the Advanced Command and Staff Course (ACSC) or an equivalent course in their international home institutions.

Start and Duration

• Start: September
• Duration: 6 months
• Level: Research
• Qualification: Master of Arts by Research
• UK fees: £5,150
• International fees: £8,240
• Campus: London
• School: School of Humanities and Social Sciences

About the Course

The course commences in October with a ‘Research Skills Study Day’ and, after 6 months of supervised independent research, culminates with the student’s submission of a dissertation of approximately 12,500 – 25,000 words. During their time of study, candidates are encouraged to attend both a series of guest seminars at the Army and Navy Club, Pall Mall, and a course research day at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.

Seminar Dates and Venues

Induction and Research Skills Day

• Location: Humanities Research Institute, 51 Gower Street, London WC1E
• Time: 10:00am – 4:00pm
• Date: Saturday 27 September 2025

Seminar Dinners

• Seminar Location: Army and Navy Club, 36-39 Pall Mall, St. James’s. London SW1Y 5JN
• Time: Seminars take place from 6.00pm and are followed by dinner.
• Dates:
  • Wednesday 27 September 2025
  • Wednesday 22 October 2025
  • Wednesday 19 November 2025
  • Wednesday 21 January 2026
  • Wednesday 18 February 2026
  • Wednesday 18 March 2026
  • Wednesday 22 April 2026

Study Day at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst 2026

• Study Day Location: The Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, Camberley, Surrey GU15 4PQ
• Date: Saturday 16 May 2025

Seminar and Study Day Speakers

• General The Lord Dannatt (former Chief of the General Staff)
• Professor Peter Roberts (University of Exeter)
• Dr Robert Lyman (Historian and Author)
• Shashank Joshi (Defence Editor, The Economist)
• Dr Simon Anglim (King’s College, University of London)

Entry Requirements

Every officer graduated from the ICSC (regular and reserve), or an equivalent course in their international home institutions, can apply for the course.

International Students

• A NATO SLP 3333 is acceptable as proof of the required English proficiency for those whose first language is not English.

Selection Process

• Candidates apply online, sending in their supporting documents, and will be assessed on this basis by the Programme Director.

Student Contract

• When you are offered a place at the University you will be notified of the student contract between the University and students on our courses of study.

Teaching and Assessment

Quality Teaching

• We offer high quality, traditional Oxbridge-style teaching, which leads to our degrees being recognised around the world.

Teaching Methods

• For Master’s degree candidates, the core of the programme is the writing, under supervision, of the dissertation on a subject chosen by the student in the field of Modern War Studies.

Assessment Methods

• Examination is by a research dissertation on an approved topic of not less than 12,500 words.

Course Fees

• The fees for this course are:
  • Start: Sep 2025
  • Type: Full-time (6 Months)
  • Total cost:
    • UK: £5,150
    • INT: £8,240

Scholarships and Bursaries

• We have bursaries and scholarships available for both home and international students at undergraduate and postgraduate level, and these are awarded based on location, merit or financial need.

UK Students

• Postgraduate First-Class Scholarship
• Royal Charter 40th Anniversary Scholarship

International Students

• Postgraduate First-Class Scholarship
• Royal Charter 40th Anniversary Scholarship
• Sheikh / Mubarak Abdullah Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah Scholarship (Postgraduate)