Program Overview

MA Conflict, Security and Development

Overview

The MA Conflict, Security and Development builds on Exeter’s strengths in international relations and security and is particularly relevant to students hoping to work for NGOs, aid organisations, international bodies such as the United Nations or other international agencies. Our high quality academic training is balanced with valuable professional skills development, giving you a fully-rounded degree which truly enhances your CV.

Entry Requirements

We will consider applicants with a 2:2 Honours degree or above in their first degree in a relevant subject area. While we normally only consider applicants who meet this criteria, if you are coming from a different academic background which is equivalent to degree level, or have relevant work experience, we would welcome your application.

English Language Requirements

International students need to show they have the required level of English language to study this course. The required test scores for this course fall under Profile B2.

Course Content

The programme aims to give you first-hand insight into the challenges faced by organisations and government agencies when responding to humanitarian crises, civil wars and international conflict. By gaining an insider's view of the challenges involved in activities such as conflict analysis, post-conflict reconstruction or policy development, you'll be better equipped to interrogate the myths that surround conflict, security and development and improve your understanding of their relationship within a political context.

Modules

Compulsory Modules

• POLM084: Conflict, Security and Development in World Politics (30 credits)
• POLM085: Work Placement in Conflict, Security and Development (30 credits)
• POLM886: Dissertation (60 credits)

Optional Modules

• POLM897: Surveys and Experiments: Design, Implementation and Analysis (15 credits)
• SPAM002: Security, Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies (30 credits)
• SSIM912: Introduction to Social Network Analysis (15 credits)
• POLM168: From Oppression to Resistance: Exploring the Intersections of Race, Class and Gender (30 credits)
• POLM173: Theories of International Development (30 credits)
• POLM174: Tools, Policy and Practice of International Development (30 credits)
• POLM343: Gender, War and Militarism (30 credits)
• POLM502: International Relations: Power and Institutions (30 credits)
• POLM503: Foreign Policy Decision-Making (30 credits)
• POLM651: State and Society in the Middle East (30 credits)
• POLM063: Qualitative Methods in Social Research (15 credits)
• POLM140: Qualitative Methods in Social Research (30 credits)
• POLM809: Applied Quantitative Data Analysis (15 credits)
• POLM222M: The Politics, Policy and Practice of Sustainable Development (30 credits)
• POLM228M: Leadership, Equality and Diversity (30 credits)
• POLM237M: Collaborative and Participatory Governance (30 credits)
• POLM342M: Public Accountability and Governance (30 credits)
• POLM148: Brexit: Causes, Interpretation and Implications (30 credits)
• POLM156: The Transformation of Politics in the Global Age (30 credits)
• POLM158: Digital Politics and Policy (30 credits)
• POLM307: International Politics of the Body (30 credits)
• POLM803: Sources in Modernity and Post-Modernity (30 credits)
• POLM887: Public Policy Process (30 credits)
• POLM231: State Crime (30 credits)
• POLM110: Theories of Diplomacy and Foreign Policy (30 credits)
• POLM242: Strategy (30 credits)
• POLM241: How to Make a Decision (30 credits)
• POLM240: Security Futures (30 credits)
• POLM245: Ethnopolitical Conflicts in International Law and Politics (30 credits)
• POLM246: The Politics of the Future (30 credits)
• SOCM021: Food Systems, Alternative Food Networks and Ethical Consumption (30 credits)
• SOCM054: Food Systems, Alternative Food Networks and Ethical Consumption (15 credits)
• SOCM045: Food and Sustainability: Economy, Society and Environment (30 credits)
• SOCM044: Food and Sustainability: Economy, Society and Environment (15 credits)
• SPAM007: Which Policies Work? Causal Methods for Policy Evaluation (15 credits)

Fees

2025/26 Entry

• UK fees per year: £12,500 full-time; £6,250 part-time
• International fees per year: £25,300 full-time; £12,650 part-time

Scholarships

The University of Exeter has many different scholarships available to support your education, including £5 million in scholarships for international students applying to study with us in the 2025/26 academic year, such as our Exeter Excellence Scholarships.

Teaching and Research

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

Library Services

Our main library is open 24/7 throughout the academic year. With a book stock in excess of 1.2 million, we have one of the highest UK academic library ratios of books to students.

Careers

A postgraduate degree in Conflict, Security and Development is a pathway to a range of careers in international politics, security and development. It is particularly relevant to students hoping to work for NGOs, aid organisations, international bodies such as the United Nations or other international agencies. Our high quality academic training is balanced with valuable professional skills development, giving you a fully-rounded degree which truly enhances your CV.

Why Exeter?

The University of Exeter is a world-leading research university, ranked in the top 150 globally (QS World University Rankings 2025). We are a member of the prestigious Russell Group of research-intensive universities. Our research has a significant impact on business, society and the environment, and we are committed to creating a sustainable future.