Funding
Eligible self-funded international Masters students will receive the Aberdeen Global Scholarship. Visit our Funding Database to find out more and see our full range of scholarships or email study@abdn.ac.uk .
Anthropology Programmes
- MLitt Museum Studies
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The MLitt in Museum Studies makes extensive use of the University's internationally important collections and museums to explore museum history, collections, practices and social roles. Gain experience working in a museum setting, work closely with professional and academic staff, and tailor your studies to your areas of interests with an array of optional courses.
Programme Director: Prof Alison Brown
- MSc Anthropological Research
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The MSc Anthropological Research offers a unique opportunity to delve into human cultures and societies within a world-renowned academic setting. This programme combines rigorous theoretical teaching with fieldwork opportunities to equip you with both the analytical frameworks and practical skills essential for advanced anthropological study.
Programme Director: Dr Johan Rasanayagam
Politics & International Relations Programmes
- MSc Climate Politics and Policy
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Programme Director: Dr Bennett Collins
- MSc International Finance and Political Relations
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This programme combines the strengths of the School of Social Science and the Business School to explore the intersection between money, politics and power and the relationship between international finance and policymaking at the transnational level. This programme is designed to train specialists for careers in the international finance or in the government/non-government (NGO) sectors, where an understanding of global flows of money, trade and labour, and the global distribution of wealth they engender, is required.
Programme Director: Dr John Bone
- MSc International Political Economy
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This programme introduces you to the conceptual and theoretical terrain of international political economy, with a particular focus on the dimensions of globalisation that have re-shaped international flows of capital, goods, and labour. You will gain an interdisciplinary understanding of the interactions of global politics and economics.
Some of the topics covered throughout this programme include neoliberalism, international trade, financialization, gender, poverty and inequality, development, post-development, and the rise of economic nationalism.
Programme Director: Dr Ritu Vij
- MSc International Relations
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Study international order/disorder in relation to the interaction among states, transnational institutions, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), multinational corporations, popular culture, and everyday life. The MSc International Relations provides a sustained engagement with key issues in contemporary international relations including development & political economy, critical & human security, globalisation, gender, identity, human rights, and governance.
Programme Director: Dr Ritu Vij
- MSc International Relations (online study)
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Earn your Masters in International Relations online, flexibly.
Join us online to develop a deep, critical understanding of contemporary global challenges, power structures, and the evolving nature of international politics.
With guidance from expert academics and active researchers, you’ll learn to:
- apply theories to better understand international politics
- critically examine concrete and timely international issues
- discuss policy and provide advice for consultancy in international organisations
- contribute to research in global affairs.
Programme Director: Dr Philippe Beauregard
- MSc International Relations and International Law (Joint Programme)
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Combining the strengths of the School of Social Science and the Law School, this programme combines courses in the theory and practice of International Law and International Relations, offering you a unique interdisciplinary perspective on a range of contemporary issues related to the transformed nature of global governance.
Programme Director: Dr Ritu Vij
- MSc International Relations and Management (Joint Programme)
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Delivered jointly by experts from the School of Social Science and Business School, this programme combines the study of how current international political and economic issues impact on how governments, businesses and other organisations operate globally. Develop a rigorous understanding of management theory, including business strategy, management, and leadership, and how global events impact on business in areas such as the availability of labour and raw materials, supply chain reliability, government regulations and changing market opportunities.
Programme Director: Dr Ritu Vij
- MSc Politics and Public Policy
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This programme equips you with the necessary expertise and skills for careers in politics and policymaking in government, business, third-sector organisations, the media, the research sector, and international institutions. You will gain an understanding of key problems and issues in contemporary politics and the practice of public policy. You will also explore how diverse political actors influence the political agenda, how the policy process works, the challenges facing policy-makers, how policy evolves, and the impact of public policy.
Programme Coordinators: Dr Lynn Bennie and Professor Joanne McEvoy
- MSc Politics, Public Policy and Management
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This programme combines the expertise of the School of Social Science and the Business School to equip you with the necessary knowledge and skills for careers in politics and policymaking in government, business, third-sector organisations, the media, the research sector, finance, and international institutions.
Programme Coordinators: Dr Lynn Bennie and Professor Joanne McEvoy
- MSc Strategic Studies
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This long-established programme delivers a thorough understanding of strategic affairs by scrutinising salient, real-world security issues that affect a range of sectors around the world, while developing the methodology and knowledge needed to interpret strategic situations that present in these areas. You will learn from experts who have experience in public policy; government departments; and international organisations such as NATO, EU, UN, and think-tanks; and who have worked as advisers to various governments including the UK, US, EU, and East Asia.
Programme Director: Dr James Johnson
- MSc Strategic Studies and Diplomacy
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This programme is for anyone interested in the workings and interactions of governments across various levels, concerning governments which have both friendly relations and those which endure more strained relations. It will also be of interest for professionals interested in progressing their careers who require knowledge on diplomacy and strategic thinking within both government and non-government organisations.
Programme Director: Prof Mervyn Bain
- MSc Strategic Studies and Energy Security
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This programme draws on the University's expertise in international security and the energy sector to deliver a detailed understanding of global energy security, in the context of how different countries and regions operate today. Gain a multidisciplinary perspective on the challenges to the security of upstream energy supply, and the contributions of national and international strategies to addressing salient vulnerabilities.
Programme Director: Dr James Johnson
- MSc Strategic Studies and International Law (Joint Programme)
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This programme combines the expertise of the School of Social Science and the School of Law to develop your understanding of the theory and practice of the uses of power and force by states to achieve national and international security objectives. You will also gain an appreciation of the development and implementation of international law as it attempts to control coercion and limit violence, and develop key skills needed for critical legal and political analysis of current international issues.
Programme Director: Dr James Johnson
- MSc Strategic Studies and Management (Joint Programme)
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Drawing on the expertise of the School of Social Science and the Business School, this programme provides a mix of in-depth business understanding combined with a strategic approach to understanding global threats, risk and growth. Develop a comprehensive understanding of world affairs and specific issues that challenge business constantly, and the skills and knowledge needed to steer business and organisations through or around conflict.
Programme Director: Dr James Johnson
Sociology Programmes
- MRes Social Science
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The MRes in Social Science is a one-year research degree, combining specialist and generic training to equip you with transferable skills for graduate employment in the public, private and third sector. It also lays the foundation to undertake future doctoral studies.
Programme Director: Dr Chris Kollmeyer
- MSc Peace and Conflict Studies
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This programme is designed for students wishing to develop an advanced knowledge of the intellectual terrain of conflict resolution and post-conflict peacebuilding. You will explore the processes through which state and non-state actors have attempted to define and build peace in areas affected by conflict and examine the intersection and overlap between peacebuilding theory and these processes. You will gain the skills necessary to pursue a career in conflict intervention and peacebuilding practice, or to pursue further studies in this subject at a PhD level.
Programme Director: Prof Gearoid Millar
- MSc Policy Evaluation
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Institutions and organisations are increasingly demanding evidence-based policy formation. However, there are few graduates with the training in policy evaluation and the necessary Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) techniques to provide that “evidence.” This programme meets this demand by equipping you with the skills necessary to provide effective policy evaluation and programme M&E for government and third sector organisations, working in both domestic and international contexts.
Programme Director: Prof Gearoid Millar
- MSc Sex, Gender, Violence
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This programme explores how gendered violence emerges, is resolved, and our response to it, both during and after conflict. During the course, we will reflect on questions such as: how do we understand the different forms of violence? How is technology shaping sexual and gender-based violence? What is the power of language and images in perpetuating and/or challenging social and political violence? Drawing on theories from gender studies, cultural sociology, and conflict studies, the course focuses on the nuanced ways that violence shapes our everyday, via social media, religion, education, and technology.
Programme Director: Luisa Gandolfo
- MSc Sociology
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This programme provides an in-depth understanding of and training in the use of sociological theory and methodology, complemented by a series of elective courses covering some of the main specialisms of the Department of Sociology. It's particularly well suited for those wishing to extend their knowledge of sociology into the postgraduate level, or for those with little or no experience of sociology who want to equip themselves for advanced study in the future.
Programme Director Dr Luisa Gandolfo