- develop oral presentation skills
- develop student's research and professional development skills
- develop students' presentational skills
- enhance group work skills
- enhance students' problem solving power
- equip students with the skills necessary to understand and critically assess issues in politics and international relations
Internships Available
This course is available through the following application route(s)
Sign up for webinars for offer holders and prospective students on Mon 28 April at 2pm and on Tue 29 April at 11am.
World Top 100 in the QS Ranking 2024 in Politics | Oldest and Largest School of its Kind in Ireland.
UCD School of Politics & International Relations is the oldest and largest school of its kind in Ireland with over 150 years of experience in political studies and a world-renowned faculty drawn from many countries.
Visit Our Website for Further Information such as Entry Requirement and Application Documents.
The MA Politics and International Relations is designed to accommodate the scheduling needs of working professionals in government, journalism, the NGO sector and other areas who wish to deepen their education in politics and international relations whilst continuing their employment.
- 90-credit, part-time programme including six optional 10-credit modules. (no particular module is required)
- MA students have the option of pursuing an internship in lieu of a thesis.
About This Course
Graduates work with a wide variety of international private-sector employers, government agencies and Non-Governmental Organisations such as:
- Public Affairs Consultant
- Government Social Researcher
- Diplomatic Advisor
- Public Relations Officer
- Political Advisor
Recent graduates of UCD School of Politics & International Relations now work in:
- European Parliament
- OSCE
- European Institute for the Media
- Korean Delegation to the OECD
- KPMG Management Consulting
- Queen's University Belfast
The UCD School of Politics and International Relations (SPIRe) has established an internship programme for graduate students undertaking MA programmes in Politics, International Relations, International Political Economy, International Development, Peace and Conflict, MEconSc European Public Affairs and Law, MSc Human Rights and MSc Politics and Data Science. You can either opt for a Masters thesis, or an internship of at least 480 hours, typically undertaken from June to August.
See this page for more information
Below is a list of all modules offered for this degree in the current academic year. Click on the module to discover what you will learn in the module, how you will learn and assessment feedback profile amongst other information.
Incoming Stage 1 undergraduates can usually select an Elective in the Spring Trimester. Most continuing undergraduate students can select up to two Elective modules (10 Credits) per stage. There is also the possibility to take up to 10 extra Elective credits.
| Trimester | Credits | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Stage 1 Options - B) Min 0 of: Students must pick either POL42300 SPIRe Internship or POL42310 Thesis as a core module |
POL42300 | SPIRe Internship | Summer | 30 |
Stage 1 Options - B) Min 0 of: Students must pick either POL42300 SPIRe Internship or POL42310 Thesis as a core module |
POL42310 | Thesis | Summer | 30 |
Stage 1 Options - C) Min 0 of: Pick 10 credits in Year 2. |
POL42330 | Research Design | Autumn | 10 |
Stage 1 Options - D) Min 0 of: Students should select 5 modules over the course of this programme. |
POL40050 | Theories of International Relations | Autumn | 10 |
Stage 1 Options - D) Min 0 of: Students should select 5 modules over the course of this programme. |
POL40950 | Introduction to Statistics | Autumn | 10 |
Stage 1 Options - D) Min 0 of: Students should select 5 modules over the course of this programme. |
POL40970 | Politics of European Governance | Autumn | 10 |
Stage 1 Options - D) Min 0 of: Students should select 5 modules over the course of this programme. |
POL41020 | Politics of Human Rights | Autumn | 10 |
Stage 1 Options - D) Min 0 of: Students should select 5 modules over the course of this programme. |
POL41510 | Politics and Change in the Middle East and North Africa | Autumn | 10 |
Stage 1 Options - D) Min 0 of: Students should select 5 modules over the course of this programme. |
POL41980 | Peace & Conflict Studies | Autumn | 10 |
Stage 1 Options - D) Min 0 of: Students should select 5 modules over the course of this programme. |
POL42040 | Gender & the Political System | Autumn | 10 |
Stage 1 Options - D) Min 0 of: Students should select 5 modules over the course of this programme. |
POL42530 | Politics of International Trade and Investment | Autumn | 10 |
Stage 1 Options - D) Min 0 of: Students should select 5 modules over the course of this programme. |
POL42550 | Feminist Theory | Autumn | 10 |
Stage 1 Options - D) Min 0 of: Students should select 5 modules over the course of this programme. |
POL40100 | Politics of Development | Spring | 10 |
Stage 1 Options - D) Min 0 of: Students should select 5 modules over the course of this programme. |
POL40140 | Theories of Global Justice | Spring | 10 |
Stage 1 Options - D) Min 0 of: Students should select 5 modules over the course of this programme. |
POL40160 | Comparative Public Policy | Spring | 10 |
Stage 1 Options - D) Min 0 of: Students should select 5 modules over the course of this programme. |
POL40370 | International Political Economy | Spring | 10 |
Stage 1 Options - D) Min 0 of: Students should select 5 modules over the course of this programme. |
POL40540 | Comparative European Politics | Spring | 10 |
Stage 1 Options - D) Min 0 of: Students should select 5 modules over the course of this programme. |
POL40610 | EU Foreign, Security, and Defence Pol. | Spring | 10 |
Stage 1 Options - D) Min 0 of: Students should select 5 modules over the course of this programme. |
POL41030 | Theory of Human Rights | Spring | 10 |
Stage 1 Options - D) Min 0 of: Students should select 5 modules over the course of this programme. |
POL41640 | Qualitative Research Methods for Political Science | Spring | 10 |
Stage 1 Options - D) Min 0 of: Students should select 5 modules over the course of this programme. |
POL41720 | Gender, Peace, and Security | Spring | 10 |
Stage 1 Options - D) Min 0 of: Students should select 5 modules over the course of this programme. |
POL41910 | Political Violence | Spring | 10 |
Stage 1 Options - D) Min 0 of: Students should select 5 modules over the course of this programme. |
POL42050 | Quantitative Text Analysis | Spring | 10 |
Stage 1 Options - D) Min 0 of: Students should select 5 modules over the course of this programme. |
POL42060 | International Security | Spring | 10 |
Stage 1 Options - D) Min 0 of: Students should select 5 modules over the course of this programme. |
POL42340 | Programming for Soc Scientists | Spring | 10 |
Stage 1 Options - D) Min 0 of: Students should select 5 modules over the course of this programme. |
POL42430 | IR Theory: Conflict and Identity | Spring | 10 |
MA Politics & International Relations (W292) Part Time
EU fee per year - € 6580
nonEU fee per year - € 11300
***Fees are subject to change
EU fee per year - € 6580
nonEU fee per year - € 11300
***Fees are subject to change
Tuition fee information is available on the UCD Fees website. Please note that UCD offers a number of graduate scholarships for full-time, self-funding international students, holding an offer of a place on a UCD graduate degree programme. For further information please see International Scholarships.
A primary degree with at least Second Class Honours Grade 1 (2H1). 2H1 is equivalent to 60 per cent, B minus or 3.08 GPA - in American system: B or 3.00 GPA.
- Your application will be considered on its individual merits and relevant professional experience will also be taken into account.
- English language requirements: applicants whose first language is not English should have met TOEFL, IELTs, or computer-based TOEFL requirements (600, 6.5, or 250 respectively), or the Cambridge English Test (Certificate in Advanced English at a minimum of Grade B, or Certificate of Proficiency in English at Grade C). Applicants who obtained a previous degree from an English-speaking university may be exempted from this requirement. Click here for further info.
You may be eligible for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), as UCD recognises formal, informal, and/or experiential learning. RPL may be awarded to gain Admission and/or credit exemptions on a programme. Please visit the UCD Registry RPL web page for further information. Any exceptions are also listed on this webpage.
Part Time option suitable for:
Domestic(EEA) applicants: Yes
International (Non EEA) applicants: No
How to Apply
General application route(s) for Irish/UK/EU applicants* for International (non-EU) applicants* to MA Politics & International Relations:
| ROWCLASS | Apply to |
|---|---|
| showAudience-audienceEU showAudience-audienceInt | W292 MA Politics & International Relations Master of Arts Part-Time Commencing September 2025 Graduate Taught Not available to International applicantsApply |
* you can change options at the top of the page