Master of Arts in Politics and International Relations - Pathway in International Relations

at Keele University United Kingdom

At Keele, you’ll develop a deep appreciation of human disorders and diseases from a scientific and pathology practitioner’s perspective. Your studies will integrate human physiology, biochemistry, pathology, immunology, neuroscience, and molecular and cell biology, benefiting from research-led teaching. Your degree will be accredited by the Institute of Biomedical Science and the Royal Society of Biology, assuring you of the quality of the programme as preparation for a career in Pathology.

You may be eligible to engage in a placement opportunity which may include a one year work placement or a summer’s research in the UK or abroad.

Based within the School of Life Sciences, our excellent academic staff ensure that we remain at the forefront of international research. You’ll love working in our fantastic labs, working with state-of-the-art equipment and developing cutting-edge techniques.

Previous students have enjoyed our opportunities for studying abroad, industrial placements and international projects. It all adds up to superb preparation for your future career, whether you choose to work in industry, healthcare, research or academia, or go on to further study.

Biology at Keele focuses on the amazing world of organisms – from how they’ve evolved to their relationships with the environment and each other. Keele takes a broad approach to biology, examining the diversity of life and its evolution from the geological past. You’ll consider a range of engaging biological topics which may include the complexity of biological processes and mechanisms at molecular, cellular, organismal and ecosystem levels, philosophical and ethical issues. You’ll develop your pratical skill set through engaging in activities which could include sampling, recording and analysing data in the field and in our well-equipped labs.

This course examines the geological aspects of the Earth, its structure, formation, composition, history, processes, resources and hazards. There is particular emphasis on the geoforensic analysis of earth materials and how it can be applied to a range of criminal, civil and environmental criminal applications. You will learn how geoforensic trace evidence can be used to link material or an offender to a crime scene. The course also includes how to undertake a multi-phased geoforensic search for missing persons, suspected murder victims, environmental/wildlife crime and to recover items of forensic interest.

Geoforensics is a practical subject requiring the use of applied problem-solving, laboratory and field skills where you will learn how to collect and analyse geoforensic data, and conduct geoforensic search for a range of items of forensic interest. This course provides a diverse range of specialist options. We focus particularly on applied research skills and you will learn to carry out your own research using specialist software and equipment. All of our single honours students are offered a work placement module in year 2.

You will acquire a wide range of transferable skills, including communication, decision-making and problem-solving skills, and the ability to research, evaluate and synthesise information from diverse sources.

In Astrophysics, you will learn to formulate and tackle problems – from below the level of the atomic nucleus to astronomical scales. Astrophysics is active wherever the laws of physics are being tested to the limit – and beyond. Keele will help you to use astronomical observations, mathematical models and computer simulation to develop theories explaining some of the most complex phenomena.

You’ll develop your mathematics and computing skills, and apply them to solving a range of problems in the laboratory and beyond (you’ll have access to Keele’s own on-site observatory). We are committed to supporting you throughout your studies, providing you flexible access to our staff to seek advice or feedback.

Alongside this you will be studying Environmental Science. This course crosses the traditional divide between the natural and social sciences, providing the necessary holistic perspective to understand environment and sustainability issues, and to develop strategies to work towards a more sustainable future. For society to tackle the environmental and sustainability problems we now face, we need people who can grapple with both the scientific and human aspects of those issues. That’s why this innovative course is taught across three different faculties, integrating a range of disciplines that might include, geo and environemental sciences, life sciences, chemical sciences, politics and international relations, management, and health.

The History element of the programme will carry you chronologically from the medieval period to the present, and span the globe. You will be introduced to a wide range of history – from political, social, economic and cultural history to the history of gender, health, sexuality and religion. Throughout your first year, you may engage in modules that encourage you to explore topics such as how European rulers tried to strengthen their authority with the increase of military power between the late fifteenth and late seventeenth centuries, or some of the key defining moments in History which may include the 1720 South Sea Bubble in Britain, the 1791 Haitian Revolution or the 1933 Bauhaus movement.  You'll explore and research why humans feel, think and act in the ways that they do. You will learn about what the latest psychology research, including studies published by our own friendly and approachable staff, tells us about human behaviour from social, developmental, biological and cognitive perspectives. We will show you how to design and conduct your own psychological studies in our well-equipped labs using a range of techniques including interviews, surveys and experiments.

The course offers you the opportunity to delve into the complexities of law and social policy regarding children, predominately focusing upon the legal jurisdictions of the United Kingdom. However, you will also gain insights into both international and regional law and the legal and policy frameworks adopted to address children, the role of families, their rights and the global challenges connected thereto.

Our MA is suitable for those who wish to pursue a postgraduate qualification after the completion of their undergraduate studies and to a range of professionals working with either children or adults who wish to improve their skills and knowledge base or wish to study for continuing professional development. The teaching takes places in blocks of study, providing the flexibility for those in employment to study for the MA on a full or part time basis.

The aims of this programme are to introduce key principles of interdisciplinary socio-legal research methods and scholarship, facilitate the development of higher-level critical analysis, and develop the students’ capacity for original thinking in relation to the complex issues arising in socio-legal scholarship. It also aims to promote anti-discriminatory practice, inter-agency understanding and interdisciplinary working.

Keele’s Biochemistry programmes offer broad and stimulating coverage of modern biochemistry. You’ll be studying life at the molecular level, investigating the most exciting areas of contemporary life science and medical research. You might explore the secrets of the human genome, or the individually tailored molecular therapies of the future. You will explore a range of areas of biochemistry which may include human and mammalian biochemistry relating to health and disease.

This combined honours degree includes Neuroscience, where you will explore the mystery of the human brain: the central nervous system, the impact of drugs upon it, and the molecular biology of diseases and disorders of the brain.

Studying Neuroscience, you’ll explore topics which may include how we learn and remember, how the brain controls the body, and how the brain can be targeted by disease but in some instances can repair itself. Within the course are interesting related disciplines such as neuroanatomy, neuropharmacology and neuropathology. 

The MA/MRes in Politics and International Relations is distinctive as it is one of the most diverse collections of Masters pathways in the UK. The programme offers the possibility of developing an individual specialism as well as learning about broader issues in the pathway, and in wider fields of Politics and International Relations. You will gain a thorough grounding in the philosophical and practical issues underpinning study and research in Politics and International Relations.

Key benefits of studying for the MA/MRes in Politics and International Relations include; small class sizes, expert dissertation supervision on cutting-edge issues and debates, a dynamic academic community, strong student-staff relations and stimulating extra-curricular seminars and workshops. Staff and students regularly organise research events, which provide important opportunities for learning, networking and collegial debate on contemporary political and philosophical issues. For example, we host an annual Royal Institute of Philosophy lecture series, a bi-annual European Consortium on Political Research environmental politics PhD summer school, and in recent years have organised several ESRC-funded (Economic and Social Research Council) seminar series.

The School of Social, Political and Global Studies is a multi-disciplinary school which brings together research-led academics to produce world-class research. 

You will look at philosophical topics about knowledge, ethics, language and the nature of the mind and world from both historical and contemporary perspectives. You will learn reasoning skills, how to evaluate arguments and be encouraged to present and defend your own views. You'll explore a broad range of topics which may include the Philosophy of Mind and Philosophy of Science, which specifically address philosophical questions concerning psychology.

In psychology, you will learn about what the latest psychology research, including studies published by our own friendly and approachable staff, tells us about human behaviour from social, developmental, biological and cognitive perspectives. We will show you how to design and conduct your own psychological studies in our well-equipped laboratories, using a range of techniques including interviews, surveys and experiments. You will also learn about how our understanding of psychology changes over time.

You will develop an understanding of how neuroscience can help us to explore and understand medical problems and improve quality of life. Working in diverse ways, you’ll develop independent research skills as you learn to acquire, interpret and analyse data from multiple sources. Your degree will open up exciting careers in sectors as varied as healthcare, scientific research, pharmacology, IT, publishing and more.

Single Honours Neuroscience enables you to focus your studies on an in-depth coverage of a wide range of topics. If you choose to study Neuroscience with another subject (Combined Honours) you will combine the key principles of neuroscience with the ability to choose specific areas of another subject that may interest you.