Master of Arts in International Relations

at University of Bath United Kingdom

Explore the multi-faceted subject of international security and gain fresh and leading perspectives on this field from leading experts.

International security has evolved enormously in the last 15 years, with terrorism, human and drug trafficking and territorial and sovereignty disputes adding an extra layer of complexity to the traditional security challenges of states.

This course offers a focus on security issues, looking at politics and policy-making in the contemporary international arena, and the role of global actors within it.

You'll gain a deep insight into the diverse dimensions of international security, unpacking the practices and challenges of different governments and organisations and exploring how these relate to research and policy-making.

Studying this at Bath provides an opportunity to work with researchers who are part of the debate on both traditional and non-traditional security issues.

With expertise across a wide spectrum of topics - including cyberspace politics, borders in South East Asia, the American drone strikes in Pakistan, biological and chemical weapons, rising powers and global governance - you'll gain new perspectives on this complex subject area.

You'll leave with:

• An in-depth understanding of the new international security environment of the Post Cold War era
• Detailed knowledge of the theories and methods underpinning international security
• The ability to analyse current security challenges and practices and the impact of those on research and policy-making
• A strong foundation for an international career in administration, diplomacy, research and policy-making

This course is for those with a degree in an appropriate subject, such as public policy, government, international affairs, international relations, history or sociology. It's also suitable for professionals who want to specialise in security issues, whether you're working in an NGO, government or the private sector, or other relevant fields such as commerce, industry and teaching.

Mathematics enables us to reason logically, to understand structure and to formulate scientific principles, whether from the physical, life or social sciences.

Choose this course to gain specialist knowledge in pure mathematics, applied mathematics and/or statistics.

Tailor to your interests

At the start of the course, you’ll gain a broad education in pure and applied mathematics, including programming and statistics. You’ll have the freedom to study a broader mathematical pathway or specialise in your favourite subject areas, enhancing your analytical thinking and appreciation of the beauty of mathematics.

All of our courses are flexible and allow for a wide choice of units after year one. You may be able to switch courses during the first year.

Gain a broad education in chemistry and business ready for careers in science or management.

This course allows you to combine your love of chemistry with an interest in how business works. You’ll gain a broad education in chemistry with an understanding of the theories of chemical behaviour and how they're applied. You'll also develop skills in experimental chemistry and in designing experiments to test hypothesis.

At least a quarter of the units you’ll study will be management topics, delivered by the School of Management. You’ll develop an understanding of the social, legal and economic implications of the decisions managers in industry are required to make.

Equip yourself to work as a professional interpreter and/or translator on this highly respected master's, which can include a training opportunity.

Our MA Interpreting and Translating is designed to give you the practical skills and experience you need to work as an interpreter and translator at a high level.

You must have an excellent understanding of two languages. You can choose from one of two pathways:

• Path 1 allows you to work with two other languages (Chinese, French, German, Italian, Russian and Spanish) into English
• Path 2 allows you to work in both directions between Chinese/English or Russian/English

Our interpreting and translating master's have has been running for over 50 years and is highly respected internationally for the quality of the training provided. Many Bath graduates have gone on to work in organisations such as the EU and UN, as well as other language services around the world.

The course covers professional translation and simultaneous, consecutive and liaison interpreting in public service and commercial settings.

You'll have access to the latest digital interpreting labs, and you will participate in mini-conferences to put your skills into practice, holding debates on controversial topics and acting as both delegate and interpreter.

We seek to arrange external training opportunities for our students with the United Nations or independent agencies, giving you first-hand experience of the workplace and valuable contacts for building your career.

The course is taught by experienced tutors who have all worked as professional translators and interpreters themselves. Some have interpreted for heads of state and government ministers, and/or work for international organisations. They are therefore able to share this wealth of experience with you and provide useful advice on joining the profession.

Prepare yourself for a career in specialist language work including translation, editing and précis-writing.

If you're interested in working as a professional linguist or working with the written word to provide translations and specialised language services, this course is an excellent option.

With a growing demand for highly trained speakers of English in the UK and abroad, this specialist master's will equip you to set up your own freelance business or work in-house for an international organisation or language service provider.

Unlike other courses of its kind, ours covers a wide variety of skills, including editing, revision, précis-writing and proofreading. Employers and agencies have told us they’re looking for these services, so having the right skills will place you in a strong position for securing work. You'll have the opportunity to gain skills in public service and commercial interpreting, and you will learn about setting up your own translation business.

In some cases, we can arrange external translation training. This may be in international organisations, such as the EU and UN, or an independent translation agency, and will give you first-hand experience of the workplace and valuable contacts for building your career.

The course is taught by qualified tutors. While some have worked for international organisations, others have developed their careers as freelance linguists. All bring extensive experience to the classroom to give students invaluable advice.

Gain a broad education in chemistry and business ready for careers in science or management.

This course allows you to combine your love of chemistry with an interest in how business works. You’ll gain a broad education in chemistry with an understanding of the theories of chemical behaviour and how they're applied. You'll also develop skills in experimental chemistry and in designing experiments to test hypothesis.

At least a quarter of the units you’ll study will be management topics, delivered by the School of Management. You’ll develop an understanding of the social, legal and economic implications of the decisions managers in industry are required to make.

Year abroad

Broaden your horizons with a year studying at a university abroad. You’ll experience another culture whilst studying a course that complements your studies at Bath.

We have links with universities in the United States, Canada, Australasia, Asia and Europe, including the Simon Fraser University, National University Singapore, University of Western Australia and the University of Helsinki.

Prepare yourself for a career in specialist language work including translation, editing and précis-writing.

If you're interested in working as a professional linguist or working with the written word to provide translations and specialised language services, this course is an excellent option.

With a growing demand for highly trained speakers of English in the UK and abroad, this specialist master's will equip you to set up your own freelance business or work in-house for an international organisation or language service provider.

Unlike other courses of its kind, ours covers a wide variety of skills, including editing, revision, précis-writing and proofreading. Employers and agencies have told us they’re looking for these services, so having the right skills will place you in a strong position for securing work. You'll have the opportunity to gain skills in public service and commercial interpreting, and you will learn about setting up your own translation business.

In some cases, we can arrange external translation training. This may be in international organisations, such as the EU and UN, or an independent translation agency, and will give you first-hand experience of the workplace and valuable contacts for building your career.

The course is taught by qualified tutors. While some have worked for international organisations, others have developed their careers as freelance linguists. All bring extensive experience to the classroom to give students invaluable advice.

Develop a deep understanding of the fundamental principles of physics, expand your knowledge with flexible options and get involved in our high-level research.

This is our broadest physics degree and gives you the opportunity to explore a wide range of areas in physics, from the nanoscale to the most energetic processes in the Universe.

As well as gaining a deep knowledge and understanding of physics, you’ll graduate with strong experimental, mathematical and computational expertise. You’ll gain powerful problem-solving, analytical and critical thinking skills, preparing you for careers in physics and many other fields as well.

Placement Year

Going on placement gives you the opportunity to apply your skills and knowledge to a year working professionally. You’ll be employed full-time in a role to match your future career ambitions, broadening your experience and transferable skills. This could give you a competitive edge when applying for graduate jobs.

You can choose from a wide range of roles to match your interests, from working in marketing to a lab-based role at a research institute. We have links with some of the industry’s leading companies. Recent placement employers include BAE Systems, CERN, Dyson, Morgan Stanley, Rolls-Royce and Samsung.

Learn how to excel in an international business environment. Fulfil the demand for business leaders with both advanced language and management skills.

You will benefit from the expertise of two leading departments, the School of Management and the Department of Politics, Languages and International Studies.

You’ll gain specialized knowledge of relevant countries’ business environments and contemporary politics, society and culture. From day one you’ll be taught in Spanish.

And to keep your options open further, you'll even have the flexibility to switch between our biology and biochemistry courses after the first year.

Year abroad

• In Year 3 you will spend up to 12 months in a Spanish-speaking country. You'll have the flexibility to choose a work placement, International Academic Exchange or a combination of both. By spending a year abroad, you’ll have the opportunity to master Spanish.

Learn about key approaches in applied maths and data science that can be integrated to solve real-world problems.

The cutting edge of the application of mathematics in industry combines modelling, analysis and interpretation using methods from applied mathematics and the rapidly growing area of data science. This course is for you if you're interested in applying maths, statistics and computer science to solve complex problems in industry.

Course highlights

• Study a wide range of taught units in applied maths techniques, mathematical modelling, data science, machine learning and scientific communication.
• Gain real-world experience from group projects with other students and the opportunity to work on a project with one of our industrial partners.
• Projects and modules benefit from our research specialisms, including industrial applied maths, probability, scientific computing, machine learning, dynamical systems, asymptotics, imaging, modelling of waves and fluids, and mathematical biology.

Working with industry

A key element of the course is the opportunity to work on a real project with one of our industry partners. This may include some time-based at an external company. Some of our current industry partners include the Met Office, Barclays, Emerson Roxar and Raytheon. Industry projects give direct experience of the problem-solving process, including:

• Identifying the problem and translating it into mathematical language
• Processing and analysing relevant data
• Solving the mathematical problem
• Communicating the results to the client

Placement Year

Going on placement gives you the opportunity to apply your skills and knowledge during a year working in industry. You’ll be employed full-time in a role to match your future career ambitions, broadening your experience and transferable skills. It may be possible to go on placement with the same company you've worked with for an industry project.