The MA in Peace, Conflict and Development Studies provides an advanced understanding of the inter-relationships between conflict, development, security, and governance in developing, fragile, transitional and/or conflict affected regions and countries. You’ll gain the understanding and skills you need to pursue or develop a career in what is now a major area for international, national and local policy and practitioner communities. You’ll be equipped to work across many sectors including:

• international development
• conflict prevention and peace building
• post-conflict recovery
• humanitarian aid
• natural resource management

You’ll have the opportunity to take specialist pathways, including specialising in selected regions (Europe, Africa, MENA, Asia, or Latin America and the Caribbean), with opportunities for selected study visits. The programme will provide enhanced training and engagement with widely used policy and practitioner analytical tools and models, enabling you to develop your skills and employability. The programme is delivered by the Division of Peace Studies and International Development, which maintains an international reputation as a centre for excellence in research, teaching, training and policy engagement. This means your teaching will not only be research-informed, but also delivered by staff that are well positioned to facilitate policy and practitioner community engagement.

Students will benefit from practical skills-based training as well as academic education, in relation to engagement with key contemporary policy and programme debates of the key international and national organisations involved in peace, conflict and development. They will benefit from the strong international engagement of the relevant teaching staff in these debates, and the networks that these bring. 

The MA in Peace, Conflict and Development Studies combines theoretical and academic debates on these interrelationships with examinations of the relevant policy and programming issues, so it is relevant for decision-makers and stakeholders within developing, fragile or conflict-affected countries and for those concerned with international aid and assistance.

Our postgraduate politics courses were ranked 2nd in the UK for employability in the 2018 Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey (PTES).