A career in international relations will help you to explore the complex global challenges that we face. You will develop the skills to understand the interactions of people, cultures and nations in a global context and to critically analyse the factors that influence those relationships. This will equip you to lead in a range of roles within international organisations, charities, government departments, or as a consultant, researcher or journalist.

Ultimately, a degree in international relations will give you the skills to have an impact on the world and make it a better place for everybody. If you are passionate about social change, then this is the right field for you. Having an international perspective enables you to leverage cultural collaboration for the benefit of all and to deliver solutions that respect people’s needs from their point of view.

You can study international relations at undergraduate or postgraduate level. Undergraduate programs will typically include study abroad opportunities. Master’s degrees in international relations will usually allow you to specialise and may involve research and a dissertation.

The foundation of modern international relations is a concept called sovereignty – the idea that sovereign states have absolute control over their territory and its inhabitants. This is the basis for a wide variety of international relations theories, including liberalism (which promoted the League of Nations and several treaties abolishing war), neorealism (the ideas of balancing power blocs and bandwagoning to achieve global stability) and realism (the belief that states will use force to maintain their own interests). You can also choose to be a revisionist state and want change or you can accept the status quo as it is.