Exploring The Relevance Of International Relations Studies And The Prospects Of A Master's Degree In The Field

In today’s world, regardless of where one is geographically located, it is highly probable that one is impacted, in some way, shape or form by “politics”. While some might think politics is limited to elections, it is actually operationalised in everyday forms, often remaining invisible. Think of the house you live in, your neighbourhood, the taxes you pay (or don’t), whom you (can) love, where you work, even what mode of transport you take to work - all of this is dependent on politics and often determined by the state. However, in an increasingly globalised society, it’s not simply a state and its citizens that can influence such decisions but also the international world order. This is precisely where international relations as a discipline comes in, and why it is so important. 

What is International Relations?

International relations as a discipline is unique in the sense that it combines theory with ongoing political events, and bridges the gap between the local and the international. It situates the nation state within the international world order and allows us to understand how these states influence and interact with each other, and are often resisted by state and non-state actors. Traditionally, the discipline has been fairly mainstream and state-centric, with a major focus on theories and political events in the Anglosphere, however we have seen a massive change in this.

Theoretical approaches such as postcolonial and decolonial have gained prominence in the discipline and there is renewed interest in regions where the global majority live, on both state and non-state actors recognising their role in shaping and influencing the world we live in. This shift aims to provide a more comprehensive understanding of global politics.

Masters courses on International Relations embody a critical perspective and have broad areas of focus that enable students to go deeper into their chosen field/areas. Within the discipline, it is understood that the challenges facing us can only be addressed with a global perspective.

What are some of the issues that are discussed?

Issues such as climate change need to be urgently addressed and can only be resolved with a collective approach. Through sustained engagement with such perspectives and with students from different countries, students can explore practical solutions to disruptions in global politics, including life-threatening ones. Once you have the tools to understand the world, then you can choose how you wish to employ these tools. 

For many of my students’ Masters dissertations, they explore topics that they have been personally impacted by or exposed to and come up with extremely innovative solutions and understandings.

Career Prospects

Graduates of International Relations can choose to continue working in the field and use their learning in various capacities as consultants, policy analysts/specialists, social workers, translators or with states as diplomats or other positions in the civil services. International Relations can also be useful to fields such as journalism and education wherein graduates can effectively contribute to knowledge production in different spheres.

A degree in International Relations is highly valuable to make sense of the complexities of our world and to enable students to contribute to resolving these issues for a better world. In addition, practical skills especially those of a diverse range of research methodologies and critical policy analysis can be utilised in almost any sector. Due to the broad range of the field, a Master’s degree in International Relations is incredibly useful to either pursue further research, or use the skills obtained especially those of research and analysis to work with national, international and non-governmental organisations.

The author is Dr Annapurna Menon, Teaching Associate, Department of Politics and International Relations at University of Sheffield, UK