Details of Masters in International Development, Environment and Conflict announced by DCU

The redesigned MA explores the important connections between sustainable development, environmental degradation, and conflict. While these links are increasingly recognised, sometimes the topics are still looked at as if they are separate questions. The MA will take a holistic view of how security, sustainability, and development all affect each other. It comes at a time of growing recognition internationally of these vital connections. This is reflected in global agreements including the Paris climate deal, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the World Humanitarian Summit. Ongoing armed conflict in Syria, South Sudan, Yemen, and elsewhere sadly underline how development, livelihoods, population movement, and insecurity are related.

The School of Law and Government has been teaching an MA in International Relations since the 1990s, with the addition later of the BA in International Relations and specialist masters programmes each on conflict, development, and law. The updated MA programme also draws on the expertise of DCU’s Institute for International Conflict Resolution and Reconstruction (IICRR), which was launched by Hilary Clinton in 2012.

Staff teaching on programmes research and publish on climate change, development, and security, and many have deep knowledge of different world regions. Some have worked in these area as practitioners. They are also engaged with policy and practice in all these areas, making the research and teaching relevant, practical, and current.

Graduates of DCU’s MA programmes have gone on to work in government, international bodies such as UN agencies, and Non-Governmental Organisations.

Students will study core modules on sustainable development, climate change, and conflict resolution. Optional modules they can chose from include debt, human rights law, peacekeeping, political terrorism, democracy and dictatorship, the UN, Irish foreign policy, and regional studies such as Asia, Africa, and the former Soviet space.

They are also supported by academic staff with a range of expertise when it comes to researching and writing their MA thesis on an agreed topic.

Applications should be made by 31st July (or by 10th July in the case of non-EU applicants). For further information, see here or contact Dr Diarmuid Torney at [email protected].