Investigate the nature of war and peace
Year of entry: 2025 (September)
1 year full-time,
2 years part-time
September 2025 (semester dates)
Join us online or in person to find out more about postgraduate study at York.
Upcoming eventsDevelop an in-depth understanding of the nature of contemporary armed conflicts, transitions from war to peace, and challenges of post-war peacebuilding.
Explore the context of contemporary armed conflict and war, and subsequently how peace is forged at local and national levels, taking into account the interplay between domestic and international actors.
You'll have the opportunity to undertake a fieldwork placement, where you'll apply your skills to a professional setting and conduct research to inform your dissertation. This is a unique opportunity to gain first-hand understanding of, and approaches to, conflict resolution and peacebuilding in war-affected contexts.
You'll graduate with both an understanding of conflict and post-war development, and a clearer appreciation of the difficulties confronted by practitioners and policy makers.
Our staff advise governments and international organisations on a wide range of issues, and contribute to news media and current affairs programmes around the world
Through core modules, you'll develop your understanding of the nature of contemporary armed conflict and war with attention to contextual variation. You'll gain insight into the complexities of contemporary armed conflicts and peace-making with access to a wide range of optional modules in areas such as security, gender studies, and development.
You'll choose one of three pathways. You will have the option to expand your practical skills through an organised field trip with a project placement in South Africa or the UK in the autumn term. You will also have the opportunity to conduct an independent fieldwork placement (as part of your ISM) in a peace and conflict context in the summer term.
You will study four option modules. Examples can be found below. Some option module combinations may not be possible. The options available to you will be confirmed after you begin your course.
Some option module combinations may not be possible. The options available to you will be confirmed after you begin your course.
Our modules may change to reflect the latest academic thinking and expertise of our staff, and in line with Department/School academic planning.
During the second semester and vacation you'll consolidate your interests in a dissertation or policy report on a topic of your choice.
Your choice of pathway will affect your options for the summer term and vacation. All students have the option of undertaking a dissertation on a topic to be agreed with your tutor.
Throughout your independent project, you will have the support of your supervisor. Where possible we'll allocate you someone who is familiar with your chosen topic.
Every course at York is built on a distinctive set of learning outcomes. These will give you a clear understanding of what you will be able to accomplish at the end of the course and help you explain what you can offer employers. Our academics identify the knowledge, skills, and experiences you'll need upon graduation and then design the course to get you there.
| Study mode | UK (home) | International and EU |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time (1 year) | £11,200 | £25,900 |
| Part-time (2 years) This is the year 1 fee. Fees for future years are subject to confirmation. |
£5,600 | £12,950 |
Students on a Student Visa are not currently permitted to study part-time at York.
For courses which are longer than one year, the tuition fees quoted are for the first year of study.
UK (home) or international fees? The level of fee that you will be asked to pay depends on whether you're classed as a UK (home) or international student. Check your fee status.
Find out more information about tuition fees and how to pay them.
If you choose to undertake a placement in South Africa you will need to budget around £1,400 to £1,600, over and above MA tuition fees and living expenses. You'll need to cover the cost of flights, accommodation and sustenance.
You may incur some additional expenses for books, but these costs are optional as most of the texts you'll need are available in the University library. If the resources you need aren't available, you can borrow via inter-library loans and order new books to our library for free.
Discover your funding options to help with tuition fees and living costs.
We'll confirm more funding opportunities for students joining us in 2025/26 throughout the year.
If you've successfully completed an undergraduate degree at York you could be eligible for a 10% Masters fee discount.
We are pleased to work with Chevening Scholars to offer funding for our Masters programmes. Chevening Scholarships provide one year of fully-funded postgraduate study in the UK for international (including EU) students. The scholarships are open to early and mid-career professionals who have the potential to become future leaders.
You can use our living costs guide to help plan your budget. It covers additional costs that are not included in your tuition fee such as expenses for accommodation and study materials.
You’ll work with world‐leading academics who’ll challenge you to think independently and excel in all that you do. Our approach to teaching will provide you with the knowledge, opportunities, and support you need to grow and succeed in a global workplace.
You'll learn through a combination of lectures, seminars and one-to-one supervision. We offer a personal approach to learning with much of our teaching conducted in small groups.
Depending on your pathway choice, you'll have the chance to put your learning into practice on a practical placement and an organised field trip. You'll be supported by your personal tutor throughout the placement.
You will be based in the Department of Politics and International Relations in Derwent College on Campus West. Around half of your teaching will take place in Derwent College; the rest of your contact hours will take place nearby.
Our beautiful green campus offers a student-friendly setting in which to live and study, within easy reach of the action in the city centre. It's easy to get around campus - everything is within walking or pedalling distance, or you can always use the fast and frequent bus service.
Depending on which pathway you choose, you'll be assessed through essays, group projects and reflective diaries. Your final dissertation of 12,000 words is submitted at end of your final term.
We'll be looking for evidence of your ability to communicate across cultures, bearing in mind diverse cultural and political viewpoints. You should be able to speak knowledgeably about unfolding international events to a range of audiences, and collect and interpret qualitative data to support your arguments.
As well as your assessed work, you'll be given assignments which don't count towards your final grade. The feedback you receive for this work will help you develop your skills and identify areas for improvement.
Our graduates have gone on to leading roles in governmental and non-governmental organisations and charities, working in areas affected by conflict around the world. Their work spans the post-war recovery spectrum, from organising emergency education provision to overseeing land-mine removal.
Others use the skills they have developed in a broad range of industries from disaster relief to business consultancy. Many go on to further study at York and other leading universities.
| Typical offer | |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate degree | 2:2 or equivalent. We are willing to consider applicants with lower qualifications, particularly if you have high marks in relevant modules and/or appropriate professional experience. Additional information may be requested. |
| International pre-masters programme | Pre-masters from our International Pathway College |
| Other international qualifications | Equivalent qualifications from your country |
If English isn't your first language you may need to provide evidence of your English language ability. We accept the following qualifications:
| Minimum requirement | |
|---|---|
| IELTS (Academic and Indicator) | 6.5, minimum 6.0 in each component |
| Cambridge CEFR | B2 First: 176, with 169 in each component |
| Oxford ELLT | 7, minimum of 6 in each component |
| Duolingo | 120, minimum 105 in all other components |
| LanguageCert SELT | B2 with 33/50 in each component |
| LanguageCert Academic | 70 with a minimum of 65 in each component |
| Kaplan Test of English Language | 459-494, with 426-458 in all other components |
| Skills for English | B2: Merit overall, with Pass with Merit in each component |
| PTE Academic | 61, minimum 55 in each component |
| TOEFL | 87, minimum 21 in each component |
| Trinity ISE III | Merit in all requirements |
For more information see our postgraduate English language requirements.
You may be eligible for one of our pre-sessional English language courses. These courses will provide you with the level of English needed to meet the conditions of your offer.
The length of course you need to take depends on your current English language test scores and how much you need to improve to reach our English language requirements.
After you've accepted your offer to study at York, we'll confirm which pre-sessional course you should apply to via You@York.
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