Master of Social Sciences in
International Relations
(Admission to Master of Social Sciences in International Relations in Academic Year 2025/2026 is now open for application)
The Master of Social Sciences in International Relations (MSS-IRE) offers specialized training to postgraduate students who are pursuing a career in foreign policy or who wish to prepare themselves for advanced research in international relations. Through intensive reading assignments and small seminars, students are introduced to major debates in international relations theory as well as historical and current developments in world politics. Research and writing assignments train students in the core skills of rigorously analyzing complex social issues, engaging with diverse arguments, and communicating them clearly to audiences. The culmination of the degree is an original thesis on a topic of the student’s own choosing, researched and written under the guidance of a faculty advisor.
Programme Intended Learning Outcome
- Understand the main issues and challenges, key concepts, representative theories and major debates in the field of International Relations.
- Apply such knowledge to identify and analyze emerging issues and challenges in the field of International Relations.
- Demonstrate an adequate level of critical thinking, research skills, communication skills, and digital literacy, and be able to write essays, reports or theses and to publicly present such works with these skills.
- Develop and apply broad and forward-looking global perspectives on international and world affairs in their specific and contingent local, national, regional, transnational and global contexts.
Course Plan
The MSS-IRE is structured as a two-year program. In the first year, students undertake intensive coursework, including three compulsory courses in theories of international relations, international organization and global governance, and research design in international organization. In addition, students choose five elective courses from a range of international relations and policy-related topics, such as international security, Chinese foreign policy, history of international relations, and global political economy etc. The second year is devoted entirely to researching and writing the project report. After completing the project report, students present their research in a formal oral examination before a panel of two faculty members.
Course List
| Course Code | Course Name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| GPAD7316 | Theories of International Relations | 3 |
| GPAD7306 | International Organizations and Global Governance | 3 |
| GPAD7312 | Research Design in International Relations | 3 |
| Five electives from the following list: | ||
| GPAD7323 | International Security | 3 |
| GPAD7319 | Chinese Foreign Policy | 3 |
| GPAD7322 | International Relations of the Asia-Pacific | 3 |
| GPAD7321 | History of International Relations | 3 |
| GPAD7317 | China-European Relations | 3 |
| GPAD7318 | China’s Relations with Portuguese-Speaking-Countries | 3 |
| GPAD7320 | Data Science for International Relations | 3 |
| GPAD7303 | Contemporary International Relations | 3 |
| GPAD7305 | Global Political Economy | 3 |
| GPAD7314 | Selected Topics in International Relations | 3 |
| Total Credits (Year 1) | 24 | |