University of the Punjab.

The two-year master in International Relations (IR) is an academic study of international system composed of territorial states which acknowledge no superior authority over matters which they consider of vital interest. This degree studies the functioning, theory and history of this system, the nature of the changing relations between states and non-state actors.

This program rigorously examines broad range of issues, including the formulation and implementation of foreign policy, relations between states and governments, International Political Economy, International Organizations, International Law and Conflict and Post-Conflict Peace-making. Students will choose six courses from a wide range of Politics and International Relations options depending on their major as International Security, International Politics or Area Study. Students may also submit a 10,000 word dissertation, which allows them to explore an approved topic of their own choice in depth, to replace two optional courses to the value of 6 credit hours. There is also a research module that equips students with research skills, training and prepares them for dissertation research.

By pursuing two-year M.A. International Relations, students will gain a deeper understanding of global issues and about the exciting and troubling times we live in. Questions of central interest to the program are: Why, on the one hand, do states go to war and what impact does this have on the international system? Why, on the other hand, do they often cooperate and obey international law? What is meant by “governance” and how do we explain regional developments like the European Union, or the re-emergence of the United Nations? The master degree will enable students address these questions and to communicate and translate complex ideas effectively and fluently, both verbally and in writing.

This programme will help students develop and acquire the necessary skills to understand and critically evaluate issues of IR in contemporary world. Students will also get the opportunity to investigate the widely different character and circumstances of states, examining the implications of the highly uneven distribution of power, money, welfare and knowledge in the international system for the foreign policies of states towards each other, and for the maintenance of international order.

In recent years, graduates of IR have entered careers in the civil service, foreign affairs, financial institutions and corporations.

The program will equip graduates with transferable skills required for employment in international organizations and media/ journalism across Pakistan and beyond. Additionally, this program opens the door to various other governmental jobs such as the Inter Services Intelligence, the Intelligence Bureau, the Federal Investigation Agency, the National Accountability Bureau and various other sensitive government organizations.

Some graduates choose to go on to further training and take postgraduate programs with a view to pursuing an academic career or joining think tanks as research scholars.