ISA Master s Degrees in Conflict Studies, International Relations & Anthropology Degree Title Master of Arts in Violence, Terrorism & Security University Queen s University Belfast University Overview Founded in 1845 as Queen s College Belfast, Queen's University Belfast (QUB) is one of the oldest universities in the British Isles and is the largest higher education institute in Northern Ireland. The university is a member of the Russell Group of the 20 top research universities in the United Kingdom and is ranked in the top 1% of universities in the world by QS World University Rankings. The National Student Survey in 2012, which ranks student satisfaction with their university, ranked QUB as the #12 university in the UK with a score of 90% satisfaction. Additionally, the university holds a number of other awards and rankings, including the Queen s Anniversary Prize for Higher Education (five time winner), Times Higher Education Award (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011)The Complete University Guide 2013, and the Quality Assurance Agency among others and is one of the most popular destinations in the UK for winners of the prestigious Fullbright Scholarship. Over the past 10 years, QUB has invested more than 350 million to create state of the art facilities on campus. Highlights include the Student Union, which provides many student resources and hosts a variety of events throughout the semester; the Physical Education Center, one of the largest sport centers in the British Isles which served as a training venue for the 2012 Summer Olympics; and the award winning McClay Library, one of the most extensive and highest quality libraries in the UK. ISA students also will have the opportunity to further develop their own personal interests by joining any of the more than 100 student societies and sporting clubs on campus. The university is located just 15 minutes from the city center in the beautiful Queen's Quarter of Belfast. Next to the university is a large public park with lush Botanical Gardens as well as the Ulster Museum, the largest and best-known museum in the country. Because of the large student population in the area, a high number of coffee shops, restaurants and pubs are located within walking distance of campus and the dormitories. The Quarter also plays home to arts and cinema festivals, concerts held in the Botanical Gardens as well as many theaters, film houses and art galleries. Many notable alumni have attended Queen's, including Nobel Prize winners, poets, actors, ministers and politicians as well as the former President of Ireland, Mary McAleese. Program Information This programme aims to help students develop a critical and analytical approach to problems in history and the contemporary world of the three areas of violence, terrorism and security. Challenging accepted wisdom, it opens up debate about the role of violence in relation to political power in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Programme modules include core options on violence, terrorism and security plus modules on: International Security, Conflict intervention, Theory and Politics of Globalisation, National and Ethnic Conflict management, Northern Ireland and the World.
The course also serves as a perfect 'stepping stone' to a variety of professions and further research at PhD level. Graduating students have entered a range of professions linked to public service, intelligence, policing and the security sector, border and immigration agencies, law, the military, policy analysis, human rights and the NGO sector, national and global security, advocacy and lobbying. Recognising the challenges inherent to global security in the war on terrorism and the unique expertise we possess in the subject matter we decided to offer this programme in order to equip students with a critical understanding of these issues. Course Outline MA Violence, Terrorism & Security candidates are required to complete five core modules: Approaches to Research Design Conflict Intervention Global Terrorism International Security Violence, Terrorism and Security To include one module from the following options: International Political Economy International Political Philosophy Ireland and Europe Issues in European Governance Politics of the Republic of Ireland Plus a dissertation of no more than 15,000 words. Next Steps For students interested in receiving their Master of Arts in Violence, Terrorism & Security from Queen s University Belfast through the ISA Conflict Studies, International Relations & Anthropology Masters Degree program, please submit your application here. Summary of Teaching and Assessment The way in which a module will be taught will depend on the subject matter but typically the teaching of a module will be based on lectures, supported by tutorials or seminars. Depending on the subject, some modules may include practical sessions, for example, in the laboratory, or fieldwork. Students are also expected to supplement formal teaching with their own private study. Lectures are formal talks given at set times according to a timetable published in advance, and normally last one hour. Depending on the subject and the module, the size of the class may vary from a few students to two hundred students. A lecture gives students the starting point for their work, brings them up to date with the results of recent research, and, in some cases, provides a view of the topic with which they may agree or disagree. Some lecturers allow time at the end for questions but lectures are not the place for discussion of the material covered. Many students take notes of the main points the lecturer makes or in some cases the lecturer may provide hand-outs summarising them. A tutorial or seminar is a group discussion lasting one or two hours. Typically a tutorial group might contain ten students and will be led by a tutor. The exact aspect of the subject under discussion will be determined in
advance and students will be expected to have prepared beforehand by reading. Students will be expected to contribute to the discussion, perhaps offering different perspectives or suggesting new approaches. Practicals take different forms depending on the subject. For language students, there may be sessions in a language laboratory. Students taking archaeology or geography may be required to attend field trips and expeditions. There are also laboratory based classes for students taking science subjects like chemistry or physics and maybe computer-aided design classes for engineering students. Not all study takes the form of formal teaching: students are expected to do their own private study. Most lecturers will provide students with readings lists for their modules and thereafter it is up to the student to decide how much reading he or she wants to do. How much time is devoted to private study is a matter for the individual but students are expected to demonstrate a certain degree of maturity in their approach to private study. Course Descriptions Applicants should note that optional modules are arranged on an annual basis. It is possible that a module may be modified in its content, suspended for a session, or discontinued. New modules may become available in any given year. The final decision on which module options a successful candidate will follow will be made by the Institute in consultation with the candidate before the start of the session. Below is a brief introduction to a selection of each module: Approaches to Research Design This module has two key purposes. First it introduces students to some important themes in the philosophy of the social sciences. It therefore addresses fundamental issues such as the source of social scientific knowledge, the relation between scholarly research and social progress, and the possibility of eliminating bias in political analysis. Second, it develops students skills in research design through an examination of selected qualitative and quantitative research methodologies. It doing so it addresses key issues in the design and preparation of the dissertation. Conflict Intervention The module will evaluate the changing nature of intervention, from unilateral forceful intervention to multilateral intervention, to humanitarian intervention, and third party mediation. Focusing on state, intergovernmental and non-governmental actors interventions, it will look at various conflict intervention practices in all phases of conflict from conflict prevention to post-conflict peacebuilding. Global Terrorism International Security S This module introduces students to the range of important issues relating to the phenomenon of global terrorism and responses in terms of the global war on terrorism. The key debates that students will engage with will include: the emergence of transnational terrorism structures, transnational terrorism case studies, state and transnational state responses to terrorism including international actors such as the UN, NATO and other regional organisations. The study of these debates will lead to the investigation of particular groups, state actors, themes and responses which will culminate in a student-led simulation exercise. Overall the module aims to equip students with an understanding of the key discourse and examples as they pertain to contemporary terrorist challenges and responses at a global level.
International Security This course aims to introduce students to the study of security. It introduces traditional and newer approaches to the study of security and narrow and broad definitions of security. This is followed by an analysis of successive structures of formal inter-group relations, which have crystallized around the state-order, that is complemented by an analysis of the interdependence of states, and the evolution of supra-state or inter-state mechanisms (or regimes, International Organisations such as the UN, NATO, OSCE, WEU and EU). The focus then shifts to general problems of security in Europe and the world, followed by in-depth analyses of particular issues in international security, namely conflict intervention, arms control, and human security and development. Violence, Terrorism & Security The concepts that are at the heart of this core module (violence, terrorism, and security) can each have different meanings across time and at various political levels. The module provides a rigorous analysis of these terms, focusing particularly on the contested concepts of terrorism and security. It also examines state and international responses to the threats that contemporary violence poses both within states and internationally. Case studies are employed to illustrate the conceptual analysis. The varieties of motivation for terrorism, including nationalism, religion and the pursuit as well as defence of political power are critically examined. International Political Economy This module provides a themed examination of the changing politics of the world economy, through the lens of the sub/inter-discipline, known as International Political Economy. International Political Economy (IPE) has become the accepted academic term for the analysis of the exercise of economic power and the politics of economic policy and capitalist development placed in a global context. This module introduces students to theories and concepts in International Political Economy related to the exercise of power and authority. It then goes to analyze a number of key topics and issues relating to the power and politics of economic organization and management including: the future of United States supremacy; the politics of money and finance; theories of development; the politics and policy of economic development in developing countries; problems of underdevelopment; the politics of global civil society; the global politics of energy policy and climate change; and the political economy of environmental sustainability. International Political Philosophy We examine the most significant contributions to recent debates about the concept of justice and what it demands of our political, economic and social institutions. The work of a number of leading contemporary political philosophers is assessed. The module introduces students to key issues in contemporary political theory, focusing on four broad areas: distributive justice; debates about cultural diversity and equality, i.e. multiculturalism and the politics of recognition; democracy; and global justice. Ireland and Europe This module sets out to investigate the degree to which Ireland has been Europeanised and Europe Hibernicised in the fields of politics, culture and identity. Contemporary Europeanisation has had profound implications for the emergence of a new form of European governance in Ireland. Europeanisation has also challenged traditionalist assumptions of the Irish national identity by questioning the modern conviction to the relationship between territory and national community as a strategy of national self-representation and empowerment. The module examines the impact of Europeanisation on governance, culture and identity in Ireland through an examination of, for example, European traditions, symbols and identity, Irish official discourse, cross-border co-operation, and partnership politics. It also considers the political and cultural influence of Ireland in Europe (Hibernicisation) through, for example, diplomacy, peace process, and migration. Issues in European Governance
This module explores and analyses some of the most salient and pressing issues in contemporary European public policy. It provides students with an introduction to the study of European public policy and the nature of EU governance before moving on to examine specifically EU decision-making processes from policy formulation to implementation. The module has been designed to enable students to acquire an in depth appreciation of the most important and substantive EU policy areas and the issues that are currently confronting the EU. These include the euro and the European Central Bank, environmental policy, cartel policy, energy policy, fisheries, enlargement and foreign policy. The module has been designed to encourage students to engage in open and free discussion and pursue further investigation into current policies; allow them to improve their research, teamwork, time management, oral and written communication skills. Politics of the Republic of Ireland This module explores and analyses the political development of the Irish Free State/Republic of Ireland in historical context. It combines an historical and thematic approach to provide students with an understanding of the politics of the Irish Free State, later the Republic. It introduces students to key debates on the Irish Revolution and its background, on Irish historical revisionism, on the foundations of statehood, and the institutions and political culture of the new state. Particular themes include partition, the pursuit of stability and order, negotiations of identity, problems of modernisation, Ireland s shifting place in European and world politics, changing attitudes towards partition and the Troubles, the impact of social change on selfrepresentation in a post-tiger context. Course Disclaimer: Courses and course hours of instruction are subject to change.