University College London (UCL)
Security Studies MSc
London, United Kingdom
MSc
DURATION
1 year
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time, Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2026
TUITION FEES
GBP 33,000 *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* international students: full time £33,000 - part-time £16,500/year | UK students: full time £20,500 - part-time £10,250. Additional fees may apply
The MSc in Security Studies focuses on understanding the complex issues related to security in today’s world. It covers a wide range of topics, including international conflict, terrorism, cyber security, and the politics of peace and conflict resolution. The program is designed to give students a solid foundation in both theoretical concepts and practical approaches, helping them analyze security challenges from multiple angles. Throughout the course, students explore current global security concerns and examine how policies are shaped to address threats and mitigate risks.
The program emphasizes critical thinking and real-world relevance, aiming to prepare students for careers in security analysis, policy-making, or research. It encourages engagement with contemporary issues by combining academic research with practical insights from experts. Students will also develop skills in research, policy analysis, and communication, which can be useful across public, private, and international organizations. Overall, the program aims to equip graduates with the knowledge and tools to understand and respond to security threats in a rapidly changing world.
UCL Scholarships
There are a number of scholarships available to postgraduate students, including our UCL Masters Bursary for UK students and our UCL Global Masters Scholarship for international students. You can click the link below to search via the scholarships finder for awards that you might be eligible for. Your academic department will also be able to provide you with more information about funding.
External Scholarships
Online aggregators like Postgraduate Studentships, Scholarship Search, Postgraduate Funding and International Financial Aid and College Scholarship Search contain information on a variety of external schemes.
If you have specific circumstances or ethnic or religious background it is worth searching for scholarships/bursaries/grants that relate to those things. Some schemes are very specific.
Funding for disabled students
Master's students who have a disability may be able to get extra funding for additional costs they incur to study.
Teaching and learning
Taught courses include substantial independent study, lectures, seminars and other group activities. These may be examined through sit down examinations, essays and other assignments.
During your studies, you will find that there is significant variation in the types and style of assessment you are required to undertake. Alongside the traditional written essay or coursework and written examinations, you will find Multiple Choice Questionnaires (MCQs), online tests, oral presentations, book reviews, group projects and many other styles.
For full-time students, typical contact hours are around 12 hours per week. Outside of lectures, seminars, workshops and tutorials, full-time students typically study the equivalent of a full-time job, using their remaining time for self-directed study and completing coursework assignments.
Example of time spent if a Full-time Student versus Part-time Student
- Full-time: Students study for 40 hours per week. Additionally students retaking a year will be deemed Full-time, when retaking more than half of the activity of the year.
- Part-time: Students study at a structured rate per week, normally half the rate of Full-time study. Additionally students retaking a year will be deemed Part-time when retaking half or less of the activity of the year.
Modules
Full-time
You will undertake a series of compulsory modules covering key substantive knowledge and methodological skills. Please note that all students must take one qualitative and one quantitative methods module in order to conduct further independent research. You will further attend optional module(s) which will allow you to personalise your degree in order to fit your own academic and/or professional interests. Finally, you will write a dissertation featuring your original take on a debate within the field.
- In term one, you will take a compulsory module on “International Peace and Security”, which introduces you to major themes and debates in the contemporary study of international security, peace and conflict. You may also attend compulsory modules on quantitative and qualitative methods (introductory or advanced , depending on prior training) and on “Violent and Non-Violent Conflict”.
- In term two, you may take a compulsory module on qualitative or quanitative methods (depending on prior training and advanced level of study). It is recommended your module selection on the second term already aligns with what you will need for your dissertation research.
- In terms one and two, you will also choose at least one of six option modules, plus two elective modules in the fields of comparative politics, international relations, public policy and political theory. Our course offer is vast and allows you to tailor your degree to the area you want to specialise in. Please consult the department’s website for an overview of modules.
- In term three, you may sit exams and work on your MSc dissertation project, in one-to-one meetings with your dissertation supervisor and by conducting independent research.
Part-time
The programme structure for part-time students follows the same structure as our full-time students. We do encourage our part-time students to distribute their workload evenly between the two years of study.
Many part-time students opt for one of the following patterns:
- 75 credits in year one and 105 credits in year two;
or - 90 credits in year one and 90 credits in year two.
Upon completion you will have undertaken modules to the value of 180 credits, comprising of compulsory modules covering key substantive and methodological concepts and a dissertation. You will have further attended elective module(s) so you can personalise your programme of study to your own academic or professional interests.
Compulsory Modules
- International Peace and Security
- Violent and Non-Violent Conflict
- Dissertation
Optional Modules
- Qualitative Methods: Interviews, Observations and Mixed Methods
- Qualitative Methods: Using Texts, Transcripts and Images
- Qualitative Methods: Case Studies and Comparative Analysis
- Causal Inference
- Introduction to Quantitative Methods
- Terrorism
- Governing Divided Societies
- Conflict Resolution and Post-War Development
- War and International Law
- From Cyberwarfare to Robots: The Future of Global Conflict in the Digital Age
- American Foreign Policy
UCL Political Science is recognised as a centre of excellence in the field of peace and conflict studies and offers a stimulating environment for the study of international security.
Students benefit from a world-class diverse faculty that actively influences contemporary debates in this field, as well as seminars featuring distinguished external speakers, and regular high-profile events with academics and policymakers.
Thanks to faculty members' outstanding expertise in all relevant topics, the methodological and substantive training students receive in this programme is one of the finest available globally. Students also benefit from the multidisciplinary nature of the programme. Beyond the recognised quality of its core research faculty, the MSc in Security Studies is embedded in a first-rate political science department in one of the world's top universities, ranked 9th in the QS World University Rankings 2024.
The foundation of your career
Graduates of the programme are ideally placed to develop careers in the fields of international relations, public policy and political analysis. Many graduates go on to study their PhD at UCL or other universities in the UK or overseas. (Graduate Outcomes survey 2017-2022)
Employability
The Security Studies MSc is designed to endow students with an advanced set of analytical and methodological skills that enable them to collect and analyse data to test theoretically-informed hypotheses relating to the causes and consequences of conflict and related security issues.
These analytical skills have made our students attractive for employers across many sectors, including the civil service, the private sector; (e.g. in political risk analysis), NGOs and international organisations.
Networking
The Department host an eclectic and impressive offer of events, these range from our 'Policy and Practice' seminars which include talks by high-profile policy makers, practitioners and academics, to our Departmental Research Seminars (DRS).
- The International Public Policy Review is a student-led forum for debate, discussion, and networking for those passionate about politics, governance and international affairs
- The International and Public Affairs Society is a student-run society for all students in the Department of Political Science. They organise social and fundraising events and endeavour to develop a strong and friendly community within the School of Public Policy (SPP).
- UCL Social Data Institute is led by the Faculty of Social and Historical Sciences (SHS), and the Institute amplifies UCL’s advanced research and teaching in social data and methods.