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Section: Taught Masters Programmes
MSc in International Political Theory
Application deadline for September 2012 entry is 15th July 2012
Welcome from the Programme Director
Welcome to the MSc in International Political Theory programme microsite. On these pages you will find key information 
about what this programme offers (see righthand panel for links to the pages). I hope you’ll find everything you are looking for – and if you don’t, please feel free to contact me.
International Political Theory (IPT) is a new and rapidly growing field, capturing some of the most important and intellectually exciting developments of contemporary political concern.* Questions of justice, rights, political obligation and forms of government, previously examined primarily within the context of the nation-state, appear transformed as new and unprecedented challenges arise in the context of increasing global integration.
Central questions include: What is a just cause for war? When is intervention justified? What principles of justice can or should apply globally? Should human rights ever take precedence over the principle of state sovereignty? What responsibilities do well-ordered states have to protect individuals in “failed states”? What responsibilities do the global rich have towards the global poor? How should international institutions respond to the challenges of global environmental protection and climate change?
In short, we are interested in examining the rights and wrongs of international affairs, viewing these not only as ethical issues, but also as matters rooted in, and with consequences for, the institutions and processes of political and economic organisation globally.
So if you think this sounds like your kind of programme, I hope you'll explore the pages and links provided on this microsite. (For information on entry requirements, funding, and other practical aspects of applying, please check the links in the lefthand panel.) And if you have any questions, or want to offer any feedback, do drop me an email.
(Professor of Environmental Political Theory and Director of the Just World Institute)
*NB. Prospective applicants should be aware that as a branch of normative Political Theory, the topics and methods of inquiry of IPT are distinct from those of empirical political science and international relations (so for students interested in a more empirical programme, we recommend considering the MSc in International and European Politics).
Bologna Compatibility
Like all University of Edinburgh Masters programmes, the degree is fully Bologna compatible, and is recognised across Europe and beyond under the principles of the Bologna framework. The programme comprises 180 Edinburgh credits, which are equivalent to 90 ECTS credits.
This page was published on 13 September 2011