School of Government & International Affairs | MSc Defence, Development and Diplomacy

MSc Defence, Development & Diplomacy at Durham University

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Taught by academics and practitioners with a depth of regional expertise, this interdisciplinary MSc explores the ever-changing area of Conflict, Conflict Intervention and Post-Conflict Reconstruction through the lenses of defence, development and diplomacy.

In recent decades, the combination of defence, development and diplomacy (also known as the 3Ds) has played an increasingly important role in international politics. With more drawn-out conflicts, asymmetric wars of attrition, and a growing number of countries living in a state of ‘no peace, no war’, our understanding of conflict and conflict intervention is shifting. Conflicts are rarely resolved through military victory, international diplomacy, or long-term development. Instead, they require a comprehensive approach that combines all three to address the political, economic and security-related needs of states and populations alike. Increasingly, success is determined by how well the different arms of government and civil society, both locally and internationally, can work together – and how well they understand each other’s perspectives.

This custom-designed, interdisciplinary MSc offers a unique opportunity to look at Conflict, Conflict Intervention, and Post-Conflict Reconstruction through the lenses of defence, development and diplomacy. We explore the latest research using a range of innovative teaching techniques, delivered by a combination of academics and practitioners with world-leading expertise in areas such as Violence & Insecurity, International Intervention, Approaches to Peace & Justice and Mobility & Displacement.

Your theoretical understanding and research skills are brought together in the MSc dissertation, while the innovative Humanitarian Intervention Simulation module gives you a chance to bring your knowledge and skills to life in a simulated conflict situation.

The MSc is likely to appeal to graduates who aspire to a career in government, the armed forces, inter-governmental organisations, NGOs, or academia and to practitioners looking to enhance their practical skills while placing them within a broader theoretical perspective.

Our postgraduates achieve successful careers in a wide range of fields including local and national government, diplomacy, newspaper and broadcast journalism, the charity sector, business and finance, publishing, law, manufacturing, teaching and academia, and the armed forces.

Former postgraduate students have taken up roles with leading employers including the House of Commons, Clifford Chance, Accenture, British Airways, Ernst and Young, British Telecom, Goldman Sachs, PwC, the Royal Navy, House of Fraser, Channel 4, HSBC, Teach First, Durham University, Black Rock and the Audit Commission.

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