International Relations

International relations is the academic study of how states, international organisations, non-governmental actors, and global forces interact to shape world affairs. It asks why wars begin and how they end, what drives international cooperation and what makes it break down, how global governance works and where it fails, and how forces such as trade, migration, technology, climate change, and cultural exchange cross borders and reshape the world. At Goldsmiths, this three-year, full-time degree approaches the discipline with the critical and interdisciplinary spirit for which the college is known, drawing on political theory, history, sociology, economics, and cultural studies to examine the dynamics of a constantly changing world.

You will study the major theoretical traditions in international relations, including realism, liberalism, constructivism, and critical approaches, alongside the empirical study of contemporary global issues such as security, human rights, development, trade, environmental politics, and the role of international institutions. The programme develops your capacity for critical analysis, evidence-based argument, and the ability to engage with contested and complex questions about power, justice, and order in the international system. Goldsmiths' distinctively creative and critical academic culture provides an environment in which these questions are taken seriously and explored with intellectual depth.

Graduates of international relations find careers in the civil service, diplomacy, international organisations, NGOs, journalism, policy think tanks, the financial sector, international development, and advocacy organisations. The analytical, research, and communication skills the degree develops are widely transferable, and many graduates also go on to postgraduate study in international relations, law, security studies, or public policy. For those who want to understand how the world works and contribute to shaping it, this programme provides a rigorous and intellectually stimulating education.