International Relations and Theological Studies

International relations and theological studies is an unusual but intellectually productive combination that brings together the analysis of global politics with the serious study of religion as a force in human history, culture, and contemporary affairs. International relations provides the tools to understand the diplomatic, political, economic, and security relationships between states and other actors at a global scale. Theological studies examines the traditions, texts, and ideas through which human beings have understood their relationship to the divine and to each other, and it is increasingly recognised that religion is not a declining peripheral force but a major factor in global politics, conflict, and ethics.

At the University of St Andrews this four-year MA (Hons) programme develops your understanding of both disciplines in genuine depth. The international relations component teaches you to explore issues including the origins of war and peace, the making of foreign policy, trade regimes, international terrorism, human rights, and international law. The theological studies component introduces you to the history and ideas of major religious traditions, to ethical theory, and to the ways religious communities engage with political and social questions.

A year abroad is built into the programme, broadening your academic experience and giving you direct exposure to different intellectual traditions and cultural contexts.

Graduates with this combination are well placed for careers in diplomacy, international development, conflict resolution, human rights, journalism, NGOs, and policy research, where both political analysis and an understanding of the role of religion in public life are increasingly important. Many move into the foreign office, international organisations, think tanks, or development agencies. Others pursue postgraduate study in international relations, theology, religious studies, or conflict transformation, building towards specialist academic or policy-facing research careers.

The combination is unusual enough to be genuinely distinctive in a competitive graduate job market.