War Studies

War studies is a discipline that examines one of the most enduring and consequential aspects of human experience: organised armed conflict and its causes, conduct, consequences, and potential prevention. It approaches this subject from multiple angles, drawing on history, politics, international relations, philosophy, sociology, strategic studies, and diplomacy to build a multidimensional understanding of why wars occur, how they are fought, and what their effects are on states, societies, and individuals. War studies at its best does not glorify or sensationalise conflict but seeks to understand it rigorously, in the belief that understanding is the precondition for effective responses.

At King's College London, where the programme has been offered since 1991, this three-year full-time BA examines the global human challenges of war and conflict in all their complexity. You will study the history of warfare, theories of conflict, the ethics of just war, the politics of international security, the role of diplomacy and deterrence, and the experiences of those who live through conflict. The programme includes a year abroad, giving you the opportunity to study at an international partner institution and engage with these questions in a different educational and cultural environment.

You will develop the ability to collect and evaluate a wide range of evidence, to analyse complex and important issues from multiple disciplinary perspectives, and to present your arguments clearly and persuasively, in writing and orally. These are capacities that transfer well beyond the subject itself.

Graduates of war studies programmes move into careers in the armed forces, intelligence and security services, diplomacy, international organisations, journalism, policy analysis, think tanks, humanitarian organisations, and academia. Many also continue to postgraduate study in strategic studies, security studies, international relations, or history.