International Relations and Sociology - MA (Hons)

International Relations and Sociology at Aberdeen gives you solid grounding in the role of power, states and governments in an ever-changing global context and combines it with a fascinating exploration of how the societies we live in shape us as individuals in all sorts of ways. With top-rated teaching and a culture of dynamic research, you will gain the skills to be a sought-after graduate by employers in many sectors, and with strong international possibilities.In International Relations, you will look closely at how states and organisations interact, global wealth and poverty and the ever-present concerns of conflict and peace. You will study regional and international tensions, nationalism, concepts of democracy and be taught by internationally renowned academics with strong track records in publishing international papers and articles and who appear regularly in the media, analysing and explaining national, European and world developments from the viewpoint of their own area of expertise and research.Sociology at Aberdeen will complement and add depth to your studies of how global societies interact. You will explore how society shapes us as individuals in all sorts of ways and study sociology of the family, work-life balance, religion and society.You will be taught by experts in social movements, conflict and peace, religion and secularisation and global political sociology. You will become skilled in the social research methods used to gather the evidence to better understand aspects of society – such as observation, interviews, large-scale surveys or analysing the content of documents and videos. You will have great career options in politics, media, local and national government, NGOs and international affairs and also marketing and advertising, social and market research, teaching, health and social services, charities and human resources.Aberdeen is a Top 10 UK university for Sociology and International Relations, ranking 5th in the UK for Sociology and Social Policy and 8th in the UK for International Relations (Guardian University Guide 2025).