MA in Violence, Terrorism and Security

Political violence, terrorism, and civil conflict have seriously affected the lives of millions of people around the world. Moreover, the legacy of 9/11, the rise of groups like ISIS in Syria and Iraq, and the emergence of far-right groups in the West have brought questions about the nature, evolution, causes, and consequences of non-state political violence to the forefront of academic, policymaking, media, and popular debates. Similarly, security responses to these challenges feature prominently in global politics. Governments pursue security strategies to preserve order and protect their citizens. Yet many governments also participate in conflict and political violence by holding onto power and preserving systemic injustices.

The MA in Violence, Terrorism and Security at Queen’s University Belfast provides you with the tools to understand and critically engage with these issues. It equips you with the foundations and the most up-to-date research and methodologies in the fields of terrorism studies, security studies and conflict analysis. This programme helps students develop a critical and analytical approach to the study of the use of political violence and terrorism in history and the contemporary world. The MA in Violence, Terrorism and Security also challenges accepted wisdom and opens debate about the role of violence in relation to political power in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. It assesses state responses to the threat of terrorism and the challenge to security.

This programme provides you with the essential transferable skills and in-depth knowledge of theories and issues in the areas of violence, security, and terrorism for career development at any stage, from students straight from an undergraduate degree with limited to no prior professional experience to those seeking continued professional development. This programme enables you to broaden your horizons, providing you with a competitive edge in a global graduate market in a wide variety of areas such as the security sector, including intelligence agencies, government agencies and public office, the military, NGOs, academia, businesses and corporations, and the media among many other possibilities.

Violence, Terrorism And Security Highlights

This programme offers a unique opportunity to develop your knowledge, understanding, transferable skills and critical engagement with central issues in the study of political violence and terrorism as well as state responses to these challenges.

Global Opportunities

Located in Belfast, Northern Ireland, we offer a unique opportunity for our students to access and engage with a community context previously challenged by violence, terrorism, and security as part of the programme of study. Our students have the opportunity to live and study in a post-conflict environment with access to guest lecturers who were involved in the Northern Irish conflict peace process, including researchers, policymakers to ex-combatants.

Career Development

The programme provides you with a competitive edge in a global graduate market in a wide variety of areas such as the security sector, including intelligence agencies, government agencies and public office, the military, NGOs, academia, businesses and corporations, and the media.

We have a world-class Graduate School. The Graduate School provides an exclusive postgraduate hub that values the needs of our students. Queen’s was ranked 3rd out of 199 universities worldwide and 2nd out of 44 UK universities for our Graduate School.

Internationally Renowned Experts

Our teaching staff have global standing as experts in their field. They regularly interface with policymakers, state governments, and sectoral actors, giving expert advice and expertise to the field. We also have excellent links to our Research Institutes, such as the Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice. Queen’s is ranked in the top 75 universities in Europe for Teaching Excellent (Times Higher Education, 2019). Politics was ranked joint 1st in the UK for Research Intensity (Complete University Guide, 2021). Queen’s is ranked 14th in the UK for research quality (Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2020).

Student Experience

Located in Belfast, Northern Ireland, we offer a unique opportunity for our students to access and engage with a community context previously challenged by violence, terrorism and security as part of the programme of study. Our students have the opportunity to live and study in a post-conflict environment. We also hold numerous events and guest lecturers who were involved in the Northern Irish conflict and the peace process, including researchers, policymakers to ex-combatants. We offer an optional extra-curricular custom-designed field visit to Brussels organised by our partners in the Leuven Institute, where students engage with counterterrorism experts, security practitioners in NATO, EU Commission and various NGOs. This optional extra is subsidised but will incur some additional costs. Our programme attracts international award holders of the highest calibre, including Marshall and Mitchell scholars. Study with like-minded students from various backgrounds in VTS. Some of our students have previous experience in the United Nations, national police forces, and military, among many others, before coming to study with us. Study with like-minded students from various backgrounds.

Welcome to the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at Queen’s University Belfast. We are a dynamic community of internationally acclaimed researchers, scholars and students who are committed to creating and sustaining a modern and meaningful place of connected learning. We are open to all talents, welcoming of challenge and change, and dedicated to using our subject expertise to make a difference in lives locally, nationally and internationally.

The Faculty has almost 10,500 students and over 700 academic and support staff who work in and across our five Schools – Arts, English and Languages; History, Anthropology, Philosophy and Politics; Law; Management; and Social Sciences, Education and Social Work, and in the Senator George J. Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice. Our colleagues and students pursue a wide range of activities, including world-leading research and life-changing teaching. We hope that you want to be part of our work: we have nearly 150 undergraduate and postgraduate programmes as well as lots of challenging doctoral opportunities, so there is definitely something to suit your needs and ambition.

We are proud of the work of our students and staff, which has been recognised by many others for its quality and its commitment to work that makes. As a member of the Russell Group, Queen’s University Belfast is one of the UK’s 24 leading universities, providing students with a world-class education underpinned by world-class research. Queen’s is truly a global university, as our researchers work closely with more than 250 universities around the world and with even more businesses and agencies in Belfast and internationally. These networks and collaborations inform our programmes and offer great opportunities for students to learn with and from international peers and partners.

So, with a huge range of undergraduate and postgraduate opportunities, as well as a vibrant postgraduate research culture, I know that you will find that Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at Queen’s University Belfast will challenge and inspire you, as well as equip you with the first-class skills and knowledge to excel in your chosen career.

Nola Hewitt-Dundas Pro-Vice-Chancellor

An Intellectual Powerhouse

Spanning everything from traditional humanities and social science subjects to cutting-edge areas in Creative Arts and applied professional studies.

Over 40 per cent of our research is ranked in the top 25 per cent for its respective subject area, with a further 40 per cent in the top 50 per cent nationally.

A Collaborative Culture

Our interdisciplinary environment allows students from all fields the opportunity to interact with academic leaders and participate in their research.

Areas of notable excellence include Creative Writing, Sonic Arts, Global Financial Markets, Children’s Well-being, Poverty and Social Exclusion, Translation and Interpreting and Shared Education.