This is a unique and innovative interdisciplinary programme taught through subject areas that include politics and international relations, law, anthropology, history, philosophy, sociology and the creative arts. Module choice within the programme will permit you to build your own personalised portfolio of knowledge and learning within the area of conflict transformation and social justice. You will be taught by academics and practitioners whose expertise in conflict transformation is both national and global and who offer research-led teaching on Europe, Asia, and South America.
Queen's University offers the only global interdisciplinary MA programme on Conflict Transformation and Social Justice.
Hosted in the School of HAPP, this programme offers an interdisciplinary approach to understanding both conflict transformation and social justice with access justice with access to The Senator George J. Mitchell Institute.
Conflict Transformation and Social Justice highlights
Student Experience
This programme offers an interdisciplinary approach to understanding both conflict transformation and social justice. Students will meet experts from three different schools allowing for a broad range of geographical and conceptual/disciplinary insights.
Internationally Renowned Experts
Students are afforded the opportunity to meet both scholars and practitioners of conflict transformation and social justice through a range of modules, masterclasses and events that emphasise both the scholarly and applied elements of conflict transformation and social justice.
Student Experience
Location of Belfast: globally significant locale for conflict and peace research; access to institutions, community projects, case studies for students' own work. Students are encouraged to independently seek voluntary placements with local community groups,
Internationally Renowned Experts
You will be taught by staff with research profiles of international standing, and wide ranges of interest in conflict transformation and social justice both geographically and disciplinary. You will have the opportunity to attend events with visiting world-leading researchers, diplomats and/or practitioners.
World Class Facilities
Established in 2016, The Senator George J. Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice is an international centre of excellence at Queen’s University Belfast. The Institute fosters collaborations across a range of subject areas which allow the Faculty to address some of the key global challenges faced in seeking to achieve fairness, security, prosperity, social harmony and progress. A flagship for interdisciplinary research in areas of major societal challenge, the Mitchell Institute brings together excellent researchers from a wide range of disciplines to tackle some of the greatest global issues of our age.
Career Development
Our graduates find employment in NGOS, civil sector organisations, in policy research, law, advocacy, government, peace journalism, and conflict mediation settings.
Student Experience
Queen’s is ranked in the top 170 in the world for graduate prospects (QS Graduate Employability Rankings 2022).
Queen’s ranked 18 in the world for international outlook (Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2023).
16% of the Queen’s student population are international students (Queen’s Planning Office, 2023).
Politics and International Studies is ranked in the top 200 in the world by subject (QS World rankings 2024).
Student Testimonials
I chose this course because of its focus on interdisciplinarity and its comparative approach to conflict transformation and social justice. Its location in Belfast was also a determining factor for me. I’m interested in studying the role of women in social conflict in different countries – both their involvement in the conflict and the impact of the conflict on their well-being.
Rachel Green
Students may enrol on a full-time (9 months) or part-time (2 years) basis. Students must complete two core modules (40 CATS points), four optional modules (80 CATS points) and a research dissertation (60 CATS points).
The MA is awarded to students who successfully complete six taught modules (120 CATS points) and a research dissertation (60 CATS points).
Exit qualifications are available: students may exit with a Postgraduate Diploma by successfully completing 120 CATS points from taught modules.
HAPP Dr Hannah Partis-Jennings works within Critical Military Studies and Feminist Peace and Conflict Studies. Her particular interests lie in military atrocity, the everyday dynamics of militarism and modes of peacebuilding in conflict-affected contexts, as well as the gender dynamics of militarism, conflict and conflict-affected environments.
Email: h.partis@qub.ac.uk
HAPP Maria Deiana is a Senior Lecturer in International Relations and the director of the Centre for Gender in Politics. She has published widely on the politics of gender and feminist activism in contexts shaped by armed conflict, international intervention and peacebuilding, on the role of art and creative methods in conflict transformation and on EU border politics and security. Currently, she has a specific interest in transformative and creative approaches to mediation and peacebuilding
Email: m.deiana@qub.ac.uk
Teaching Times
Teaching takes place at a variety of times from 9-8pm Monday – Friday.
Learning and Teaching
Learning opportunities associated with this course are outlined below:
Personal Development
Our MA can help you gain the skills and knowledge that can lead to meaningful work in range of fields, all over the world.
Our MA can also be useful as an aspect of continuing professional development for those already working in careers in social and community work, politics and policy making, teaching, policing, religious ministry, advocacy, and journalism.
World Leading Experts
You will be part of a community of learners within the School of History, Anthropology, Philosophy and Politics (HAPP), who are dedicated to understanding conflict and its transformation. Class time includes plenty of opportunities for discussion. You will have access to world-leading experts and be able to attend the numerous public lectures organised by the HAPP research centres and the Mitchell Institute. You will also meet your lecturers and classmates at monthly informal events.
Some students may avail of the opportunity to participate in voluntary, non-assessed placements with local organisations.
Assessment
Assessments associated with the course are outlined below:
Examination
Written feedback is provided on all assessed work. Students also receive oral feedback in the classroom and in one-to-one meetings with lecturers.
The information below is intended as an example only, featuring module details for the current year of study (2024/25). Modules are reviewed on an annual basis and may be subject to future changes – revised details will be published through Programme Specifications ahead of each academic year.
This triple-weighted module comprises independent research on a topic that relates to taught modular coursework.
Learning Outcomes
Subject-specific skills
1. Ability to identify relevant and subject-specific and inter-disciplinary knowledge, sources and data;
2. Ability to manage, explain and develop subject-specific knowledge through independent study;
3. Ability to identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant theoretical, subject-specific and methodological arguments;
4. Ability to develop and construct independent thinking around key approaches to conflict transformation and social justice;
5. Ability to develop and design conflict transformation and social justice practices;
6. Ability to organise and also synthesis extensive amounts of complex scholarship, information and data and in so doing be able to explain, verify and critique such information and knowledge;
7. Ability to use evidence to develop a clear and logical argument and use information effectively in a direct and appropriate way.
This module aims to introduce key approaches to research design, while also introducing some of the contemporary debates in research in the social sciences and humanities. It will also provide students with an introduction to some of the key practical research skills they will find of use when designing and conducting their academic research. These skills are also those which students will find necessary as they continue their academic and research career.
Students will have a high degree of choice across workshops, enabling them to tailor the module content to their pathway of student and personal research goals. The workshops will address five key areas: Fundamentals of Research; Debates; Philosophy of Science/Epistemology; Qualitative Methods; and Quantitative Methods.
The broad aims of the module are to:
• Introduce students to the diversity of research approaches and debates;
• Heighten awareness of methodological issues facing researchers in the social sciences and humanities;
• Develop an awareness of interdisciplinarity and its potentials and challenges in research;
• Encourage students to develop their research skills through the selective use of this reading guide and their own search for appropriate literature on research design topics that are of interest to them.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module, students will have:
• obtained a clear understanding of some central issues and methodological debates that are basic to social science and humanities research;
• been introduced to interdisciplinarity in research, and developed an understanding of how it relates to their own work;
• communicated this understanding in an analytically rigorous manner through assessed written work;
• demonstrated the kind of methodological awareness that will allow them to pursue their own research or coursework in an analytically rigorous and self-critical manner.
• been equipped with the intellectual capacity to defend a particular approach to their own research;
• started to make preparations for a research dissertation.
Skills
Intellectual skills
• Managing & Prioritizing Knowledge: identify relevant and subject-specific knowledge, sources and data; manage such information in an independent manner
• Analytical Thinking: identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant subject-specific arguments made by others; construct independent arguments
• Critical & Independent Thinking: ability to think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the field
Professional and career development skills
• Communication Skills: ability to communicate clearly with others, both orally and in writing
• Diversity: ability to acknowledge and be sensitive to the range of cultural differences present in the learning environment
• Self-Reflexivity: ability to reflect on one’s own progress and identify and act upon ones own development needs with respect to life-long learning and career development
• Time Management: ability to negotiate diverse and competing pressures; cope with stress; and achieve a work / life balance
Technical and practical skills
• Information Technology: demonstrate the knowledge and ability to use contemporary and relevant ICT
Organizational skills
• Efficient and effective work practice: demonstrate ability to work efficiently to deadlines
• Clear organisation of information: show efficiency in the organisation of large amounts of complex information and the ability to identify, describe and analyse the key features of the information
• Organisation and communication: demonstrate ability to use evidence to develop logical and clear arguments; show aptitude for the effective use of information in a direct and appropriate way
• Enterprising thinking: Demonstrate ability to think and argue in novel and enterprising ways, to display originality of thought and argument and the ability to clearly support arguments in innovative ways
How do you address mass atrocities when there are thousands or even millions of victims and perpetrators? How do you begin to deal with the crimes committed by different states and actors in Syria or even on a smaller scale in Northern Ireland? Since the Second World War international criminal justice has emerged as a body of law to hold individuals responsible for mass atrocities. This module aims to introduce students to the key questions on the relationships between international law, justice and the transition from conflict in the 21st century through an exploration of law, criminological and social theory and case studies. The module adopts a broad interdisciplinary approach to mapping these connected issues and draws on a range of source and geo-political contexts (Latin America and Africa). It touches on contemporary controversies with international justice and domestic political conflicts, such as the intervention of the ICC in Palestine, criminal responsibility child soldiers, and reparations by multinational corporations.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the module, students should be able to:
- Demonstrate a critical understanding of the topics covered in the module, including the concepts of transitional justice and conflict transformation and the relationship amongst criminology, conflict and transition;
- Critically reflect on the relevance of discourses on transitional justice in other jurisdictions to the ongoing transitional process in Northern Ireland;
- Critically assess laws, policies, practices and conduct in the areas covered and apply them to topical problems;
- Interpret relevant concepts and understand theoretical frameworks relevant to the study of the topics;
- Demonstrate knowledge and skills of critical analysis and engage in relevant debate;
- Conduct thorough research on criminal justice and criminology topics and present findings orally and in writing.
Skills
• Oral and written communication skills, as appropriate to LLM-level scholarship
• An advanced knowledge of and ability to understand and critically evaluate key theories, concepts, principles, rules and values in criminal justice, building on previous work within the programme
• An advanced awareness, critical understanding of and engagement with legal and policy debates, specifically in the area of criminal justice, and an ability to tie those debates to debates encountered in previous modules.
• An advanced capacity to synthesise relevant primary and secondary literatures in criminal justice and to use those literatures to formulate new arguments
• An advanced ability to engage in self-managed, self-directed and intellectually independent research, to reflect on one’s own learning, to solve problems, make decisions, to develop work both as an individual and in collaboration with others as appropriate and to offer evidenced conclusions addressing complex actual or hypothetical problems.
• An advanced ability to recognise and rank issues in terms of their relevance and importance.
• An advanced awareness of legal and regulatory regimes and of their impact with regard to criminal justice, building on previous work within the programme
• An ability to use information technologies for communication, data retrieval and analysis as appropriate to the module
• Engagement with one’s own personal and professional development and academic integrity
The module familiarises students with the field of religious peacebuilding, which is one of the growth areas within conflict transformation studies in the social sciences. The module establishes the nature of religious peacebuilding as it currently conceived and which has moved it intellectually significantly beyond inter-faith dialogue between the world religions. Religious peacebuilding is now integrally tied to the idea of reconciliation, conflict transformation and social justice and is thus a meeting ground for theology, ethics and social science. The course places particular emphasis on three dimensions within religious peacebuilding, the role of religion in truth recovery, transitional justice, and inter-faith dialogue. These processes are subject to critical review and the module assesses the boundaries of unforgivingness after conflict, the burden of memory and the boundaries of forgetting, the problems with ‘truth’ and truth recovery, the limits of shame apologies and reparations, the constraints on inter-faith dialogue and the engagement of religious practitioners in social transformation and social justice after conflict. The module will focus on religious peacebuilding internationally, covering such cases as Northern Ireland, Colombia, Sri Lanka, Israel-Palestine and the Middle East, and South Africa. The module will provide opportunities to engage with practitioners in faith-based NGOs in Northern Ireland about their personal engagement in religious peacebuilding. The module will lay the necessary conceptual, methodological and substantive foundations for students, if they wish, to carry out their own independent researches in religious peacebuilding within the dissertation associated with the MA in Conflict Transformation and Social Justice, and in other contexts, including possible future PhD research. The module is seminar based and will use a variety of different pedagogic strategies, ranging from lectures, student seminar presentations, student-led discussions, videos, and discussions with faith-based practitioners from Northern Ireland.
Learning Outcomes
Learning Outcomes
The learning outcomes of this module are:
•To give attention to the growth in religious peacebuilding as a means for achieving reconciliation, conflict transformation and social justice after conflict
•To understand the meaning of reconciliation, conflict transformation and social justice after conflict, both in the sense of reconciliation between former enemies and with the past more generally
•To address the range of processes in religious peacebuilding and its expansion beyond questions of inter-faith dialogue
•To critically assess the potential for reconciliation, conflict transformation and social justice by addressing religious peacebuilding in critical perspective by:
Exploring the boundaries of unforgivingness after conflict
Exploring the burden of memory and the boundaries of forgetting
Exploring the problem with ‘truth’ and truth recovery
Exploring the limits of shame apologies and reparations
Exploring the limits of inter-faith dialogue
Skills
Skills are focused on knowledge and understanding, intellectual skills, and study skills, as follows
Knowledge and understanding
At the end of the course students should be aware of the issues involved in successful religious peacebuilding. In particular:
• the sociological features of religious peacebuilding
• the limits of religious peacebuilding
• the role of religion in managing legacy issues arising from conflict
• the role of religion in assisting reconciliation
Intellectual skills
The course aims to extend and develop the students’ sociological perspective and its application to understanding key public issues in the contemporary world. It will demonstrate how a rigorous social scientific approach can illuminate a fascinating and timely topic; raise very general issues about the nature of social scientific explanation and the status of evidence in the social sciences; and show the value of comparative analysis.
Study skills
Improvement in students’ ability to:
• obtain and evaluate relevant information
• to write concise and clear analytical essays
• communicate orally via the presentation of structured and reasoned arguments in small group settings
• to work under the constraint of time pressures
• to reflect critically on the quality of your own work
• to direct their own learning
Global Concepts and Practice of Conflict Transformation and Social Justice
Overview
This module will provide students with an overview of key debates and approaches in the social sciences regarding Conflict Transformation and Social Justice. There is a widespread recognition that CT and SJ are ‘multivalent’ phrases. For example, different disciplines speak of ‘distributive’, ‘procedural’, ‘restorative’, ‘transitional’ and even ‘spatial’ justice, and each of these types has been further subdivided to reflect differences in social philosophy and in common usage. Similarly, Conflict Transformation is a multiply constructed concept referring to a blend of theories and practices that, although interrelated, do not constitute a clearly demarcated and coherently defined whole. Some speak of ‘conflict resolution’ and ‘reconciliation’ while for others the notion of ‘transformation’ implies that conflict is an innate condition of human societies.
Reflecting this diversity of approaches the Global Concepts and Practices of Conflict Transformation and Social Justice core module will focus on constructing a coherent cross-disciplinary approach to the subject area while pointing out elements of conceptual and epistemological disagreement among the disciplines. The module will enable students to: recognise the relationship between different understandings of conflict and justice; to understand the underlying causes of different types of social and political conflicts; to critique different approaches to conflict intervention; and to research processes of post-conflict social and political transformation in their relationship to social justice. In this manner, the module aims to provide students with an essential framework, enabling them to further study and specialise in the subject area through optional disciplinary modules offered by individual Schools.
Specifically, the module will:
• Acquaint students with key disciplinary concepts and theories of conflict and justice; clarify the multiple meanings of terms such as ‘conflict transformation’ and ‘social justice’; and introduce students to the varied and multiple treatment of these terms in academic discourse;
• Present the similarity and dissimilarity between disciplinary approaches to CT and SJ through emphasising the nature and meaning of inter-disciplinary approaches;
• Enhance students’ understanding of conflict transformation as a process which encompasses, but goes beyond, conflict intervention and conflict management;
• Explain the importance of social justice in processes of conflict transformation and assist students in understanding and critically assessing the role of social justice in developing sustainable forms of conflict transformation;
• Develop the capacity of students to understand and critically interrogate different disciplinary terminology, theories of conflict and justice, and approaches to conflict transformation and social justice;
• Enable students to understand the relationship between theoretical conceptualisations of CT and SJ (via an inter-disciplinary frame) and existing in practice approaches to, and models of, conflict intervention and management, conflict transformation and social justice;
• Promote the capacity of students to critically interrogate existing approaches to conflict intervention, understanding their strengths and limitations;
• Through variant approaches present the importance of interdisciplinarity so as to embolden research strength, intellectual fluidity and robust methodological approaches of case studies;
• Provide an overview of more recent perspectives on conflict transformation and social justice – how they respond to (deal with and portray) key contemporary and global challenges (e.g. environmental and spatial change, neoliberal economic development, identity politics, mobilities, the role of young people in conflicts, and intergenerational conflict and justice);
• Introduce students to the complex problematic of ethics in conflict transformation and social justice;
The module facilitates the understanding of conflict transformation and social justice as multiply constructed concepts. It will provide students with an inter-disciplinary ‘road map’ within which they will be able to position and understand the relationship between such theories and concepts in inter-disciplinary studies.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the module participants will have:
• A systematic understanding and knowledge of the principle features of conflict, transformation and social justice within an inter-disciplinary frame;
• A systematic understanding and knowledge of the application of conflict transformation and social justice;
• An efficient understanding and knowledge of various approaches to conflict transformation and social justice within contemporary societies, regions and related global interactions;
• A systematic understanding and knowledge of the skills required in order to study conflict transformation and social justice;
• A systematic understanding and critical awareness of the of influence that theories and models of conflict and justice have on conflict transformation and social justice practices;
• A conceptual understanding and critical awareness of the context (historical, political, policy, sociological, international, legal, human rights etc.) of conflict and its reproduction;
• A conceptual appreciation and critical awareness of the ethics of conflict transformation and social justice delivery;
• An understanding of multiple processes involved in designing and delivering conflict transformation and social justice;
• An understanding of alternative forms of dispute resolution and significance of advocacy and negotiation methods in the administration of social justice and conflict transformation.
Skills Acquired:
Students will advance their:
• Ability to identify relevant and subject-specific and inter-disciplinary knowledge, sources and data;
• Ability to manage and develop subject-specific knowledge through independent study;
• Ability to identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant theoretical, subject-specific and methodological arguments;
• Ability to develop and construct independent thinking around key approaches to conflict transformation and social justice;
• Ability to develop and design conflict transformation and social justice practices;
• Ability to organise and also synthesise extensive amounts of complex scholarship, information and data and in so doing be able to explain, verify and critique such information and knowledge;
• Ability to use evidence to develop a clear and logical argument and use information effectively in a direct and appropriate way.
Skills
The module provides students with the opportunity to acquire and develop generic analytical, reasoning, literacy and communication skills – including the ability to think creatively, self-critically and independently – that will be beneficial in further research, or employment. These skills will include:
• Effective oral communication skills;
• Advanced written skills;
• Personal study management skills;
• Ability to be self-directed and exercise initiative;
• Ability to effectively and creatively use information and communication technologies;
• Ability to independently reflect on one’s own progress and identify and act upon one’s own development needs with respect to life-long learning and career development;
• Ability to manage time and multiple learning commitments;
• Ability to work efficiently to deadlines;
• Ability to think and argue creatively, in an advanced manner, to display originality of thought and argument and clearly support arguments in innovative ways;
• Ability to use feedback effectively;
• Ability to problem-solve.
This module introduces students to key theoretical debates, issues, and practices in the field of conflict mediation and transformation. It charts these themes through an interdisciplinary perspective, with particular emphasis on critical peace and conflict studies, feminist and decolonial perspectives. We will consider a variety of contemporary issues in the changing landscape of mediation and examine transformative approaches that support inclusive dialogue and peacebuilding. Students will be encouraged to reflect critically on the hierarchies, challenges, and possibilities inherent to conflict mediation and transformation, exploring the contribution of actors, knowledges and perspectives that have traditionally been marginalised in the field. Students will also have the opportunity to engage with experienced mediators and peacebuilders, developing a deeper understanding of the skills and strategies at the core of mediative practice.
Aims:
This module is designed to provide you with the conceptual tools and study skills for developing your own critical appraisal of conflict mediation and transformation in a variety of contexts. You will have the opportunity to discuss theoretical perspectives and empirical examples as entry points to the complexities of addressing the legacies of violence in contexts of armed conflict, in community and inter-personal relations, and in social justice movements. At the end of this module, you will have enhanced your ability to critically interrogate different perspectives and practices in the field through interdisciplinary lenses. Furthermore, through engagement with practitioners and experiential learning, you will have the opportunity to practice some skills and strategies at the core of mediation. Crucially, I hope that you will feel empowered to apply these skills in academic and professional contexts, as well as everyday life.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module, students will be able to:
• Understand key debates and issues in the field of conflict mediation and transformation through an inter-disciplinary perspective.
• Discuss and assess different theoretical perspectives.
• Think critically about narratives, policies and practices of conflict mediation and transformation.
• Understand the specific ethical, practical and political challenges inherent to conflict mediation & transformation.
• Identify and assess transformative approaches to mediation and conflict transformation.
• Keep abreast of relevant literature in the field.
• Conduct independent research by identifying, gathering, and evaluating information and sources.
• Pursue intellectual questions in a rigorous and academic manner, employing analytical skills and critical thinking.
• Understand and reflect on how mediative practice can be applied to a variety of contexts.
Skills
Intellectual skills
• Managing & Prioritizing Knowledge: identify relevant and subject-specific knowledge, sources and data; manage such information in an independent manner
• Analytical Thinking: identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant subject-specific arguments made by others; construct independent arguments
• Critical & Independent Thinking: ability to think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the field
Professional and career development skills
• Communication Skills: ability to communicate clearly with others, both orally and in writing
• Teamwork: ability to work with others in a team, negotiate conflicts and recognize different ways of learning
• Diversity: ability to acknowledge and be sensitive to the range of cultural differences present in the learning environment
• Self-Reflexivity: ability to reflect on one’s own progress and identify and act upon one’s own development needs with respect to life-long learning and career development
• Time Management: ability to negotiate diverse and competing pressures; cope with stress; and achieve a work / life balance
Technical and practical skills
• Information Technology: demonstrate the knowledge and ability to use contemporary and relevant ICT
Organizational skills
• Efficient and effective work practice: demonstrate ability to work efficiently to deadlines
• Clear organisation of information: show efficiency in the organisation of large amounts of complex information and the ability to identify, describe and analyse the key features of the information
• Organisation and communication: demonstrate ability to use evidence to develop logical and clear arguments; show aptitude for the effective use of information in a direct and appropriate way
• Enterprising thinking: Demonstrate ability to think and argue in novel and enterprising ways, to display originality of thought and argument and the ability to clearly support arguments in innovative ways
Intellectual skills
• Managing & Prioritizing Knowledge: identify relevant and subject-specific knowledge, sources and data; manage such information in an independent manner
• Analytical Thinking: identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant subject-specific arguments made by others; construct independent arguments
• Critical & Independent Thinking: ability to think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the field
Professional and career development skills
• Communication Skills: ability to communicate clearly with others, both orally and in writing
• Teamwork: ability to work with others in a team, negotiate conflicts and recognize different ways of learning
• Diversity: ability to acknowledge and be sensitive to the range of cultural differences present in the learning environment
• Self-Reflexivity: ability to reflect on one’s own progress and identify and act upon one’s own development needs with respect to life-long learning and career development
• Time Management: ability to negotiate diverse and competing pressures; cope with stress; and achieve a work / life balance
Technical and practical skills
• Information Technology: demonstrate the knowledge and ability to use contemporary and relevant ICT
Organizational skills
• Efficient and effective work practice: demonstrate ability to work efficiently to deadlines
• Clear organisation of information: show efficiency in the organisation of large amounts of complex information and the ability to identify, describe and analyse the key features of the information
• Organisation and communication: demonstrate ability to use evidence to develop logical and clear arguments; show aptitude for the effective use of information in a direct and appropriate way
• Enterprising thinking: Demonstrate ability to think and argue in novel and enterprising ways, to display originality of thought and argument and the ability to clearly support arguments in innovative ways
This module encourages students to examine the centrality of gender and sexuality in shaping political dynamics at the local, national and global level. It approaches the topic drawing upon feminist political thought; strategies for political mobilization and change; and feminist analyses of contemporary global politics. The module outlines the contribution of feminist scholarship in challenging understandings of politics and international relations as gender-neutral and draws attention to the, often neglected, experiences, agency and political claims of women and other minoritised groups. We will consider key contemporary issues such as transnational feminism, queer politics and social justice; feminism and global governance; reproductive justice; nationalism, populism and anti-gender politics; international security; borders and migration; feminism and the politics of crisis, feminist and queer visions for life. Students will have the opportunity to discuss theoretical perspectives and empirical examples as entry points to the gendered complexities of global politics.
AIMS:
This module is designed to provide you with the conceptual tools and study skills for developing your own critical appraisal of gender politics in an intersectional and transnational perspective. At the end of this module, you will have enhanced your skills to critically interrogate different dimensions of the political through the application of feminist intersectional lenses. Crucially, I also hope that you will feel empowered to apply this mode of thinking to analyse intersections between gender and other inequalities and to reflect on your own position in learning, knowledge production and politics.
Learning Outcomes
OOn successful completion of this module, students will be able to:
analyse and explain the causes of gender inequalities in the public/private realm;
understand how gender interacts with race, class, sexuality and nationality to produce divisions of power and resources, as well as processes of violence and exclusion.
discuss and assess different feminist perspectives.
apply feminist theories to analyse key issues in global politics and current political problems.
think critically about narratives and practices of politics and international relations.
independently develop a small research project of their choice.
Skills
Communicate ideas to others in a clear and concise manner, in oral and written form.\nPursue intellectual questions in a rigorous and academic manner, employing analytical skills and critical thinking.\nDiscuss issues that challenge dominant perspectives in an informed manner.\nEngage in small group activity.
Social Divisions, Conflict and Change in Northern Ireland: New Sociological Research
Overview
This module demonstrates the unique insights to be offered by sociological research on Northern Ireland’s transition from conflict through detailed case studies of ongoing research projects. These will cover topics such as: demographic change, attitudinal change, socio-economic change and inequalities, dealing with the legacy of conflict, and ‘culture wars’. The purpose of the module is to introduce students to the benefits of a sociological approach to the subject and to the challenges of conducting sociological research in a society in transition.
Learning Outcomes
• Students will gain knowledge and understanding of sociological approaches to contemporary society in Northern Ireland, particularly in relation to its transition out of conflict
• Students will be able to critique and assess the value of various methods in sociological research
• Students will be familiar with the core social trends and changes in contemporary society in Northern Ireland, particularly those relating to the process of transition from conflict
• Knowledgeable of sociological debates around conflict and change in Northern Ireland in particular and divided societies in general.
• Able to relate different sociological concepts to the empirical research on Northern Ireland.
• Able to effectively gather, retrieve and synthesise different types of information to evaluate the module’s themes.
Skills
Academic skills:
• An ability to critically read and evaluate sociological literature and non-academic/media material on contemporary Northern Ireland
• An ability to collect and interpret evidence about contemporary society in Northern Ireland
• An ability to demonstrate evidence of independent thinking and to compose reasoned opinions based on development of thought and knowledge
• An ability to relate sociological concepts to the empirical study of Northern Ireland.
Practical skills:
• An ability to write in a clear, structured and critical manner using a range of source material
• An ability to present information in spoken form and to contribute to discussions
• An ability to retrieve and synthesise primary and secondary, quantitative and qualitative, sources of (print and electronic) information
• An ability to use information technology to gather, organise and evaluate material
This module explores the relationship between citizens and political decision-making in contemporary democracies. Around the world, conventional democratic processes and institutions have come under strain. Decreasing levels of voter turnout, low levels of trust in politicians and political institutions, and declining membership of traditional organisations such as political parties are just some expressions of a growing gap between citizens and decision-makers. This module will critically examine the changing nature of citizen engagement with democratic decision-making before considering ways of supplementing (or even replacing) conventional processes and institutions with greater opportunities for citizen participation. We will consider two broad, inter-related themes. First, the module will consider contemporary challenges facing democratic political systems, engaging with both democratic theory and relevant empirical literature. Second, using examples from around the world, it will then introduce students to a range of democratic innovations designed to supplement representative forms of decision-making, such as participatory budgeting and deliberative mini-publics. Students will engage in debates about different practical forms of participatory and deliberative processes as well as learn about how these processes are designed and implemented. The objectives are to enable students to engage critically in discussions about citizen participation in modern democracies and to develop their communication skills. Throughout the module there will be an emphasis on connecting academic research with democratic practice: where possible students will hear directly from practitioners and will have the opportunity to attend and observe real-world cases of democratic innovation.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module students:
- Will be able to demonstrate a critical understanding of contemporary challenges facing democratic political systems, particularly regarding the role and attitudes of citizens;
- Will understand theoretical and empirical debates surrounding both established forms of citizen participation and democratic innovations;
- Will be able to draw on relevant criteria and evidence to critically evaluate democratic innovations and their design features;
- Will be able to communicate key findings from academic research in this field for the benefit of a non-academic audience.
Skills
Intellectual skills
• Managing & Prioritizing Knowledge: identify relevant and subject-specific knowledge; manage such information in an independent manner;
• Analytical Thinking: identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant subject-specific arguments made by others; construct independent arguments;
• Critical & Independent Thinking: ability to think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the field.
Professional and career development skills
• Communication Skills: ability to communicate clearly with others, both orally and in writing;
• Teamwork: ability to work with others in a team, negotiate conflicts and recognize different ways of learning;
• Diversity: ability to acknowledge and be sensitive to the range of cultural differences present in the learning environment;
• Self-Reflexivity: ability to reflect on one’s own progress and identify and act upon ones own development needs with respect to life-long learning and career development;
• Time Management: ability to negotiate diverse and competing pressures; cope with stress; and achieve a work / life balance .
Technical and practical skills
• Information Technology: demonstrate the knowledge and ability to use contemporary and relevant ICT.
Organizational skills
• Efficient and effective work practice: demonstrate ability to work efficiently to deadlines;
• Clear organisation of information: show efficiency in the organisation of large amounts of complex information and the ability to identify, describe and analyse the key features of the information;
• Organisation and communication: demonstrate ability to use evidence to develop logical and clear argument; show aptitude for the effective use of information in a direct and appropriate way;
• Enterprising thinking: Demonstrate ability to think and argue in novel and enterprising ways, to display originality of thought and argument and the ability to clearly support arguments in innovative ways.
This module examines the problem of social injustice in contemporary, plural societies. The first half of the module explores some of the main philosophical assessments of social injustice. Students will first be introduced to key critiques of liberal theory as a response to the structural disadvantages associated with difference (including race, gender, sexual-orientation, religion, and class, among others). Here, liberal policy approaches to difference (including toleration, uniform treatment, and non-discrimination), will be critiqued alongside liberal modes of justification for their failure to deal appropriately with the disadvantages suffered by affected groups.
The second half of the module discusses the practical implications of both social injustice and its potential solutions. Precise topics vary year-on-year, but may include discussion of some of the following questions: Is unfettered freedom of speech a necessary feature of or a hindrance in the fight for social equality? What role does historical injustice play in the ongoing oppression of marginalised groups? Is the recognition of difference the appropriate response to cultural domination? How has social media changed the shape of social justice movements? Is civil disobedience a legitimate response to injustice, and must it always be ‘civil’ in nature?
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module students:
• Should demonstrate a critical understanding of key debates about social injustice.
• Should be able to explain some of the central critiques of liberal theory as a way of dealing with structural oppression.
• Should be familiar with debates surrounding the role of historical injustice as it pertains to ongoing marginalisation.
• Should have a critical understanding of the changing nature of social justice movements.
Skills
Intellectual skills
• Managing & Prioritizing Knowledge: identify relevant and subject-specific knowledge, sources and data; manage such information in an independent manner.
• Analytical Thinking: identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant subject-specific arguments made by others; construct independent arguments.
• Critical & Independent Thinking: ability to think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the field.
Professional and career development skills
• Communication Skills: ability to communicate clearly with others, both orally and in writing.
• Teamwork: ability to work with others in a team, negotiate conflicts and recognize different ways of learning.
• Diversity: ability to acknowledge and be sensitive to the range of cultural differences present in the learning environment.
• Self-Reflexivity: ability to reflect on one’s own progress and identify and act upon one’s own development needs with respect to life-long learning and career development.
• Time Management: ability to negotiate diverse and competing pressures; cope with stress; and achieve a work / life balance.
Organizational skills
• Efficient and effective work practice: demonstrate ability to work efficiently to deadlines.
• Clear organisation of information: show efficiency in the organisation of large amounts of complex information and the ability to identify, describe and analyse the key features of the information.
• Organisation and communication: demonstrate ability to use evidence to develop logical and clear arguments; show aptitude for the effective use of information in a direct and appropriate way.
• Enterprising thinking: Demonstrate ability to think and argue in novel and enterprising ways, to display originality of thought and argument and the ability to clearly support arguments in innovative ways.
The module will evaluate the changing nature of intervention, from unilateral forceful intervention to multi-lateral intervention, to humanitarian intervention, and third party mediation. Focusing on state, intergovernmental and non-governmental actors’ interventions, it will look at various conflict intervention practices in all phases of conflict from conflict prevention to post-conflict peacebuilding.
Learning Outcomes
To acquire an overview, both historical and substantive, of various approaches to analysis of conflicts and of conflict transformation. The content will deal with different theories of conflict origins, conflict process, and conflict transformation, as well as examining the practices of different state and non-state actors after conflicts.
Skills
Emphasis will be placed on the development of analytic skills for identifying different types of conflict and alternative modes of intervention. Special attention will be given to questions of language, moral justification and power.
This module will explore the development of anthropological approaches to conflict, examining what social and cultural anthropologists have added to our knowledge of conflict. It will particularly examine issues of group identity and cohesion in relations to conflict. Examining theories of ethnicity and nationalism it will examine power and hegemony of the state. In relation to this there will be a focus upon aspects of remembering and social memory, on the use of rituals and symbols and of the way acts of violence are legitimised or delegitimised. The course will look at examples from Irish case studies but work on a comparative basis.
Learning Outcomes
This module will introduce students to the history and the key theoretical debates within the field of ethnomusicology. On completion of this module students will have:
* to develop a broad understanding of theories of group conflict
* to develop a broad understanding of mechanisms of group cohesion and conflict
* to explore the use of the concepts of identity, ethnicity, culture, community, border, symbol, ritual and tradition.
* to apply theories of identity politics to understanding nationalism and ethnicity
* to examine the legitimacy of violence and critically explore the notion of ‘terrorism’.
* To examine lessons from the Irish/British context and compare.
* to increase competency in research and the writing of academic papers
Skills
The course is designed to develop both subject-specific and transferable skills. These include:
* Advanced skills in understanding, evaluating and expressing anthropological arguments, especially concerning the relationship between theory and ethnography;
* Enhanced skills in group work (through seminars), in note taking, in presentation and in written argument;
* Library research skills;
* Critical reading;
* Advanced writing and oral presentation skills.
The module will examine the key theoretical approaches and practical issues and debates that have defined the evolution of Security Studies. They will engage the changing definitions of security and approaches to understanding security. It will address both ‘domestic’ and ‘international’ security and the ways in which these are increasingly connected in both theory and practice. Moreover, it will introduce students to the inter-disciplinary nature of engagements with security (from politics to geography to technology). It will engage theorising in application by introducing students both to the major concepts and theoretical assumptions of understandings of security and showing how these play out in debates and practices of security. Students will be introduced to the core concepts and differences between ‘traditional’ rationalist theories of security and the emergence and development of varieties of critical security studies. They will then examine key issues in security that may include: The state, sovereignty and internal securities; uncertainty, the security dilemma and risk; regimes, regions and security communities; non-proliferation and disarmament; theorising war; migration and borders; surveillance and security; cyber-security; environmental security: beyond energy and resource conflict; Poverty, food, and human security; gender and security; and others. Students will therefore engage critically with the intersections of theory and practice; domestic and international; and state and human securities; and be able to understand contemporary transformations of security in relation to power, sovereignty, mobilities, and technology.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the module students will:
- Demonstrate an awareness and understanding of different theoretical engagements with security and the diversity of critical approaches.
- Understand how theories of security translate into different political practices of security.
- Be able to apply critical security concepts to contemporary security practices.
- Critically engage in debates on key developments in the politics of security.
- Be able to reflect upon the ethical and political implications developments in security theory and practice.
- Be able to engage in depth with a wide range of security issues in a theoretically informed way.
- Pursue independent, creative and critical thinking through both written work and group discussions.
Skills
Intellectual skills
• Managing & Prioritizing Knowledge: identify relevant and subject-specific knowledge, sources and data; manage such information in an independent manner
• Analytical Thinking: identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant subject-specific arguments made by others; construct independent arguments
• Critical & Independent Thinking: ability to think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the field
Professional and career development skills
• Communication Skills: ability to communicate clearly with others, both orally and in writing
• Teamwork: ability to work with others in a team, negotiate conflicts and recognize different ways of learning
• Diversity: ability to acknowledge and be sensitive to the range of cultural differences present in the learning environment
• Self-Reflexivity: ability to reflect on one’s own progress and identify and act upon ones own development needs with respect to life-long learning and career development
• Time Management: ability to negotiate diverse and competing pressures; cope with stress; and achieve a work / life balance
Organizational skills
• Efficient and effective work practice: demonstrate ability to work efficiently to deadlines
• Clear organisation of information: show efficiency in the organisation of large amounts of complex information and the ability to identify, describe and analyse the key features of the information
• Organisation and communication: demonstrate ability to use evidence to develop logical and clear arguments; show aptitude for the effective use of information in a direct and appropriate way
• Enterprising thinking: Demonstrate ability to think and argue in novel and enterprising ways, to display originality of thought and argument and the ability to clearly support arguments in innovative ways
This module provides a themed examination of the changing politics of the world economy, through the lens of the sub/inter-discipline, known as International Political Economy. International Political Economy (IPE) has become the accepted academic term for the analysis of the exercise of economic power and the politics of economic policy and capitalist development placed in a global context. This module introduces students to theories and concepts in International Political Economy related to the exercise of power and authority. It then goes to analyze a number of key topics and issues relating to the power and politics of economic organization and management including: the future of United States supremacy; the politics of money and finance; theories of development; the politics and policy of economic development in developing countries; problems of underdevelopment; the politics of global civil society; the global politics of energy policy and climate change; and the political economy of environmental sustainability.
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this module, students should be able to:, understand the main theoretical, ideological and normative interpretations of and claims relating to globalisation; understand the ways in which globalisation is reconfiguring political, cultural and economic processes; pursue intellectual questions in a rigorous and academic manner, employing analytical skills and critical thinking; communicate ideas to others in a clear and concise manner, both orally and in written form.
Skills
Students will develop key intellectual skills such as critical analysis, creative thinking, problem solving; communication, e.g., oral, listening and written, working with others, improvement of learning and performance, managing information They will also cultivate employability skills such as research and communication skills, independent learning (organising and prioritising ideas), critical/independent thinking, co-operative endeavour (e.g. tutorial based teamwork). Subject specific skills include: listening/analytical/literacy/presentation skills; comparative methods, textual analysis, developing cogent arguments, ability to participate in a tolerant and supportive learning environment
This course aims to examine research on the social logic of emotional life. Emotions are considered not as personal or ‘inner’ psychological phenomena, but as sociological processes. The course focuses on studies which illustrate, in varying ways, how emotions are elicited through, and in turn shape, social relations, as they provide evaluative responses to the operation of power and status. The course will consider a range of classic and contemporary, structuralist and interactional perspectives informing studies of specific emotions, including shame, anger and love.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this course students will be equipped to
• understand of the significance of emotions in contemporary social life;
• evaluate competing perspectives on the logic of social emotions
• critically analyse specific emotional orientations and responses.
Skills
• reviewing academic literature;
• devising research problems;
• analysing, evaluating and interpreting research materials;
• developing and defending reasoned arguments;
• developing and demonstrating independent thinking
The course involves a study of human rights issues drawing on material primarily from Europe, North America, and the Commonwealth. The course considers the meaning of particular human rights and their significance in theory and in practice, and the efficacy of the legal institutions designed to protect them. Several specific substantive issues (right to life, freedom of speech, conscience, and equality) will be studied in depth to illustrate the complex interplay between theory, legal concepts and procedure, and between legal and non-legal sources of protection. It will draw on international human rights law, but will not be confined to it. The course as a whole will aim to provide the opportunity for in-depth comparative study, during which the appropriateness and utility of comparative legal techniques will be considered.
Learning Outcomes
This module offers students the opportunity to:
• Explore how human rights have emerged as a comparative issue.
• Enhance their understanding of the limitations to comparison in human rights law.
• Develop key transferrable skills, including presentation skills, data gathering and essay-writing.
• Develop an understanding of legal research methodologies.
Skills
• Identify the relevant primary and secondary legal and non-legal materials relating to comparative human rights law and theories.
• Synthesise and critically analyse these materials.
• Organise and conduct effective comparative research on human rights.
• Develop coherence and clarity in written presentations that allow them to articulate to others a critical evaluation of the knowledge they have acquired.
• Thoroughly understand the skills required to do effective comparative human rights research – such as collecting sources, referencing and how to write critically.
• Understand and apply legal research methodology.
Normally at least a 2.2 Honours degree (with minimum of 55%) or equivalent qualification acceptable to the University in an Arts, Humanities or Social Sciences discipline or another cognate subject area.
Applicants with a 2.2 Honours degree below 55% (or equivalent qualification acceptable to the University) may be admitted if they hold a Master's degree, or equivalent qualification acceptable to the University, or if they have 3 years' relevant working experience in the field of conflict transformation, youth work, social justice or related experience in community engagement or public service delivery.
Applicants are advised to apply as early as possible and ideally no later than 15th August 2025 for courses which commence in late September. In the event that any programme receives a high number of applications, the University reserves the right to close the application portal prior to the deadline stated on course finder. Notifications to this effect will appear on the application portal against the programme application page.
International Students
Our country/region pages include information on entry requirements, tuition fees, scholarships, student profiles, upcoming events and contacts for your country/region. Use the dropdown list below for specific information for your country/region.
English Language Requirements
Evidence of an IELTS* score of 6.5, with not less than 5.5 in any component, or an equivalent qualification acceptable to the University is required (*taken within the last 2 years).
International students wishing to apply to Queen's University Belfast (and for whom English is not their first language), must be able to demonstrate their proficiency in English in order to benefit fully from their course of study or research. Non-EEA nationals must also satisfy UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) immigration requirements for English language for visa purposes.
If you need to improve your English language skills before you enter this degree programme, INTO Queen's University Belfast offers a range of English language courses. These intensive and flexible courses are designed to improve your English ability for admission to this degree.
Academic English: an intensive English language and study skills course for successful university study at degree level
Pre-sessional English: a short intensive academic English course for students starting a degree programme at Queen's University Belfast and who need to improve their English.
Our MA will equip you with the knowledge and skills to pursue a range of careers in the private, public and voluntary sectors, domestically and internationally, including working in peacebuilding organisations, charities, international development agencies, journalism, social and community work, dispute resolution, counselling, policing, politics and policy development, law, teaching, religious ministry, research, and doctoral study/academia.
Our MA can help you gain the skills and knowledge that can lead to meaningful work in range of fields, all over the world.
Our MA can also be useful as an aspect of continuing professional development for those already working in careers in social and community work, politics and policy making, teaching, policing, religious ministry, advocacy, and journalism. http://www.qub.ac.uk/directorates/sgc/careers/
Employment after the Course
Our MA can help you gain the skills and knowledge that can lead to meaningful work in a range of fields, all over the world.
You may follow in the footsteps of some of our alumni, who are building careers in restorative justice, equality advocacy, international diplomacy (embassy work), the United Nations, Law school and doctoral programmes, policing, peacebuilding organisations, and organisations working with victims of human trafficking.
Our MA can also be useful as an aspect of continuing professional development for those already working in careers in social and community work, politics and policy making, teaching, policing, religious ministry, the victims sector, and journalism. http://www.qub.ac.uk/directorates/sgc/careers/
Professional Opportunities
The study and employability skills associated with the MA in Conflict Transformation and Social Justice include:
• Group work
• Independent learning
• The collection and analysis of information
• Research skills
• Problem solving
• Communication skills: oral, written and presentation skills
• Working under time constraints and to deadline
Graduate Plus/Future Ready Award for extra-curricular skills
In addition to your degree programme, at Queen's you can have the opportunity to gain wider life, academic and employability skills. For example, placements, voluntary work, clubs, societies, sports and lots more. So not only do you graduate with a degree recognised from a world leading university, you'll have practical national and international experience plus a wider exposure to life overall. We call this Graduate Plus/Future Ready Award. It's what makes studying at Queen's University Belfast special.
1EU citizens in the EU Settlement Scheme, with settled status, will be charged the NI or GB tuition fee based on where they are ordinarily resident. Students who are ROI nationals resident in GB will be charged the GB fee.
2 EU students who are ROI nationals resident in ROI are eligible for NI tuition fees.
3 EU Other students (excludes Republic of Ireland nationals living in GB, NI or ROI) are charged tuition fees in line with international fees.
All tuition fees quoted relate to a single year of study unless stated otherwise. Tuition fees will be subject to an annual inflationary increase, unless explicitly stated otherwise.
There are no specific additional course costs associated with this programme.
All Students
Depending on the programme of study, there may be extra costs which are not covered by tuition fees, which students will need to consider when planning their studies.
Students can borrow books and access online learning resources from any Queen's library. If students wish to purchase recommended texts, rather than borrow them from the University Library, prices per text can range from £30 to £100. Students should also budget between £30 to £75 per year for photocopying, memory sticks and printing charges.
Students undertaking a period of work placement or study abroad, as either a compulsory or optional part of their programme, should be aware that they will have to fund additional travel and living costs.
If a programme includes a major project or dissertation, there may be costs associated with transport, accommodation and/or materials. The amount will depend on the project chosen. There may also be additional costs for printing and binding.
Students may wish to consider purchasing an electronic device; costs will vary depending on the specification of the model chosen.
There are also additional charges for graduation ceremonies, examination resits and library fines.
How do I fund my study?
The Department for the Economy will provide a tuition fee loan of up to £6,500 per NI / EU student for postgraduate study. Tuition fee loan information.
A postgraduate loans system in the UK offers government-backed student loans of up to £11,836 for taught and research Masters courses in all subject areas (excluding Initial Teacher Education/PGCE, where undergraduate student finance is available). Criteria, eligibility, repayment and application information are available on the UK government website.
