War Studies

The MA in War studies enhances analytical, conceptual, research and critical thinking skills designed expressly to enhance employability and aid professional career development. You will gain an understanding of the phenomenon of war and conflict, along with its causes, conduct and consequences, from historical, political, philosophical, military and sociological viewpoints.

Watch the video here, or access the 'interactive' tab to view at a larger size and see any alternative films playOverviewVideo('/prospectus/images/home.jpg','http://podcast.ulcc.ac.uk/accounts/kings/KCL_Marketing/War_Studies.flv','true','details_22'); KEY BENEFITS

• Designed to provide a postgraduate-level introduction to War Studies for students who have little or no specialist background in the field.
• A unique opportunity to study war from a multi-disciplinary perspective in order to achieve a sophisticated and well-rounded understanding of the phenomenon.
• A chance to develop a range of transferable skills that will enhance your employability, aid your professional-career development and help prepare you for postgraduate research. These include analytical, conceptual, critical-thinking, research and communication skills.
• You will be taught by some of the very best academics in the field. Departmental staff are internationally acknowledged experts in their areas of specialization; they are active researchers and routinely employ their latest findings in their teaching.
• An opportunity to study at a global centre of excellence that enjoys close relationships with other academic institutions, with think tanks, non-governmental organizations and policy-making bodies around the world.
• Opportunities to network with high-profile visitors, such as government ministers, ambassadors and generals, who frequently give talks in the Department.

PURPOSETo introduce the field of war studies to graduate students and professionals, professionals with an interest in deepening their understanding of war. You will gain an understanding of the phenomenon of war and conflict, along with its causes, conduct and consequences, from historical, political, philosophical, military and sociological viewpoints. The programme will appeal to students from a wide range of backgrounds including politics, history and strategic studies; and professionals in defence, diplomacy and foreign affairs wanting to reflect on the broader implications of their experiences.

DESCRIPTION

War is a key aspect of human experience, and people have long sought to understand it from a diverse range of perspectives. Students of war are drawn from the ranks of historians, social scientists, philosophers, jurists and artists. Practitioners of war find instrumental value in its study. These and others have brought their particular insights and concerns to bear on the subject. However, the study of war from any single standpoint risks producing an overly narrow perspective that cannot accommodate war’s complexity. Individual issues are elucidated but we remain a long way from understanding war “in the round”. Such a goal demands a different, more holisitic, approach.

The MA in War Studies is designed to meet this demand by introducing students to a multidisciplinary approach to the study of war. As such, it provides an intellectual “toolbox” whose contents are drawn from a range of disciplines associated with the humanities and the social sciences. Students will not be trained as specialist historians, philosophers, strategists, etc., but they will be introduced to elements of various disciplines that are germane to the study of war. The challenge lies in combining them in order to achieve a sophisticated and rounded understanding of the subject.