MA International Political Economy (Research)

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Please note, due to the high volume of applications we receive, an early application is advised.

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How can we better understand and respond to global challenges such as inequality and economic instability? By studying MA International Political Economy (Research Route), you’ll develop the research expertise needed to investigate the complex relationship between politics and economics and generate evidence-based answers.

International Political Economy examines the political forces, structures, actors and dynamics that shape the global economy and influence economic outcomes. You will focus your learning on pressing global issues including world poverty, inequality, and economic and environmental crises.

You will explore the connections between politics and economics at the national and global levels under the conditions of globalisation. Our course will give you an advanced understanding of traditional and critical theories, while providing skills in research design, suitable for PhD-level research and other research endeavours.

Research or Standard Route?

Our Research Route allows you to hone your skills in critical analysis and research design. The key difference between our MA International Political Economy (Research Route) and our MA International Political Economy (Standard Route) is the amount and scope of mandatory course units you will take.

On our Research Route, you will take the following mandatory course units:

• Research Design and Skills;
• Critical Globalisation Studies;
• Critical Approaches to International Political Economy;
• Philosophy of Politics Research;
• Qualitative Research Methods;
• Introduction to Quantitative Methods;
• Dissertation.

You can tailor your course to your interests through optional units in areas such as:

• money and finance;
• environmental politics;
• gender;
• comparative politics;
• trade and global production; governance;
• European politics;
• migration;
• sustainable development.

You will develop subject expertise and transferable skills in critical thinking, communication, teamwork and qualitative and quantitative research design.

This course is eligible for the 1+3 studentship offered by the Economic and Social Sciences Research Council (ESRC) North West Social Sciences Doctoral Training Partnership (NWSSDTP), offering a unique, fully-funded route into postgraduate research. If your application is successful, you’ll be able to seamlessly transition from master's-level study to a PhD. Find out more on our 1+3 ESRC NWSSDTP webpage

• Provide an advanced, systematic and critical understanding of issues at the forefront of international political economy.
• Provide an advanced critical awareness of the location of international political economy within the wider fields of political and social science, both in terms of its subject matter and the most prominent theoretical and methodological orientations within it.
• Prepare students for PhD-level research in international political economy, and other subsequent research endeavours.
• Train students to become autonomous and self-aware life-long learners, able to apply their existing knowledge and skills in innovative ways in a variety of contexts.

Prestigious department

The University of Manchester boasts one of the largest and best-known politics departments in the UK. We are home to some of the world’s leading experts and academics in the subject, and co-hosts (with Oxford) of the British Election Study, one of the longest-running election studies in the world and the longest-running social science survey in the UK.

Unique city

In our biased opinion, there’s no better place to study politics and economics than Manchester. Politics and history, revolutionary ideas and radical reform, are etched into the city’s streets and character, from workers' rights to feminism, Marxism to devolution.

Interdisciplinary approach

Interdisciplinary study is actively pursued at Manchester, with many course units involving expertise and contributions from a number of different schools and departments at the University, such as economics, social statistics, and sociology.

The MA International Political Economy is taught by an interdisciplinary team using a variety of delivery methods:

• lectures;
• Interactive seminar learning;
• student-led presentations and debate;
• group work;
• practical exercises;
• independent supervised study.

Most course units are assessed by written assignments and essays. Some course units may differ and may be assessed by methods relevant to the units’ contents, such as data analyses, presentations, or research design documents.

All students on this programme are deemed to be intending to proceed to PhD and are provided with a research supervisor and supervisory board from the outset for support.

Part-time students

Part-time students complete the full-time course over two years. There are no evening or weekend course units available on the part-time course.

As a School of Social Sciences student, you will be supported by first-class resources.   

As well as access to networked study areas and one of the best-resourced academic libraries in the country, The University of Manchester Library .

Career opportunities

The University of Manchester is the most targeted university by the UK’s top graduate employers (High Fliers, The Graduate Market Report 2026)

Our MA International Political Economy (Research Route) gives you the specialist knowledge and skills required for a range of careers across the public, private, and third sectors, such as in:

• local and central government;
• international and supranational institutions, such as the UN and the EU;
• research, policy, think-tanks, institutes, and NGOs;
• management and policy consulting.

You will acquire vital skills relevant to many different sectors and roles, such as data analysis, qualitative and quantitative research design, academic writing, and communication and teamwork. Upon graduating, you will also be well-placed to undertake a PhD in Politics at Manchester or another university, and other research endeavours.

Recent recruiters

• The House of Commons.
• Manchester City Council.
• The British Army.
• KPMG.
• BNY Mellon.
• Boeing.
• Princeton University.

Careers support

At Manchester you will have access to a number of  opportunities to help boost your employability , such as careers fairs, employer presentations, and workshops through the University’s dedicated  Careers Service . As a student at Manchester, you would have full access to this service during your studies and for two years after you graduate.

Professional accreditation / exemptions

This course is an ESRC recognised 1+3 doctoral training course