MA Political Science - Political Theory Pathway (Research Route) / Overview

Year of entry: 2026

Degree awarded
Master of Arts (MA)
Duration
1 year
Entry requirements

We require a UK bachelor's degree with a First or Upper Second classification or the overseas equivalent, in any discipline.

When assessing your academic record we consider your degree subject, grades you have achieved and the standing of the institution where you studied your qualification.

Full entry requirements

How to apply
Apply online

Course options

Full-time Part-time Full-time distance learning Part-time distance learning
MA Y Y N N

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Discover more about Politics at Manchester

Course overview

  • Study a master’s in Political Science at a university ranked top 10 in the UK and top 40 worldwide for Politics (Times Higher Education World Rankings by Subject 2025).
  • Specialise in conducting qualitative and quantitative research into politics and political theory.
  • Study a range of interesting and important political problems and questions - and develop strong skills in logic and reasoning.
  • Join one of the UK’s largest and most prestigious politics departments, home to one of the UK’s largest political theory research groups, and co-host (with Oxford) of the British Election Study, one of the longest-running election studies worldwide.
  • Tailor your studies to your interests with a broad choice of optional course units.
  • Graduate from one of the UK’s most targeted universities by top employers (High Fliers, The Graduate Market Report 2024).

Open days

The University holds regular open days, where you will have the opportunity to find out more about our facilities and courses.

During the day, you will learn more about the School, our resources, and meet academic and admissions staff who will be able to answer any questions you have.

For more information, see open days and visits .

Fees

For entry in the academic year beginning September 2026, the tuition fees are as follows:

  • MA (full-time)
    UK students (per annum): £16,300
    International, including EU, students (per annum): £29,400
  • MA (part-time)
    UK students (per annum): £8,150
    International, including EU, students (per annum): £14,700

Further information for EU students can be found on our dedicated EU page.

The fees quoted above will be fully inclusive for the course tuition, administration and computational costs during your studies.

All fees for entry will be subject to yearly review and incremental rises per annum are also likely over the duration of courses lasting more than a year for UK/EU students (fees are typically fixed for International students, for the course duration at the year of entry). For general fees information please visit: postgraduate fees . Always contact the department if you are unsure which fee applies to your qualification award and method of attendance.

Self-funded international applicants for this course will be required to pay a deposit of £1000 towards their tuition fees before a confirmation of acceptance for studies (CAS) is issued. This deposit will only be refunded if immigration permission is refused. We will notify you about how and when to make this payment.

Policy on additional costs

All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's Policy on additional costs incurred by students on undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes (PDF document, 91KB).

Scholarships/sponsorships

For information on available scholarships please visit: Master’s Fees and Funding

Contact details

School/Faculty
School of Social Sciences
Contact name
School of Social Sciences Admissions Office
Telephone
+44 (0) 161 306 5500
Email
Website
http://www.manchester.ac.uk/politics
School/Faculty overview

See: School Subjects

Courses in related subject areas

Use the links below to view lists of courses in related subject areas.

Regulated by the Office for Students

The University of Manchester is regulated by the Office for Students (OfS). The OfS aims to help students succeed in Higher Education by ensuring they receive excellent information and guidance, get high quality education that prepares them for the future and by protecting their interests. More information can be found at the OfS website.

You can find regulations and policies relating to student life at The University of Manchester, including our Degree Regulations and Complaints Procedure, on our regulations website.