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Conflict Transformation and Social Justice (MA)

MA|Postgraduate Taught

Conflict Transformation and Social Justice

Entry year
2023
Entry requirements
2.1
Duration
1 year (Full Time)
3 years (Part Time)
Places available
30 (Full Time)
30 (Part Time)

This is a unique and innovative interdisciplinary programme taught through subject areas that include law, anthropology, English, history, philosophy, politics, psychology, 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 is both national and global and who offer research-led teaching in areas of conflict such as South/ Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Southern Europe, South America and Northern Ireland.

Queens University offers the only global interdisciplinary MA programme on Conflict Transformation and Social Justice.

Conflict Transformation and Social Justice highlights

This programme offers an interdisciplinary approach to understanding both conflict transformation and social justice working closely with The Senator George J. Mitchell Institute.

Career Development

  • Our graduates find employment in NGOS, civil sector organisations, in policy research, law, advocacy, government, peace journalism, and conflict mediation settings.

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.

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 emphasize both the scholarly and applied elements of conflict transformation and social justice.
  • 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 annual masterclasses with visiting world-leading researchers, diplomats and/or practitioners.

Student Experience

  • This programme offers an interdisciplinary approach to understanding both conflict transformation and social justice. Students will meet experts from three different schools as well as the for Global Peace, Security and Justice, allowing for a broad range of geographical and conceptual/disciplinary insights.
  • Location of Belfast: globally-significant locale for conflict and peace research; access to institutions, community projects, case studies for students' own work. Voluntary placements with local community groups are also facilitated as part of this programme.
  • • Queen’s is ranked in the top 170 in the world for graduate prospects (QS Graduate Employability Rankings 2022) • Queen’s ranked 17 in the world for international outlook (Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2022) • Queen’s is ranked in the top 75 universities in Europe for Teaching Excellence (Times Higher Education, 2019) • 15% of the Queen’s student population are international students (Queen’s Planning Office, 2022)

Course Structure

Students may enrol on a full-time (1 year) 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.

Course DetailsStudents will study and critically examine the key conceptual, moral, legal, political and cultural issues that relate to conflict, conflict transformation and social justice. This may relate to the fields of politics, law, sociology, history, anthropology, English, drama and psychology.

Students are required to take the following TWO CORE modules in Autumn:

CSJ7001 Global Concepts and Practice of Conflict Transformation and Social Justice
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.

HAP7001 – Approaches to Research Design
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.

AND ONE further OPTIONAL module from below:

CSJ7006 Bridging Community Divisions in Irish Drama and the Novel
This course will introduce students to a range of Irish dramatic, literary, and theatrical works that share humanist principles of bridging cultural, social, ethnic, and religious divisions. Particular emphasis will be placed on plays, performances, community drama, novels and non-fiction works that apply critical thinking processes to develop peace-building and integrative communities within the Northern Ireland context and to related philosophical concepts, social critique, and critical debates. The contribution of theatre and literature to the peace process in Northern Ireland will be examined as well as the representation of humanist ideals of intercultural understanding in a wider contemporary Irish dramatic, literary, cultural, and international political context. Each session will consist of a lecture/talk followed by group discussion and/or group work on practical projects.

LAW7810 Theoretical Criminology
On completion of this twelve-week module each student should be conversant with the dominant paradigms in western Criminology, and will be able to demonstrate the insights that can be gained from such theories and their application to specific criminal justice problems and to apply such theories to practical situations. Through a critical and evaluative exposition of criminological theory, students will be shown that that concepts such as ‘crime’, ‘criminality’ ‘policing’ and ‘punishment’ do not have any universal or general relevance, but rather can be said to be contingent upon a range of historical, political, social and cultural factors. The module will also demonstrate how an applied use of criminological theory can be used to deconstruct the ‘commonsensical’ and often media-inspired explanations for a range of contemporary social problems, and accounts of criminality.

LAW7811 Transitional Justice
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.

LAW7812 International Human Rights Law
This module will examine the development, scope and effectiveness of international human rights law, focusing on the state of the law today. It will pay particular attention to the UN’s systems for protecting human rights but will touch to some extent on regional systems and on the rights of different vulnerable groups, such as national minorities or persons with disabilities. It will look as well at how international human rights law relates to public international law, international humanitarian law and international criminal law.
The current trends within international human rights law will be explored, as will the challenges facing the law now and in the foreseeable future.
- The rights guaranteed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the nine core UN human rights treaties and a selection of the soft law documents endorsed by the UN.
- The ways in which rights are enforceable within the UN system, particularly through the work of the treaty-monitoring bodies.
- The international systems in place for protecting vulnerable groups, such as members of national minorities.
- The apparent trends within the normative, evaluative and adjudicative activities of the UN’s human rights institutions.
- The ways in which international human rights law might develop in the near future.

LAW7813 Human Rights in Practice
This module will examine ways in which human rights protection is provided in practice. It will consider the work of non-governmental human rights organisations, the ways in which private businesses can help to protect human rights, and the role of the media too. It will also analyse the problems facing state and inter-state organisations in trying to ensure that human rights are protected on the ground, especially in times of disasters and other emergencies. The work of the Red Cross and Red Crescent organisations will be explored, as will the challenges facing human rights fieldwork more generally.

PAI7022 The Politics of the Republic of Ireland
This module explores and analyses the political development of the Irish Free State/Republic of Ireland in historical context. It combines an historical and thematic approach to provide students with an understanding of the politics of the Irish Free State, later the Republic. It introduces students to key debates on the Irish Revolution and its background, on Irish historical revisionism, on the foundations of statehood, and the institutions and political culture of the new state. Particular themes include partition , the pursuit of stability and order, negotiations of identity, problems of modernisation, Ireland’s shifting place in European and world politics, changing attitudes towards partition and ‘the Troubles’, the impact of social change on self-representation in a post-Tiger context.

SCA7002 Cultural Policy: Its Relationship to Arts Management
This module introduces students to theoretical perspectives in cultural policy with attention to its influence on arts and cultural industries management. It will explore how various historical, political, social, economic and cultural contexts and objectives shape cultural policies. It will explore how these in turn define and influence arts and cultural industries’ management and practices in different nation states, and at regional and international levels. Through this it will reveal the tensions and values at play within the cultural policy field.
1. Policy-making in relationship to arts and cultural industries management, theories, models and approaches
2. Political regimes, cultural policy regulations and cultural rights
3. Cultural values and measurements
4. Cultural policy levels: local, (sub/supra)national
5. Intercultural and international policy and diplomacy

Students are required to take THREE modules from below:

ANT7003 Anthropology of Business
This course will familiarise students with a range of theoretical debates that have shaped business anthropology with a particular emphasis on new innovations in design and tech industries. In the undergraduate business anthropology course, there is a strong foregrounding on consumer behaviour, advertising and marketing, as well as entrepreneurship and new labour forms. This course, building on these thematics, will develop a strong focus on how anthropologists of business are playing significant roles in design and technology spaces. The course will present itself as both a scholarly interpretation of what is happening in these spaces and also an applied learning of how to work in these spaces, providing students with a strong skill set for work in business, design and tech sectors.

ANT7013 Anthropology of Music
This module aims to provide an overview of the field of ethnomusicology, outlining the major theoretical orientations and issues being debated within contemporary ethnomusicology. It begins with an introduction to some of the main scholars involved in shaping the discipline as it is currently constituted, and then proceeds by looking at how these ideas have shifted in the modern world. Throughout the semester students participate in an ensemble of non-western music in order to gain a reflexive understanding of the ways in which ethnomusicological knowledge can be obtained through personal musical experience.

ANT7023 Anthropology of Conflict: Ireland and Beyond
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.

PAI7058 From Cold War to Cold Peace. The Transformation of the International Order. (1979-1999)
The Cold War: Historical and Political Science Explanations (The origins of the Cold War – traditional and revisionists schools of thought)
- The Bloc Formation & Structural Stability (Pacts – LTBT –NPT – SALT East-West Regime Formation)
- From Détente to the Second Cold War: The Empire of Evil ( CSCE �� Re-armament – Euromissile Crisis - SDI – Periphery)
- Gorbachev’s ideology – The New Thinking (Change in Soviet ideology under Gorbachev)
- Soviet-US relations (Reagan, Bush and Gorbachev – from Reykjavik to Malta, INF, START, CFE )
- The Velvet revolutions in the Soviet bloc (From Brezhnev doctrine to Sinatra doctrine - collapse of Communism)
- Gorbachev and the German Questions, 1989-1991 (2+4, OSCE, troops status – Common House of Europe)
- The Dissolution of the Warsaw Pact and of the Soviet Union, 1990-1991 (The causes of the Soviet collapse & CIS formation)
- The Cold Peace 1991-1999 (NATO Enlargement – Russia-NATO Council, Yugoslavia)
- From Cold Peace to Frozen Conflicts, 1999-2015 (Responses to Western meddling in Post Soviet space under Putin. Coloured revolutions, August War with Georgia, the Ukraine crisis)

CSJ7005 Religion and Peacebuilding
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.

LAW7815 Counter-Terrorism and Human Rights
This module will explore issues arising out of the interplay between counter-terrorism and human rights. It will aim to enable students to engage in a critical examination of the concepts of terrorism, counter-terrorism, and the ‘war on terror’, to make an assessment of the concept of ‘security’ in politics and law, to explore the idea of the state of exception in politics and law, to participate in the torture debate in the context of the ‘ticking bomb scenario’, to analyse case law and literature on derogation, as well as qualification and circumvention of rights under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) as well as other human rights instruments, and to consider the practice of extraordinary rendition and ongoing judicial responses to it.

LAW7816 Comparative Human Rights
This module will analyse and compare the world’s three main regional systems for the protection of human rights – those of Europe, Africa and the Americas. Its focus will be on what is distinctive, innovative and/or topical about each of the regional systems, with particular attention being paid to the effectiveness of the protection offered. Where appropriate the relationship with the UN’s human rights system will be considered.
The scope for cross-fertilisation of ideas and for increased efficiency will be explored, as will the degree to which local cultures and customs should be allowed to qualify the universalist principle concerning protection of human rights.
The potential for further development of regional systems for the protection of human rights will also be examined.

LAW7841 Issues in Policing and Crime Prevention
The focus of this module will be the exploration of key facets of policing and crime prevention. The module is taught in two interrelated parts: The first part deals with the front-end of the criminal justice system as represented by the state police and focuses on a number of key debates in policing studies such as the historical role of the police, issues around democratic accountability, the ‘doing of policing’ involving questions of race, sexuality, gender and age, as well as the impact of austerity, the burgeoning of the private security sector and the commodification of security more generally. The main emphasis is on state policing in the UK although many of the issues and debates have a resonance in other jurisdictions and contexts. The second part of the module focuses no less importantly on the back-end of the criminal justice system, namely the ways that crime prevention policy and practice has been operationalised in political discourse over the past three decades. This has shifted from viewing crime as something that requires a social response (employment, education and opportunities) to something that is deemed to be entirely voluntaristic, requiring a punitive, carceral response. The module demonstrates that policing and crime prevention are political activities that need to be framed within the broad ambit of social justice.

PAI7007 Global Terrorism
This module introduces students to the range of important issues relating to the phenomenon of global terrorism and responses in terms of the global war on terrorism. The key debates that students will engage with will include: the emergence of transnational terrorism structures, transnational terrorism case studies, state and transnational state responses to terrorism including international actors such as the UN, NATO and other regional organisations.
The study of these debates will lead to the investigation of particular groups, state actors, themes and responses which will culminate in a student-led simulation exercise. Overall the module aims to equip students with an understanding of the key discourse and examples as they pertain to contemporary terrorist challenges and responses at a global level.

PAI7021 The Politics and Institutions of Northern Ireland
The Belfast/Good Friday Agreement put an end to armed conflict in Northern Ireland and set up institutions designed to govern a society and polity divided along unionist and nationalist lines. As the experience of Northern Ireland shows, governing in such a context is not easy. Stability and cross-community agreement can be hard to reach, which has occasionally led to the suspension of Northern Ireland’s institutions. Yet these institutions have endured despite repeated crises and are heralded by some as examples of post-conflict governance.
The module explores contemporary developments in Northern Irish politics and discusses institutional design and politics in a changing Northern Ireland. It addresses topics such as the development of Northern Ireland’s consociational model of government, how institutions like the Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive perform their functions, how parties and identity shape politics and voting behaviour, North-South relations after Brexit, and Northern Ireland’s place in Europe.

PAI7027 Conflict Intervention
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.

PAI7030 International Political Economy
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 analyse 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.

PAI7032 Gender and Politics: Thinking Globally
This module encourages students to examine the centrality of gender and sexuality in shaping interconnected political dynamics at the local, national and global level. The module outlines the contribution of critical 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 gender minorities and other minoritised groups. Students will have the opportunity to discuss theoretical perspectives and empirical examples as entry points to the gendered and intersectional complexities of global politics. The module incorporates insights from the rich field of feminist research and offers an opportunity to students to study the subject in detail and to participate in the activities of the Centre for Gender in Politics.

PAI7052 Institutions and Politics of the EU
The module explores the structure and institutions of the European Union (EU) as well as selected theoretical approaches to the study of European integration. It examines in detail the nature and roles of the EU’s main institutions (i.e. Commission, European Parliament, Council, European Council, European Central Bank, and Court of Justice), and provides a critical assessment of selected EU policies and political challenges facing the EU. In doing so the module explores the decision- and policy-making dynamics within the EU as well as some of the most pressing themes in European governance.

PAI7100 Engaging Citizens in Democratic Institutions
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 conventional processes and institutions with greater opportunities for citizen participation. We will consider two broad approaches. First, the module will introduce students to well-established forms of citizen participation, such as traditional consultations, public meetings and referendums. Using examples from around the world, it will then introduce students to a range of democratic innovations designed to engage citizens in consultation processes differently, such as participatory budgeting and deliberative mini-publics. Students will engage in debates about different practical forms of participatory and deliberative democracy as well as learn about how these consultation processes are designed and implemented. The objectives are to enable students to engage critically in discussions about citizen engagement and public participation and to develop their public engagement 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 forms of citizen engagement.

PHL7057 Social Injustice
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?

SOC9062 Conflict and Change: New Sociological Research (10 Credits only)
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.

SOC9058 Inequality and Emotions (10 Credits only)
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.

SOC9071 Exploring Algorithms in Contemporary Society (10 Credits only)
Our societies have become increasingly technological: the use of Internet, the pervasiveness of social media. In many institutional and non-institutional contexts, algorithms are relied upon to capture and regulate much of our life, indicating the need to think critically about transformations in our social world. What sort of social relations emerge as a result of the use of these new tools? What sort of ordering do they produce? This module aims to provide students with a critical understanding of how some of these new developments operate in the social world. Technologies, however, should not be studied just as structures producing specific material consequences. They should also be viewed from a sociological perspective to understand the ways they are shaped by the specific contexts within which they are designed; we should look at the various cultural assumptions implicated in these designs, as well as the world they make us imagine. Each of us is scrutinized by countless algorithms every day without realizing it. What role do they play in making us knowable? With what effects? Algorithms as new technologies affect the structure of our social order, shape our sense of self, sense of community, and forms of relationships, constituting new tools to govern society, provide data, and, crucially, to produce knowledge about us. They are continuously deployed in multiple domains as magic bullets to realize efficiency and speed.
The module will question the role technology such as algorithm plays in various domains and provide some critical and theoretical understanding for students to make sense of the new structures of power and order, their promise of security and the risks they involve. By doing so, the module clearly addresses goal number 9 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure and interjects into goal 16 on Peace Justice and Strong Institutions. It aims to critically look at the ways technologies are increasingly deployed as part of and by our institutions in the unfolding of our lives (increasingly so since the global covid-19 pandemic). It considers ways the deployment of technologies may be made more transparent and queries the possible pernicious effects they may have. Thinking critically of how data are collected and used by new technologies will address possible biases, inequalities, and injustices in the deployment of these technologies.

N.B. If choosing to take SOC modules, Students must take BOTH in order to ensure they gain sufficient credits


If you wish to take the programme on part time basis you will be required to complete 3 taught modules each year (one in first semester and two in second semester or vice versus). It is advised you should complete the core modules in your first year. Please note, all modules run at the same time for full time and part time students. Please contact the programme convenor for further information.

People teaching you

Lecturer

HAPP
Dr Maria Deiana's research sits at the intersection of feminist international relations, critical peace and conflict studies, and border studies. Her monograph titled 'Gender and Citizenship: Promises of Peace in Post-Dayton Bosnia & Herzegovina' was published by Palgrave in 2018. She is Co-Director of the Centre for Gender in Politics. Email: M.Deiana@qub.ac.uk

Professor

HAPP
Cathal McCall is Professor of European Politics and Borders. He has published widely on the theme of European Union cross-border cooperation and conflict transformation. Currently, he has a specific interest in bordering, debordering and rebordering on the island of Ireland. Email: c.mccall@qub.ac.uk

Teaching Times

Teaching takes place at a variety of times from 9-8pm Monday – Friday.

Career Prospects

Introduction
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, the victims sector, 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 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

Learning and Teaching

Learning opportunities associated with this course are outlined below:

-

You will be part of a community of learners within the Institute who are dedicated to understanding conflict and its transformation. Class time includes plenty of opportunity for discussion. You will have annual masterclasses with world-leading experts and be able to attend the numerous public lectures organised by the Institute. You will also meet your lecturers and classmates at monthly brown-bag lunches and other informal events.

Some students may avail of the opportunity to participate in voluntary, non-assessed placements with local peacebuilding organisations.

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, the victims sector, and journalism.

Assessment

Assessments associated with the course are outlined below:

• Examination
• Continuous assessment

Written feedback is provided on all assessed work. Students also receive oral feedback in the classroom and in one-to-one meetings with lecturers.

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Modules

Modules

The information below is intended as an example only, featuring module details for the current year of study (2022/23). 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.

  • Year 1

    Core Modules

    Dissertation (60 credits)

    Optional Modules

    Social Injustice (20 credits)
    Global Terrorism (20 credits)
    Gender and Politics (20 credits)

Entrance requirements

Graduate
Normally at least a 2.1 Honours degree 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 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 11th August 2023 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. Notifications to this effect will appear on the Direct 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.

For more information on English Language requirements for EEA and non-EEA nationals see: www.qub.ac.uk/EnglishLanguageReqs.

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.

INTO - English Language Course(QSIS ELEMENT IS EMPTY)

Career Prospects

Introduction
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, the victims sector, 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 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

Additional Awards Gained(QSIS ELEMENT IS EMPTY)

Prizes and Awards(QSIS ELEMENT IS EMPTY)

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.

Tuition Fees

Northern Ireland (NI) 1 £6,980
Republic of Ireland (ROI) 2 £6,980
England, Scotland or Wales (GB) 1 £8,360
EU Other 3 £19,100
International £19,100

1 EU 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 are for the academic year 2023-24, and relate to a single year of study unless stated otherwise. Tuition fees will be subject to an annual inflationary increase, unless explicitly stated otherwise.

More information on postgraduate tuition fees.

Additional course costs

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.

Conflict Transformation and Social Justice costs

There are no specific additional course costs associated with this programme.

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. Criteria, eligibility, repayment and application information are available on the UK government website.

More information on funding options and financial assistance.

International Scholarships

Information on scholarships for international students, is available at www.qub.ac.uk/Study/international-students/international-scholarships/.

How to Apply

Apply using our online Postgraduate Applications Portal and follow the step-by-step instructions on how to apply.

Apply now

When to Apply

The deadline for applications is normally 30th June 2021. In the event that any programme receives a high volume of applications, the university reserves the right to close the application portal earlier than 30th June deadline. Notifications to this effect will appear on the Direct Entry Portal (DAP) against the programme application page.

Terms and Conditions

The terms and conditions that apply when you accept an offer of a place at the University on a taught programme of study.
Queen's University Belfast Terms and Conditions.


Download Postgraduate Prospectus