Careers
Your Master's is an excellent next step towards an exciting career or further education. Our students have a very high level of employability, and their graduate destinations are broad and varied.
Careers Support
The Department of Politics and International Relations is committed to improving student experiences, skills, attitudes, and opportunities, giving our graduates the best possible chance to succeed in a highly competitive graduate job market.
The transferable skills you'll acquire during your postgraduate degree, such as research, analysis, and presentation, are vital in the job market. Not only will you develop these skills throughout your programme, but you’ll also benefit from dedicated career support that gives you a further competitive advantage. Specialists in our careers department will assist you with all aspects of job hunting. They offer events tailored to Politics and International Relations students on a variety of subjects, from CV and application writing to networking skills development. Additionally, as a Russell Group university, we have unrivalled connections with a diverse range of industries.
Throughout your studies, you’ll have access to a dedicated Careers Consultant. The Careers service offers a range of sessions designed to prepare you for life as a graduate, such as one-to-one advice clinics, workshops, and evening events tailored to History students that will focus on, for example, interview technique, CV writing, and ways to build networks. You can also get advice and guidance on internships and work placements from the Careers Service.
Learn more about our Careers and Enterprise Service.
Support we offer to our postgraduate students
121 careers support
The Department of Politics and International Relations has a dedicated Careers Consultant who’s available for 121 careers conversations. These 20-minute sessions can look at future job options, gaining work experience, or moving onto further study. As a Queen Mary student, you will have access to our full range of careers support for three years after you graduate.
Humanities and social science internship team
As a student, you'll have access to exclusive Queen Mary internships delivered by our in-house team with some of the most dynamic organisations in London.
You can find the latest opportunities here.
Practice interview service
If you’ve been invited by an employer to an interview, you will be offered interview practice with our careers team. Students can book a 40-minute 121 interview coaching session here.
Application advice and CV checking service
Gain access to one-to-one support for 20-minute sessions, helping to perfect CVs, applications, cover letters, and further study applications.
Level-up your skills with a Master's degree with us
Study a postgraduate degree to help take your career to the next level. Hear from our academics about how our programmes can help you achieve.
Opportunities to put theory into practice:
We offer our students real-life skills alongside their degree programmes, helping them to thrive in both academic and careers fields.
Mile End Institute
The Mile End Institute is our primary centre for the study and discussion of the major issues in British politics, policymaking, and public life. There are year-round events with high-profile politicians and policymakers, with recent guest speakers including Yvette Cooper MP, Sir Simon Schama, Sir David Lidington, Rushanara Ali MP. As a Queen Mary student, you can get involved with the Mile End Institute as a Student Ambassador or Intern, as well as attend the lectures and networking with speakers.
Further study
While researching and writing your Master's degree, you may discover a specific subject area that you would like to investigate at doctoral level.
Our PhD students benefit from the expertise of our academics, Queen Mary’s research culture, and easy access to London’s best libraries, networks, thinktanks, archives, and more.
What does a PhD involve?
- A PhD in Politics and International Relations is an exercise in original and individual research, framed within a historiographical context.
- Full-time, a PhD takes three years, or six years at part-time.
- This challenging undertaking is an individual endeavour, but one which is supported by an expert supervisor. You will also have the encouragement of a mentor and the diverse research environment of the School.
Find out more about what a PhD involves.
PhD staff
Our academic staff are always available to assist with applications and offer guidance on looking for PhD funding and supervision. In many cases, PhD students meet their supervisors during their Master's programme.
Our academic range of research expertise is second to none. They cover a huge variety of research areas. Full details are available on staff profile pages.