War and Humanitarianism (MSc)

War and humanitarianism are deeply embedded in the modern experience. Be it in the nineteenth-century calls for civilising war or the contemporary attempts at saving distant strangers, the conduct of organised violence and the defence of human rights cannot be separated out. Birkbeck’s MSc War and Humanitarianism analyses the complex interaction between war and humanitarianism from multiple historical, geographical, political and cultural perspectives. The degree approaches war as a social totality that encompasses all manner of human processes and structures, and considers humanitarianism as an increasingly pervasive ideology, informing all sorts of collective social and political activity across the world. Graduates could pursue careers in local government, policy making, journalism, campaigning or work in NGOs or charities. Possible future roles could include social researcher, government research officer or teacher. This degree is also useful for applications to international organisations or to be a Civil Service fast streamer.