MA International Relations

Master of Arts in International Relations or M.A International Relations is a two-year postgraduate degree programme that is offered in various state-level and central-level institutions or colleges in India. It is also offered by some deemed institutions in the country. M.A International Relations is the study of a comprehensive and advanced understanding of the factors that are affecting the international community and individual states. 

In this two-year postgraduate degree programme, the students are taught major topics such as religious studies, business law, economics, philosophy, politics, linguistics and similar things which are associated with International Relations. At the end of the study, the students will be adept of finding solutions for issues like nuclear proliferation, economic development, organised crime, globalization, human rights etc. 

International Relations is a study that focuses on the outstanding relationships formed between different nations. These relationships affect worldwide politics, economics, legal matters, governance, etc. As a course, MA International Relations also covers key areas like public policy, public administration, Security Studies, Regional Studies, etc. The objective of the course is to provide a comprehensive understanding of the different factors of international relationships. Only a graduate candidate can apply for this course. After the course completion, candidates are generally hired in the Government sectors, International Business management organizations, International Diplomacy, etc.

M.A. International Relations Highlights

Check out the highlights of the M.A International Relations programme from the table below - 

M.A. International Relations Course Benefits

Pointed below are the benefits offered by the M.A. International Relations:

• Any course in International Relations trains the students for the professions of politics. However, the truth is that after pursuing a degree in this field no careers are restricted to the political field only. The transferable skills offered through the course, make the students capable of doing multiple tasks and make them workable in different industries.
• Students come for pursuing M.A. in International Relations from personal motivation. They want to make some contribution to the world in a broader sense. This course helps such students to meet their goals and secure the specific professions they might have desired for them.
• After pursuing the course, those who will join a political career will be able to implement the policies in their work field and thus they will contribute to the betterment of the world.
• An in-depth understanding of society, globalization, and international markets is provided through the course.
• As a course, M.A. International Relationship expands the horizon of knowledge. For those who want to make a career in Civil Services, M.A. International Relationships would be a great course for them.
• After the completion of the course, candidates can begin their career in multiple job profiles like an attorney, Research Analyst, etc.
• The skills achieved by the students of M.A. in International Relations make them highly desirable among national and international employers
• The professionals in this field are offered a comfortable pay package. After completing the Master’s degree in international relationships, candidates can get a job with a handsome salary package. A fresher in this field can start their career with INR 3-4 Lakhs.

Candidates with a Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent degree) from any recognised Institution or University with a minimum aggregate of 60% at the qualifying exam level are eligible to apply for the M.A International Relations programme. Reserved category candidates (OBC/SC/ST/PwD) can apply for M.A International Relations programme with a minimum overall aggregate of 55% at the qualifying level. 

M.A. International Relations Skills Required

Some essential skills that prove to help learn M.A. International Relations are as follows:

• Good Communication Skills
• Social Skills
• Foreign Language Skills
• Analytical skills
• Problem-Solving
• Critical Thinking Ability

M.A International Relations Admission Process

The M.A International relations admission process is an online entrance test-based based admission process in which the M.A International Relations offering institutions or universities conduct an entrance exam to determine the suitability of the candidates for the programme. The final allocation of seats is done on the basis of the candidates’ cumulative marks in the entrance test and qualifying exam. Some institutions also conduct an additional personal interview round before the final admissions. 

The selection through the entrance test goes in the following manner:

Entrance-Based Admission

•  At first, the students visit the official website of the colleges they want to get admission
• Then they register for the exam and pay the entrance exam fees
• A hall ticket or admit card is provided by the college/institutions before the exam
• Students appear on the exam
• After the declaration of the result, candidates are selected for final admission through a counseling process
• Document verification of the qualified students is part of this process
• On the completion of the entire admission process, students get enrolled in the M.A. International Relations course

Merit-Based Admission

Apart from the entrance-based selection, there might be some institutions that intake students by evaluating the scores of the previous qualifying examination. In this process, the application details and the previous academic qualification and marks of bachelor’s degree are considered as the selection criteria. A cut-off is released by the colleges at the end of the application process and then the shortlisted students are offered admission after the document verification.

M.A. International Relations Entrance Exams

To test the potentiality of the applicants, many universities/colleges offering M.A. International Relations conduct entrance examinations. Another purpose of conducting such an entrance test is to assess whether the applicants can grasp the learning of the course. Below mentioned are some of the entrance tests popular for M.A. in International Relations:

• JNUEE or Jawaharlal Nehru University Entrance Examination
• Pondicherry University Entrance Exam

Both these entrance exams are online-based and conducted to take in students for their various post-graduate courses.

Exam Preparation Tips

Following are some tips that one can consider for their exam preparation:

• To get through these entrance exams, one should be well-versed in the syllabus and entrance exam pattern.
• Indian Foreign Policies, current affairs, political science, history, and economics are the four major areas of the M.A. International Relationship entrance exams. Therefore, a student appearing for such an entrance examination needs to prepare questions based on these subjects.
• There are lots of things happening in the world which may come in the current affairs section. By reading newspapers, online news, and General Knowledge books, one can easily get a good grip on this section.
• Indian Polity and foreign policies are major areas of the M.A. international entrance exam. Those who prepare for this exam should keep in mind that an in-depth study is required to secure good marks in this section.
• Those who have studied History and Economics at the graduation level must brush up on their existing knowledge in these subjects. And those who haven’t studied them before can read graduation-level books.
• Ensure to prepare a study schedule and maintain that rigorously
• Practicing sample test papers or previous years’ question papers is essential to evaluate the preparation level.
• Before the exam, appear in the mock test as it is the only way to be accustomed to the exam-like situation

There are some entrance exam guides that the students can take help from. For example, for the JNU entrance exam for M.A. International Relations, one can read JNU: MA (International Relation and Area Studies) Entrance Exam Guide.

M.A International Relations Course Fee

The course fee for M.A International Relations varies from institute to institute. The M.A International Relations course fee depends on the fact that whether the institution is a public institution or a private institution. The average course fee in public institutions is less than what is charged from the students for the programme offered at private institutions. To study M.A International Relations, the students have to pay somewhere between 6,000 rupees and 3,00,000 rupees combining all the years.

M.A. International Relations Colleges in India

Listed below are the colleges and universities of India that one can shortlist for pursuing M.A. International Relations courses:

M.A. International Relations Distance Education

Distance learning in M.A. International Relations is available in a few universities/colleges in India. Students often opt for the M.A. International Relations distance education for different reasons. One of the most important reasons is that they are not able to attend regular classes either because of their locations or for their existing professions. For this mode of education, candidates should have a bachelor’s degree in the relevant field and must have a minimum of 50% marks in the same. In the distance learning mode, the course duration is maximum of 3 years. The average course fee starts from INR 5000 and it could go up to INR 50,000.

Distance learning offers plenty of benefits to the M.A. International Relations student. Two of the most important benefits are that it course can be availed in the comfort of home or some other places and the fees are comparatively less than a regular programme. Names of some colleges offering M.A. International relations distance education are provided below:

• Annamalai University, Tamil Nadu
• Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), Delhi
• Vardhman Mahaveer Open University, Kota, Rajasthan  

Check out the detailed syllabus of M.A International Relations programme given in the table below - 

M.A. International Relations Books

International Relations students can read the following books for a better understanding of the subjects:

• Conflict and Diplomacy by Jaswant Singh & Maj. Gen (RETD) S.P Bhatia
• Diplomacy by Henry Kissinger
• PAX INDICA: India and the World of the 21st Century by Shashi Tharoor
• International Relations by Peu Ghosh

With a postgraduate degree in International Relations, a candidate can aim for either of the following job titles - 

• Lawyer
• Professor
• Political Journalist
• Political Analyst
• International Relations Consultant
• Regulatory Affairs Manager

M.A. International Relations Jobs

There are plenty of M.A. International Relations Jobs in India. In general, the jobs of International Relations include the following tasks:

• Building a strong relationship with international institutions
• Forecasting social and political movement
• Building international partnerships
• Studying and analyzing international policies, issues, etc.

Explained below are some of the job roles that one can opt for after pursuing an M.A. in International Relations:

Lawyer- A Lawyer is a certified professional who handles legal matters and implements law to protect the right of his/her clients. These professionals are knowledgeable about the state and national laws and offer support to the clients in accordingly.

Professor- A professor teaches students in college, prepares lesson plan, set assignments, conduct tests, evaluate exam papers, and assist students to perform better.

Political Journalist- A Political Journalist gathers information on the latest political events, prepares political news stories, and engagingly presents them to create mass awareness of the same.

Political Analyst- An individual working as a Political Analyst conduct research on different political subjects like political ideologies, and international relations, etc, interpret research topics by using statistical analysis, etc and create political ideas.

International Relations Consultant- Identifying international concerns, forecasting political trends, assessing international policies and programme, and counselling employers on public policies are some of the job roles played by an International Relations Consultant.

Regulatory Affairs Manager- As a Regulatory Affairs Manager, one has to check whether an organization’s activities are performing in compliance with the existing regulations.

M.A. International Relations Salary in India

Tabulated below are the salaries offered for the International Relations jobs in India: