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Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
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Postgraduate MA
Peace and Development
Address the global challenges of poverty and violence. You’ll link theory and practice and make a positive difference to the lives of people around the world.
Course overview
-
L27 -
City Campus -
Full-Time -
12 Months -
21 Sep 2026
Global insight
From security threats and terrorism to the arms trade and non-violent social movements, you’ll acquire an in-depth insight into contemporary global issues.
We place a real emphasis on international debate and your teaching will be delivered in small groups involving students from around the world. This will give you access to a range of cultural perspectives to inform your learning.
As part of this peace and development master’s course, you’ll:
- Develop your awareness of the relationships between peace, conflict resolution and development both nationally and internationally
- Gain knowledge of the origins, evolution and contemporary dynamics of peace and development within the international system and the challenges to it
- Consider issues such as gender, poverty, employment, human rights and the role of civil society and community participation in decision-making and governance
- Evaluate different interpretations of peace and development within complex international situations
- Study the political, economic, cultural, environmental and technological changes that influence development decisions
- Gain skills in project management
- Learn how to draw up funding applications, competencies essential for working in the field
Teaching expertise
You’ll benefit from being taught by our highly qualified team of academics who are renowned in their fields of research. Our research in peace and development keeps our curriculum fresh and cutting-edge.
Industry links
Our staff members have close working links with organisations such as:
- Oxfam
- Amnesty International
- Pugwash
- The Swiss Small Arms Survey
- Omega Research Foundation
- The Mines Advisory Group
- CND
- Aegis Trust
- Huridocs
- Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
You’ll be encouraged to engage with relevant external organisations and conferences to build your own industry contacts.
Why study the Peace and Development course at Leeds Beckett University?
- Research-led teaching – your learning will be guided by the latest research and thinking in the field
- Guest lectures and conferences – learn from speakers’ professional experiences and insight
- Engage with charitable and public sector organisations – during our annual Politics & International Relations Festival
- Learn in a small group - share ideas and debate issues with your peers
- Part-time option – fit your studies around your existing commitments
Explore videos and blogs
Why climate change is causing conflict in Africa Dr Olayinka Ajala, a lecturer in Politics and International Relations at Leeds Beckett University, shares his ground-breaking research into why climate change is causing conflict in Africa and explains how this feeds into his teaching so that students can relate what they are learning to current world issues.
MA Peace and Development - Linn Waage Student Linn talks about her course.
Everything you need to know
Discover all there is to know about the course, from entry requirements and fees to exploring the school you’ll be joining - we’ve got it covered.
Entry requirements
Applicants should either have a second class honours degree or have equivalent experience or training, normally from within the work environment.
All applications should be supported by a reference, either academic or professional; you can download our reference template for completion.
All applicants should satisfy our University English language requirements.
Entry requirements
Applicants should either have a second class honours degree or have equivalent experience or training, normally from within the work environment.
All applications should be supported by a reference, either academic or professional; you can download our reference template for completion.
All applicants should satisfy our University English language requirements.
IELTS
IELTS 6.0 with no skills below 5.5, or an equivalent qualification. The University provides excellent support for any applicant who may be required to undertake additional English language courses.
Selection Criteria
We may use selection criteria based on your personal attributes; experience and/or commitment to the area of study. This information will be derived from your personal statement and reference and will only be used if you have met the general entry requirements.
Independent study is a crucial part of learning at university and you will be required to undertake many hours of self-directed research and reading, and preparation and writing of assessments. Your course is delivered through a number of modules, which will help you to plan your time and establish a study routine. Outside of your lectures, workshops and tutorials, a range of support is available to assist with your independent study. Our subject-specific librarians will be on hand to direct you to the specialist learning and study-skill resources. You’ll also be assigned an academic advisor to give you tailored feedback and support.
Modules, teaching and learning
What you'll learn
Engage in critical depth with a research-based project aligned to your personal and professional interests.
You will gain insight, debate and practical strategies in the field of the protection of civilians from violence on a local, national and international level. This is increasingly becoming a central concern for international interventions, but on the local level innovative projects are being supported. From understanding the roles of international agencies, NGOs and local organisations, to investigating strategies and tactics of those affected, this module will enable you to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions and the way in which it fits with peace and conflict theory and human rights.
Explore the possibilities and challenges of taking gender seriously within the international realm. You'll study key theoretical, conceptual, empirical, and practice debates surrounding the role of gender in international politics and global political economy.
This module interrogates the concept of insecurity and draws on a range of theories and understandings of security, and how this has evolved from a focus on the state to incorporate human security. You will explore the relationship between conflict, security and development, including the roles of key actors, agencies, policies and interventions, and key intersections of gender, ethnicity, poverty and exclusion. You will also examine responses to traditional and new security threats from a human rights perspective via a range of local and global case studies.
Consider how projects fit within strategic and programmatic approaches to change, and how they are ethically designed, developed, and funded. This module will introduce you to the essential components of project management, including project cycle, logical frameworks, communication, stakeholder engagement and evaluation. You’ll develop key skills in project management, funding proposals and communication using authentic sources and case studies.
Study the key theories and concepts that are used to understand violence, conflict, and peace. By examining existing case studies, you'll gain an overview of various approaches that have been applied to manage or resolve conflict and to build peace. You'll gain an understanding of the key actors and processes associated with conflict resolution and peacebuilding, as well as key achievements and obstacles to building peace.
What you'll learn
Explore the contested conceptualisation of human rights, via universalist/relativist and cosmopolitan/communitarian debates, and locate the theorisation of rights within the broad schools of international relations thought. You'll study the tensions that emerge through the institutionalisation of rights at an international level, the operation of sovereignty and the politics of rights at a group and individual level.
Bringing together recent research in environmental history and the histories of food and eating, you will look at how food has been grown, transported and consumed in the western world since the Columbian Exchange of 1492.
Gain a deeper understanding of the power dynamics behind contemporary crime control policies of national and global reach. You will be able to identify and critically analyse discourses, narratives and policies of crime control and security, and develop an insight into how these impact the changing relationship between the individual and the state in its latest neo-liberal modification.
Critically explore acts of war, political violence and 'crimes of aggression' through the lens of criminological discourse. You will gain an in-depth critical understanding of war and its relationship with 'crime'; by critically evaluating the role of individual states, international communities, as well as victims, bystanders and known perpetrators or combatants.
Fees and funding
£9,830
UK
The tuition fee for the year for students entering in 2026/27 is £9830. The amount you will pay may increase each year to take into account the effects of inflation.
£18,440
International 2026
The tuition fee for the year for students entering in 2026/27 is £18440. The amount you will pay is fixed at this level for each year of your course.
Fees and funding
£9,830
For students entering in 2026
The tuition fee for the year for students entering in 2026/27 is £9830. The amount you will pay may increase each year to take into account the effects of inflation.
Additional course costs
Tuition Fees
Your tuition fees cover the cost of registration, tuition, academic supervision, assessments and examinations.
The following are also included in the cost of your course:
- 24/7 Library and student IT support
- Free wifi via eduroam
- Skills workshops and resources
- Library membership, giving access to more than 500,000 printed, multimedia and digital resources
- Access to software, including five free copies of Microsoft Office 365 to install on your PC,laptop and MAC, and access to free high-end software via the Leeds Beckett remote app
- Loan of high-end media equipment to support your studies
In many cases, costs associated with your course will be included in your course fee. However, in some cases there are ‘essential’ additional costs (those that you will be required to meet in addition to your course fee), and/or ‘optional’ additional costs (costs that are not required, but that you might choose to pay). We have included those essential or optional additional costs that relate to your course, below.
Essential Costs
- Travel, accommodation and sustenance associated with your dissertation, research projects or data collection (the cost will vary depending on your topic and individual project and you could choose to undertake a project that does not have any associated costs or conduct it in a cost-effective manner)
- Travel, accommodation and sustenance associated with your dissertation, research projects or data collection (the cost will vary depending on your topic and individual project and you could choose to undertake a project that doesn't have any associated costs or conduct it in a cost-effective manner). A typical day trip for fieldwork in the North of England would cost £20-40. An average two-day stay to use an archive or conduct interviews in London would cost £200-300 depending on travel times.
Optional Costs
- Educational visits; the details and location will vary, sometimes trips are free, if there is a cost for you to pay it could include travel, accommodation and subsistence. There are no compulsory trips or visits related to the course
- There are no compulsory trips or visits related to the course. You may be invited to attend educational visits organised by the course team. The details and location will vary. if there is a cost for you to pay it could include travel, accommodation and subsistence. A typical trip in Leeds would cost less than £20.
Other study-related expenses to consider: materials that you will need to complete your course such as books (whilst the library provides access to readings recommended for your modules, you may wish to purchase your own copies of some books); you can also make suggestions for books to be added to Library stock; placement costs (these may include travel expenses and living costs); student visas (international students only); printing, photocopying and stationery (you may need to pay for multiple copies of your dissertation or final project to be printed and bound); events associated with your course such as field trips; study abroad opportunities (travel costs and accommodation, visas and immunisations). Other costs could include academic conferences (travel costs) and professional-body membership (where applicable). The costs you will need to cover for graduation will include gown hire and guest tickets, and optional extras such as professional photography.
As well as your mobile phone, you will also need access to a desktop computer and/or laptop to complete assignments and access university online services such as MyBeckett, your virtual learning environment. You can book and borrow AV equipment through the media equipment service accessed online via the student hub and located in the library at each campus. Equipment includes: 360 Cameras, iPads, GoPros, MacBooks, portable data projectors, portable projection screens, flipchart stands, remote presenters, digital cameras and camcorders, SLR cameras, speakers, microphones, headphones, headsets, tripods, digital audio recorders and PC/laptops (a laptop loans service is provided on campus in the library on both campuses). Student laptops are also available from the laptop lockers located in the libraries.
This list is not exhaustive, costs are approximate and will vary depending on the choices you make during your course. Any rental, travel or living costs are also in addition to your course fees. If you choose to study via distance learning, you may not be able to access all of the facilities listed if you are not able to visit us on campus.
£18,440
For students entering in 2026
The tuition fee for the year for students entering in 2026/27 is £18440. The amount you will pay is fixed at this level for each year of your course.
Additional course costs
Tuition Fees
Your tuition fees cover the cost of registration, tuition, academic supervision, assessments and examinations.
The following are also included in the cost of your course:
- 24/7 Library and student IT support
- Free wifi via eduroam
- Skills workshops and resources
- Library membership, giving access to more than 500,000 printed, multimedia and digital resources
- Access to software, including five free copies of Microsoft Office 365 to install on your PC,laptop and MAC, and access to free high-end software via the Leeds Beckett remote app
- Loan of high-end media equipment to support your studies
In many cases, costs associated with your course will be included in your course fee. However, in some cases there are ‘essential’ additional costs (those that you will be required to meet in addition to your course fee), and/or ‘optional’ additional costs (costs that are not required, but that you might choose to pay). We have included those essential or optional additional costs that relate to your course, below.
Essential Costs
- Travel, accommodation and sustenance associated with your dissertation, research projects or data collection (the cost will vary depending on your topic and individual project and you could choose to undertake a project that does not have any associated costs or conduct it in a cost-effective manner)
- Travel, accommodation and sustenance associated with your dissertation, research projects or data collection (the cost will vary depending on your topic and individual project and you could choose to undertake a project that doesn't have any associated costs or conduct it in a cost-effective manner). A typical day trip for fieldwork in the North of England would cost £20-40. An average two-day stay to use an archive or conduct interviews in London would cost £200-300 depending on travel times.
Optional Costs
- Educational visits; the details and location will vary, sometimes trips are free, if there is a cost for you to pay it could include travel, accommodation and subsistence. There are no compulsory trips or visits related to the course
- There are no compulsory trips or visits related to the course. You may be invited to attend educational visits organised by the course team. The details and location will vary. if there is a cost for you to pay it could include travel, accommodation and subsistence. A typical trip in Leeds would cost less than £20.
Other study-related expenses to consider: materials that you will need to complete your course such as books (whilst the library provides access to readings recommended for your modules, you may wish to purchase your own copies of some books); you can also make suggestions for books to be added to Library stock; placement costs (these may include travel expenses and living costs); student visas (international students only); printing, photocopying and stationery (you may need to pay for multiple copies of your dissertation or final project to be printed and bound); events associated with your course such as field trips; study abroad opportunities (travel costs and accommodation, visas and immunisations). Other costs could include academic conferences (travel costs) and professional-body membership (where applicable). The costs you will need to cover for graduation will include gown hire and guest tickets, and optional extras such as professional photography.
As well as your mobile phone, you will also need access to a desktop computer and/or laptop to complete assignments and access university online services such as MyBeckett, your virtual learning environment. You can book and borrow AV equipment through the media equipment service accessed online via the student hub and located in the library at each campus. Equipment includes: 360 Cameras, iPads, GoPros, MacBooks, portable data projectors, portable projection screens, flipchart stands, remote presenters, digital cameras and camcorders, SLR cameras, speakers, microphones, headphones, headsets, tripods, digital audio recorders and PC/laptops (a laptop loans service is provided on campus in the library on both campuses). Student laptops are also available from the laptop lockers located in the libraries.
This list is not exhaustive, costs are approximate and will vary depending on the choices you make during your course. Any rental, travel or living costs are also in addition to your course fees. If you choose to study via distance learning, you may not be able to access all of the facilities listed if you are not able to visit us on campus.
Funding support for your studies
Discover more about our range of postgraduate funding options including a Master's Loan of up to £13,206, and our 20% alumni discount*
*Terms apply
My previous experience has allowed me to build international professional networks that provide me with insights into the challenges and solutions for a more peaceful and just world, which I thoroughly enjoy sharing with my students. Teaching is exciting because I get to work with courageous people who are changing their communities for the better.
Professor Rachel Julian
Professor
Career prospects
There’s a lot to consider when choosing a course. Take a look at the team you’ll be working with, employability statistics and career prospects to help make up your mind.
Career Prospects
You’ll find employment opportunities in the UK and overseas working for non-governmental organisations, the public sector and the media. Previous graduates have gone on to work as:
- Teachers
- Social workers
- Journalists
- Development workers
- University lecturers
- Government consultants
- Business managers
Other roles you could go on to work as, include:
- Charity/ Aid worker
- Government advisor
Alternatively, you could pursue your research interests and study for a PhD.
Professor Rachel Julian
Professor / School of Humanities and Social Sciences
Professor Rachel Julian is a Professor of Peace Studies who researches, teaches and works on nonviolence, unarmed civilian peacekeeping, peace and conflict. She has over 30 years experience in resistance and peacebuilding, including UK and international NGOs and community organisations.
Beckett Careers Team
Our careers service is not just there for undergraduates, we support our postgraduate taught and research students too.
Your postgraduate degree will boost your CV and help you stand out from the crowd. Whether you're just starting out on your chosen career path, changing careers or moving to the next level, we can provide you with expert advice and resources to help you take the next steps to achieving your goals.
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