Postgraduate Diploma in International Relations

Why read for a postgraduate diploma in International Relations?

Studying International Relations will give you a great starting point for a career in research, public sector, business and or non-governmental organizations. The Institute’s programmes are unique and distinct in that they advance issues pertinent to the Caribbean and offer new insights, often challenging mainstream thinking on many issues. The Diploma provides a comprehensive academic basis for students to understand and seek a career in International Relations. It explores the dynamics of an increasingly interdependent world and its complex and multidimensional issues and seeks to explain the world in which we live and operate. The programme seeks to ensure greater dialogue and communication for its students through teaching and learning, diversity and inclusion, research and deeper community engagement.

What does the programme offer?

The programme will help students develop highly sought-after skills and expertise that can be applied to any career, including:

Research and Administrative skills
Critical analysis skills
Scientific methods competences
Cross-cultural awareness

Which careers can International Relations lead to?

The teaching and training in International Relations will equip students for employment across a range of careers. A graduate Diploma in International Relations can lead to employment in the civil service or a career as an analyst or policy advisor for the numerous organisations that require IR expertise. Graduates seeking jobs with NGOs and other Institutions realize that the Diploma in IR places them at an advantage over the competition for heavily subscribed positions. Graduates may also want to use their expertise to build a career in business, journalism, politics or activism. In any profession, an employer will value an IR graduate's research and analytical skills.

Among other areas, our graduates can obtain positions as:

Consulate Representative
Foreign Affairs Analyst
Humanitarian Relief Worker
International Lawyer
Foreign Service Officer
International Relations Professor
Interpreter/Translator
Language Instructor
Trade Specialist
Researcher

Course Offerings:

The courses that are currently offered as part of the Post Graduate Diploma in International Relations are as Follows:

FIRST SEMESTER

INRL 5002 International Law

INRL 5003 International Money and Finance

INRL 5005 Political Economy of International Development & Organisation

INRL 5008 Methodology and Theory of International Relations

SECOND SEMESTER

INRL 5001 International History and Politics

INRL 5004 International Relations of the Caribbean

INRL 5006 International Relations of Latin America

INRL 5007 International Trade and Economic Development

INRL 5009 Theory and Practice of Diplomacy

Year Long Courses

INRL 5000 Specialised Seminar: International Security Studies

INRL 5010 Any foreign language offered by the Centre for Language Learning

Foreign Language courses are non-credit compulsory courses.

Students are required to have an adequate knowledge of a second language. Where a student fails to demonstrate sufficient proficiency in a foreign language, he/she is required to read for Levels 1A&B of any language offered at the CLL.

Possession of a suitable qualification in one of the recognized foreign languages (as demonstrated for example by a degree or major) or satisfactory performance in the oral language proficiency assessment administered at the CLL will be sufficient grounds for exemption from the language component

Admission Requirements:

Admission to the prescribed course of study for the Postgraduate Diploma in International Relations is normally open to university graduates holding a good second class honours degree or a GPA no lower than 2.5 or to persons holding equivalent qualifications from approved professional bodies.

However, possession of a degree does not automatically entitle a candidate to admission. The Admissions Committee may request an interview with applicants. Applications for admission should be made online at https://sta.uwi.edu/admissions/postgrad/.

For further information on the programme, the courses, and more, interested persons are advised to consult the Regulations for the Postgraduate Diploma in International Relations available here.