The Department of Politics and International Relations offers internationally recognised expertise and postgraduate supervision across the various fields of our discipline.
We are a medium-sized Department of Politics and International Relations (PIR) with 18 members of staff who investigate some of the world’s most pressing political problems at several levels of analysis: sub-state, state, regional and international.
Often adopting an interdisciplinary perspective across the social sciences, the department’s research can be grouped into four key themes: Democracy and Representation; Conflict and Security; Comparative Politics and Policy; and Political and International Relations Theory. PhD study can be undertaken either on campus or at a distance.
Often adopting an interdisciplinary perspective across the social sciences, the department’s research can be grouped into four key themes:
Several staff members specialise in political and IR theory. This focus includes expertise on postcolonial theory, precarity and affect, aesthetics and politics, temporality, globalisation and global governance, knowledge production in social science, Michel Foucault.
Supervisors: Dr Philippe Beauregard, Dr R Vij
The department has a long-established background in Comparative Politics with expertise on multilevel governance, devolution and constitutional change, migration policymaking, democracy promotion and energy politics. Staff have expertise in areas including the UK, the EU, China, Latin America, the Middle East, Russia and post-Soviet states, Scandinavia and the Western Balkans.
Supervisors: Dr L Bennie, Prof M Bain, Dr N Danilova, Dr J McEvoy, Dr Judith Sijstermans, Dr Digdem Soyaltin Colella, Dr E Tabur, Dr K Thomas, Dr A Widfeldt
Our staff research central areas of politics relating to elections, political organisations and emerging challenges to modern liberal democracies. This theme includes expertise on political participation, including party membership, party change and electoral behaviour. We also have expertise on constitutional politics (including independence referenda), energy politics, far-right politics and green politics.
Supervisors: Dr L Bennie, Dr M Harvey, Dr Judith Sijstermans, Dr K Thomas, Dr A Widfeldt
Several staff members have expertise on themes relating to conflict and security, including post-conflict peacebuilding, terrorism and counter-terrorism, civil-military relations, cybersecurity, immigration and asylum, memory studies, political apologies, international security, strategic studies and EU conflict resolution. Supervisors: Dr D A Anagnostakis, Dr M Bain, Dr T Bentley, Dr N Danilova, Dr S Durkin, Dr James Johnson, Dr M Lekunze, Dr S May, Dr J McEvoy, Professor Michael Smith, Dr E Tabur, Dr I Xypolia
Eligible self-funded international Postgraduate Research Masters' students starting in September 2025 will receive the Aberdeen Global Scholarship. Explore this Global Scholarship, including eligibility details, on our dedicated page.
Aberdeen Global ScholarshipApplicants for admission will normally be expected to hold a relevant Honours degree with a 2:1 standard from a recognised university or body
Applicants to the PhD and MRes must provide a detailed research proposal and two academic references from their most recent academic institution.
APPLICANTS ARE STRONGLY ADVISED TO CONTACT POTENTIAL SUPERVISORS BEFORE MAKING AN APPLICATION.
Please see PhD Supervision which details our research interests and our leaflet: Guidelines for writing a Research Proposal.
Eligible self-funded international Postgraduate Research Masters' students starting in September 2025 will receive the Aberdeen Global Scholarship. Explore this Global Scholarship, including eligibility details, on our dedicated page.
To see our full range of scholarships, visit our Funding Database.
Recent successful postgraduates have gone on to posts in the Scottish Parliament and civil service, the House of Commons, the UK civil service including the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the UK Ministry of Defence, international organisations including the United Nations and the European Union, research consultancies, international business and banking, and lobbying.
Others have moved into academic careers or drawn on their Politics and IR degree to undertake Postgraduate qualifications in other disciplines and career paths.
We are a Scottish university that was founded with international connections. Our community of 3,600 staff and over 14,000 students includes more than 130 nationalities, which enriches our teaching, research, and students' experiences.
The University’s award winning Sir Duncan Rice Library is listed in the “Top 20 spellbinding University libraries in the World”. It contains over a million volumes, more than 300,000 e-books and 21,000 journals.
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