FAQ
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Course details
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Supervisors
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Referees
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Grades
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Interviews
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Fees and funding
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College and accommodation
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Please may I speak to...?
Course Details
- What is the course like?
You can get a better sense of what we offer here (link to intro video) and by watching our open day video (link here). You can also find information here about the course.
I hope this helps, but please do get in touch if you have any further questions after you’ve had a look at the above resources. The best point of contact is the course’s administrative mailbox: mst-intrelations@polis.cam.ac.uk
- What are the dates of the residentials?
Please see the course website: Mst in International Relations Course Overview | Department of Politics and International Studies (POLIS)
- How much does the course cost?
The fees for the 2025-27 cohort will be £10,780 for home students and £19,000 for overseas/EU students for the first academic year, subject to increase for the second academic year. Fees are payable in full in advance for each academic year. The combined graduate fee includes college membership. Do also check the course website: Mst in International Relations Course Overview | Department of Politics and International Studies (POLIS)
- Do I have to attend all of the residential sessions?
Yes. Attendance is mandatory in order to be eligible for award of the degree.
- Is the course online or can I take the course online?
No. While the students complete course work at home to set deadlines, and the same is true of the dissertations, all teaching is delivered in person during residential sessions. Attendance at the residential sessions is mandatory in order to be eligible for award of the degree.
- How will I manage my studies alongside my professional and personal commitments?
The practicalities of this are not something we can give general advice on. We ask all applicants to secure a commitment from their employers to allow them the time to attend residentials and complete their coursework. We can say is that this is a full and intense Master’s degree. The workload is heavy, and it is not something you can expect to manage by committing an hour or three a week. This is something that current student have emphasised during the Open Day video, found here: our open day video (link here)
- Is this course right for my academic background?
The MSt in International Relations was designed for mid-career professionals seeking a better understanding of International Relations across the political sphere. Many applicants come to us because they are seeking greater knowledge that they can apply in a current role, or fill a gap in their knowledge when seeking promotion to a wider stage.
- Is this course right for my professional background?
Our students and alumni come from an incredibly diverse range of professions in international organisations, NGOs, the civil service, the armed forces, finance, law, media, film making and photography, teaching, blue chip companies, transport and business, and many more.
- Why do I need to provide an employer support letter/what should it say?
This is important because, traditionally, the University’s guidance on requests for extensions or intermissions doesn’t accept work as valid grounds for such an allowance. As the teaching at one residential may not be something you can repeat within the same year, missing it could require you to intermit to a later year, which we would prefer to avoid if possible.
We advise that applicants request the most ironclad assurances they can possibly get, that they will be allowed private study time and to attend all of the residentials.
The following is an example of a letter drafted for a person serving in the military, which may be adapted for use:
[dated]
To whom it may concern,
I am [Rank and name]’s line manager/company commander [etc. as appropriate] and confirm that I have approved their application for a two-year part-time MSt in International Relations, starting in Autumn 2025. As well as ensuring that they will have time to complete their required readings and coursework, we will support their attendance during residential periods and do not anticipate any reason they would be unable to attend.
If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me/my office via email [signatory’s professional address],
signature
[signatory’s rank and name]
This is best submitted as a scan on headed paper, but it can also be n extract of an e-mail chain provided that the sender is the author of the ‘letter’.
- I am not presently employed/do not have an organisational employer in the traditional sense, do I still need to provide an employer’s letter of support?
As we will be looking for a letter, it is best if you upload something that explains why you do not need one. Some examples may be:
- A barrister who manages their own case-load (but: if you are a member of a Chambers which has expectations of your time, it is better to seek a support letter from them)
- A session musician who is not a part of a troupe or orchestra, and has nobody with an expectation that they will commit to time according to their calendar instead of yours.
Supervisors
- Do I need to or Should I reach out to potential supervisors?
Referees
- Would X be appropriate as my referee?
You application requires statements from 2 referees, preferably one academic and one professional. However, we recognise many students will be returning to study after long period away. If they try and fail to obtain a reference after so many years, we would ask if they can supply an additional reference, usually professional. This should speak to the applicant undertaking a project where they have researched an area of their business (or government body/society, etc), and presented their findings in a report. If this includes recommendations, and the referee is able to speak to the accuracy of these with hindsight, that is all the better.
- I graduated more than 3 years ago. What should I do about my academic referee?
Many of our students completed their studies significantly longer ago than this. It is important to try and get the academic reference. The first step is to go back to the institution where you studied, and try to contact them that way. Quite often your academic referee will have a professional profile if they have left the institution where you studied for another, and it is acceptable to ask them for a reference using their professional contact details (LinkedIn, the contact details on their new host institution’s website, etc.). If you cannot contact them, or they are unable to provide a reference, then the paragraph above is probably relevant.
- How should I choose my professional reference?
This should be someone who is able to comment on your ability to research and report on your findings, as well as your other general fine qualities.
Grades
- I won’t know my grades until August. Can I still apply?
Yes, we would need to know your predicted grade and see the transcript of grades you have thus far. If you were then to be offered a place it would likely be conditional on your final grade meeting our minimum requirement (US GPA 3.7 or a UK 2.1 equivalent). You would then need to send us official notification of your grade upon receipt, by a deadline prior to the start of the course.
You can indicate that your course is incomplete at this time in your application by indicating that the completion date is in the future and the grade is TBC (to be confirmed)
- I achieved below your minimum entry requirement. What can I do?
There are a range of things to consider, for those who scored below the usual grade.
If you have appropriate work experience since your course, or have gained other qualifications since you completed your Bachelor’s degree, we may very well still consider your application favourably. Similarly, if you can demonstrate that your grades were severely impacted by ‘grave cause’ (such as bereavement or illness) we may be able to make a case to disregard the 2.2. However, we do receive a large number of very competitive applications, so cannot guarantee you an offer.
Interviews
- What format will interviews take?
- All interviews will be conducted online, using a platform such as Zoom.
- Depending on the number of applicants we invite to interview, we anticipate that the interviews will last from between 20 to 40 minutes. Once we know the number of invitations we will send out, we will ensure that all interviews last the same amount of time in order to be fair.
- The interviewers will be from the course’s Admissions Committee, who are all long-established academic members of the department, and have taught on the MSt in the past.
- How should I prepare for interview?
Once we are ready to invite applicants for interviews, we will include any preparation guidance that we think helpful
Fees and Funding
- Do I need to pay College fees on top of University fees?
No. The course fees include college membership and access to college resources, such as the library and wellbeing facilities, as well as tuition.
However, you will need to pay the college an additional accommodation cost during your residential stays. The colleges may also ask you to set up a college account, which will be used to cover sundry expenses you may run up, such as hiring college facilities or resources, or to charge you for late fees if you keep library books for too long, and etc.
- What funding is available?
I’m afraid there are no internal Cambridge scholarships for our part-time programs, including the MSt in International Relations. However, you can find a range of possible external funding solutions for UK Masters programs here (link).
And you may find something useful here (but do remember that currently not many sources of funding will sponsor this degree):
- Sources of government funding and financial support - including Professional and Career Development Loans
- For information on a loan from Student Finance England for course fees and a contribution towards living costs.
- Postgraduate funding | Postgraduate Study
- May I apply to Gates?
- May I apply for an ICE Bursary?
Unfortunately, no. The Bursaries were set up by donations to ICE, for use on their courses. If you are applying for other MSts at the same time as you are applying for this one, there is information on the Bursaries available, here: Bursaries | Institute of Continuing Education (ICE)
- May I apply to Camtrust?
The Trust is unable to offer scholarships for part-time MSt courses at any Department within the University.
- Where may I find general information on the funding available?
The information on funding I have available may be found here (but do remember that currently not many sources of funding will sponsor this degree):
- Sources of government funding and financial support - including Professional and Career Development Loans
- For information on a loan from Student Finance England for course fees and a contribution towards living costs.
- Postgraduate funding | Postgraduate Study
College and Accommodation
- Do I need to pay College fees on top of University fees?
No. The advertised course fees include the college fees for membership and access to college resources, such as the library and wellbeing facilities, as well as tuition.
However, you will need to pay an additional accommodation cost during your residential stays. The college may also ask you to set up a college account, which will be used to cover sundry expenses you may run up, such as hiring college facilities or resources, or to charge you for late fees if you keep library books for too long, and etc.
- How will I choose my college/which colleges host students for this course?
The colleges who host our students are: King’s College; Queens’ College; Robinson College; Selwyn college; Sidney Sussex College; Wolfson College. Most are in, or are close to, both the city centre and the Alison Richards Building where teaching is delivered. Each college has a website that you can use to find out where they are located, and what they offer. All are full members of the University of Cambridge
- Will I get my choice of college?
Not necessarily. Each college we deal with has agreed to host a set maximum number of students. If an applicant applies to a college for accessibility-related reasons, we will do our best to ensure that they are given priority if there are still spaces available at that college, but once the college spaces are full, we will need to send students to one of the colleges with spaces still available.
- How does accommodation work?
MSt Students typically stay at their college during their residentials, when teaching takes place. During this time students can enjoy the full Cambridge college experience, including dining in formal halls, and access to the colleges’ libraries and facilities.
Accommodation costs during you stay are paid directly to the colleges. The cost depends on which college you have selected in your application.
If you have already identified your preferred college(s) please let us know, and we can share their accommodation office’s contact details so you can get a more precise figure according to your accommodation preferences and needs.
- How much is accommodation?
Colleges have not yet confirmed accommodation prices for 2025-2026. However, please see below for an example of prices for the 2024-25 academic year.
Please may I speak to…
- …A current/former student?
We can approach one or two of the alumni who have indicated they would be happy to speak with someone on your behalf. Please understand that they may not have the time after all.
- …A current or former student in my line of work?
Unfortunately, due to resources and our very busy student body, we are unable to pair applicants with current students or alumni in their field. However, please do send your questions in and we may be able to help you find an answer.
- …A prospective supervisor?
Due to the competitive and popular nature of the department’s many Masters programs, we discourage candidates from contacting supervisors before being given a place. Allocation of supervisors is based on subject area specialism and availability.
- …A member of the Department? If we did this for one applicant, we would need to do this for all. As we receive a high number of applications across all of the courses the Department offer, we do not have the resources to do so.
- …I will be in Cambridge on DD/MM/YYYY; may I make an appointment to speak with someone and be shown around? If we did this for one applicant, we would need to do this for all. As we receive a high number of applications across all of the courses the Department offer, we do not have the resources to do so.