MS International Relations
What MS International Relations covers, career paths in Pakistan, and which universities offer it.
Quick Facts
| Degree Level | MS |
|---|---|
| Discipline | Social Sciences |
| Offered By | 7 universities in our directory |
An MS in International Relations is a two-year postgraduate degree combining advanced IR theory and research methods with an original thesis on international politics, security or foreign policy.
What You’ll Study
Coursework covers international relations theory, foreign policy analysis, international security and strategic studies, international political economy, international law and organisations, regional studies, and research methods.
MS, MSc or MPhil?
Pakistani universities use several titles for the two-year postgraduate degree following a four-year bachelor’s, and HEC treats them as equivalent 18-year qualifications. What matters practically is whether the programme is thesis-based, since that governs readiness for doctoral study.
Career Scope in Pakistan
Pakistan’s foreign policy environment — relations with China, India, Afghanistan, Iran, the Gulf states and the United States — provides directly consequential research material, and there is an established domestic policy community engaging with it.
Graduates work in policy research institutes and think tanks, foreign affairs and government policy roles, international organisations and the UN system, development and donor agencies, journalism and foreign affairs analysis, and university teaching.
Worth noting plainly: IR is a heavily subscribed field and analyst positions are fewer than graduates. Entry to the Foreign Service runs through CSS, open to any discipline. Regional and language expertise, methodological capability and published analysis are what differentiate candidates.
Admission Requirements
A relevant 16-year degree, plus the university’s postgraduate admission test and interview. Many programmes run in evening formats suited to working professionals.
Where You Can Study This
- 7 universities
- 4 cities
- 4 public
- 3 private
Fees are not shown here: we hold a published figure for 1 of these 7 universities, and comparing one against a blank column would be misleading rather than informative. Each university page carries its own fee where we have it.
| University | City | Sector | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Balochistan University of Information Technology, Engineering & Management Sciences (BUITEMS) | Quetta | Public | — |
| International Islamic University | Islamabad | Public | 2 Years |
| Lahore College for Women University | Lahore | Public | — |
| National University of Sciences and Technology | Islamabad | Public | 2 years |
| Lahore Garrison University | Lahore | Private | — |
| MY University | Islamabad | Private | — |
| University of Sialkot, Sialkot | Sialkot | Private | — |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between an MS and an MPhil?
Both are two-year postgraduate degrees treated as equivalent 18-year qualifications by HEC. MPhil is the more traditional and usually more thesis-weighted designation; MS is more common at newer and private universities.