As a minimum, an upper second-class Bachelor’s degree from a UK university or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard; Applicants should ideally have a background in a social science subject (e.g., political science, economics, international relations), law, European studies, history, philosophy, or a related subject. Relevant practical or work experience in a related field may also be taken into account.
Global governance shapes how the world responds to problems that no state can address alone, from climate change, inequality and conflict to pandemics, technological change and shifts in international order. This MSc asks how those responses are organised, who has authority to act, and what ethical standards should guide public, private and hybrid forms of rule-making across borders.
You study the institutions, rules and practices through which power is exercised across borders, while also examining the moral questions raised by global interdependence. Why are some forms of global rule-making accepted as legitimate while others are resisted? Who benefits from existing arrangements, who is excluded, and how might global governance become more accountable and more effective? The course combines political and institutional analysis with normative inquiry, historical context, and training in qualitative and quantitative research methods.
The degree is distinctive in placing global governance and ethics at the centre of the same course, moving between analysis of international organisations, policy processes and global power relations, and reflection on justice, responsibility, democracy and public ethics. Core modules in Global Governance and Global Ethics provide a shared foundation. Optional modules then allow you to pursue interests in areas such as foreign policy, global security, international political economy and climate change, among others.
You will receive excellent training to think critically and creatively. Through methods training, you will also develop sophisticated skills in demand across the public and private sectors, as well as the skills needed for further academic study.
Graduates of the Global Governance and Ethics MSc are highly employable across a wide range of sectors. According to the Graduate Outcomes survey *, alumni have gone on to careers in intergovernmental institutions, central, regional and local government, NGOs, business, lobbying organisations, charities, and public affairs, while others have progressed to funded PhD study.
Graduate Outcomes survey carried out by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), looking at the destinations of graduates in the 2018–2024 cohorts.
You will benefit from the course’s close connection to UCL’s Global Governance Institute , which brings together academic research, public events, policy engagement and dialogue with scholars and practitioners working on major global challenges.
You receive advanced training in the empirical and ethical analysis of global governance. You develop the capacity to examine how institutions, rules and practices operate across borders, while also assessing questions of justice, responsibility, accountability and legitimacy. Training in qualitative and quantitative research methods supports your dissertation and strengthens your ability to analyse evidence, evaluate policy debates and conduct independent research.