Kings College London - War Studies

[CatherineCawood]

Anyone else got a DC applied for War Studies at KCL?

Kind of an unusual choice! DD's other applications are for biology/anthropology/human sciences.

Alumni seem to often go into the forces which she really isn't interested in. Seems a bizarre choice.

Anyone got any thoughts on it or experience?

Sorry @MarchingFrogs I hadn’t actually read your post about history degrees. Anyway brother was snapped up for the civil service grad scheme so guess a history degree didn’t do him any harm. 🤷‍♀️ More importantly he loved history, specifically military history so would have been more than happy to do it just for his own enjoyment.

@fiveoldteddies

But it's so much more than just military history. As per DC who has a friend doing it

It certainly is! If anything, these days it's more weighted towards contemporary security - though if your interest is in military history there's lots of scope to study that, obviously.

@Delphigirl

I think it is even more common that students doing it are already in the forces actually. She may find a lot of mature students in the form of Army and RN officers.... I know it is well respected in the services but I don’t know whether it is also considered a good degree for those who are not making a career in the military. I would also be interested in the answer as my DS has expressed interest.

Are you confusing war studies with KCL's defence studies degrees that are for the military and civil servants only?

Almost certainly. Ignore me!!!

A friend of DS did it and loved it. Now in the civil service. I think it's a respected degree and a wide range of people do it. KCL excellent for ethics/philosophy type approaches.

Sorry just realized an actual WS academic came on the thread! My opinion is lame in comparison!

@MaidEdithofAragon

Sorry just realized an actual WS academic came on the thread! My opinion is lame in comparison!

It's really not MaidEdith! And you're absolutely right about the ethics side of things - one of my colleagues is a very prominent theorist of ethics in international relations (very prominent in academic terms, that is).

Quite a few of our students end up in the civil service, like your DS's friend. One of my former students is currently political counsellor in one of the UK's European embassies, a few others are in the FCO or MoD and some of our non-UK former students are in their own country's diplomatic service. Two of our former MA/PhD students are now advising Joe Biden on foreign policy - after the last four years, it's good to know that the US president is now getting advice from people with a proper education

@WarProf if someone doing political science undergrad degree was interested in a masters , and liked the look of many of the masters in the War Studies dept but fancied studying abroad, which are the best unis to get a masters in conflict/diplomacy/intelligence/int rel in the us and Canada?

@Delphigirl

Almost certainly. Ignore me!!!

Aha that's good news! Did wonder how DD might get on making new friends!

The War Studies Dept at KCL has a really good reputation globally. DS2 seriously considered it but chose a different route in the end. Tutors he spoke to talked about students going into think tanks, UN, war relief charities at strategic level (e.g International Rescue, MSF) or civil service etc. It seemed like a foundation for a career in peace-making. I went to a lecture on their open day and ended up wanting to sign up for it myself, it was so interesting, even though my background is in a completely unrelated field.

Thanks for your kind comments WarProf! Both my kids went to KCL (not on WS course) and benefitted hugely from the AKC programme alongside their degrees, which is how I know about the ethics stuff. If I had my time over again I'd love to do War Studies!

[quote Delphigirl]@WarProf if someone doing political science undergrad degree was interested in a masters , and liked the look of many of the masters in the War Studies dept but fancied studying abroad, which are the best unis to get a masters in conflict/diplomacy/intelligence/int rel in the us and Canada?[/quote]
@Delphigirl that's a tough question because we tend to know about our own more specific research/teaching areas (and places where our friends teach) but not always the good places for teaching of the wider field, if that makes sense. Off the top of my head, I'd say both Georgetown and George Washington are good places for this in the US - I'm sure location helps. But do bear in mind the huge difference in cost of doing a Masters in the US and doing one in the UK. I've just checked, and our MA in Intelligence and International Security has fees of just under £15,500 for home students; the fees for an MA in Georgetown's Centre for Security Studies will cost you just under £58,000 .

😱😱😱
Well that focusses the mind!!! Thanks...

@WarProf hi! I know this is a tremendously old thread but also that you are a regular. I wondered if I could dm you for some advice re your different war studies MAs. Thank you!

Good luck @Delphigirl!