International War Studies

The International War Studies degree programme examines the causes, dynamics, and contexts of violent conflicts at a national and international level as well as their pre-history, course of events, and consequences. The programme focuses primarily on military history, the cultural history of political violence, and military sociology, with each field's respective methodologies and theories. The interrelationships between the state, society, and military are analysed from the beginning of the Early Modern period to the present day. The programme concentrates on modern history (the 19th and 20th centuries). Students will acquire abilities and competences that enable them to analyse historical and current conflicts. They will deepen and expand their subject-specific competences to include essential content from military sociology, the history of violence, and military history. Students will refine their use of methodologies in the social sciences and humanities, become capable of discussing various subjects in a critical manner, and learn how to present the findings of their work in an appropriate way. The international orientation of the programme and the location of studies in Dublin and Potsdam offer students global career opportunities. There are also no limits when it comes to fields of work. Opportunities abound in international organisations and NGOs, academia, the media, subjects related to politics and policy, think tanks, museums, foundations, and the area of cultural management and communications. The international orientation of the programme enables a broad array of scholarly opportunities for creating your own profile. Dublin and Potsdam, as places to do research, offer diverse cultural and political institutions that constitute a unique environment for research and teaching. The programme offers an international environment for university studies and global career opportunities. By working together with several partners in Germany, Ireland, and the United Kingdom, there are established cooperative agreements for internships in German ministries, media firms, museums, and think tanks.