Our Geopolitics, Resources and Territory (GRT) MA is a unique multidisciplinary programme that has a dual focus on the territorial and resource-related components of inter-state relations, rooted in the social sciences but also engaging with important areas of international law. It delivers research-led teaching on critical and fundamental questions relating to international boundaries, sovereignty disputes and environmental geopolitics. This is supplemented with teaching and guidance from leading external practitioners in the field of international dispute resolution and environmental management. The increasing saliency of destabilising territorial conflict and critical resource challenges in many areas of the world as we enter the second quarter of the 21st century means that our GRT programme is better suited than ever to provide students with an unmatched foundation in geopolitics. You’ll study a topic that has been taught at King’s for 25 years. This MA programme draws on the wealth of experience of its successful predecessor, the Geopolitics, Territory and Security MA, which has produced alumni in the fields of international civil service and diplomacy, international law, academia, NGOs and specialised political and security risk agencies. You’ll be taught by leading academic specialists with extensive policy networks and experience and practising international lawyers to gain an understanding that goes above and beyond traditional international relations perspectives. Exciting recent Geography staff hires in the geopolitics field will further enrich our coverage of borderlands and the resource frontier. But you won’t just learn about geopolitics and its latest academic framings - you’ll also study the causes of international strife, the consequences of it, and the potential ways of ameliorating their worst effect in ground-up pragmatic, everyday global settings. This constructive engagement is a hallmark of all Geography’s PGT offerings. You’ll learn how to apply critical scrutiny of resource and territorial disputes involving - as you might expect in a geography department - a clear focus on their spatial manifestations. You’ll also be exposed to cutting edge debates on border disputes, resource frontiers, water diplomacy and the major drivers of global, regional and local geopolitical change. You’ll examine a range of issues, ranging from topical issues such as water conflicts to long-standing themes like the creation and maintenance of international boundaries and borders on land and sea at varying scales of operation. You’ll also study the factors that drive contemporary territorial disputes, and how the scarcity of natural resources impact this. At the end of this Geopolitics, Resources and Territory MA, you’ll become skilled at geopolitical and political geographic analysis and be able to contextualise these issues within the wider social sciences, and the relevant aspects of international law. When you graduate, you will join an alumni network that has gone on to work in academia, the FCTO, in international NGOs involved in dispute resolution, international law firms, and departments of the United Nations and the European Union.

Key benefits

• Deepen your foundational understanding of territory, natural resources and international boundaries.
• Learn from international legal and technical experts, policy experts and recognised scholars
• Master cutting-edge debates and policy solutions on environmental disputes such as water and natural resources
• Access an extensive collection of resources for researching historical and contemporary aspects of international boundary questions and territorial disputes, including the National Archives and the British Library
• Explore a range of regional geopolitical issues guided by academic experts
• An optional Internship module helps students take their first steps towards employment in a relevant vocational field
• Enjoy considerable autonomy in developing the focus of your coursework, including your dissertation, allowing you to specialise

“I'm a recent graduate from the University of Toronto and I joined the MA Geopolitics, Territory and Security at King’s because I wanted a programme that took an interdisciplinary and legal focus to the study of international relations. I’m happy to be in an environment where I can study the geopolitics of natural resource disputes, particularly transboundary water disputes between countries. ”

Leo, Past MA Geopolitics, Territory and Security studentShow more

Course essentials

This Geopolitics, Resources and Territory MA will teach you about how international boundaries on land and sea are created, maintained and questioned – a traditional focus, concentrating not only on how the social sciences have covered all this but also the legal, technical and practical factors that are involved here. You’ll gain insights into how border and territorial disputes are resolved, and how contemporary issues such as water conflict can be tackled – not just from internationally-renowned academic researchers but also leading practitioners with an everyday familiarity with and involvement in such issues. You’ll explore how academic disciplines have evolved to cover territorial questions and specific analysis such as critical water scholarship, including cutting edge new research and emergent critical lenses. This will give you an appreciation of how to develop new approaches within critical border studies and critical water scholarship. This Geopolitics, Resources and Territory MA focuses on how these processes play out at the international, regional and local levels, with in-house regional specialisation on critically important areas of the developing world, most notably the Middle East and North Africa, and South Asia. You’ll develop multidisciplinary lenses capable of focusing sharply on crucial world challenges, applying geopolitical and political geographic analysis, relevant elements of international law, and other approaches from the social sciences /humanities and international relations theory. You’ll get ample opportunity to specialise in the areas of territorial and resource geopolitics that interest you most. We allow students a lot of freedom in developing their own coursework and research, guiding individuals in shaping their approaches to these issues and associated questions of environmental security. The GRT programme makes full use of KCL’s magnificent central London location on the Thames. We build in programme field visits to the British Library at St Pancras, the National Archives in Kew and other significant repositories and institutions. We also stage an irregular series of talks and seminars, delivered by experts passing through London – from subjects as diverse as specialised research on artificial islands in the South China Sea to navigating ancient maps and documents on territorial dispute sin the archives.

Base campuses

Strand Campus

Located on the north bank of the River Thames, the Strand Campus houses King's College London's arts and sciences faculties.

Waterloo Campus

Waterloo campus is home of the Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery and facilities for other faculties

Please note that locations are determined by where each module is taught and may vary depending on the modules you study.

Regulating bodies

King's is regulated by the Office for Students

Entry requirements

UK applicants

Standard requirements

A minimum 2:1 undergraduate Bachelor’s (honours) degree

If you have a lower degree classification, or a degree in an unrelated subject, your application may be considered if you can demonstrate significant relevant work experience, or offer a related graduate qualification (such as a Masters or PGDip).

Programme-Specific Requirements

2:1 undergraduate degree. Candidates who do not achieve a 2:1 but have professional or voluntary experience will also be considered.

In order to meet the academic entry requirements for this programme you should have a minimum 2:1 undergraduate degree or international equivalent. If you are still studying you should be achieving an average of at least 60% or above in the UK marking scheme.

International applicants

Equivalent International qualifications

Select a countrySelect a countryAfghanistanAlbaniaAlgeriaAndorraAngolaAnguillaAntigua & BarbudaArgentinaArmeniaArubaAustralasiaAustraliaAustriaAzerbaijanBahamasBahrainBangladeshBarbadosBelarusBelgiumBelizeBeninBermudaBhutanBoliviaBosnia and HerzegovinaBotswanaBrazilBritish Virgin IslandsBruneiBrunei DarussalamBulgariaBurkina FasoBurundiCambodiaCameroonCanadaCape VerdeCayman IslandsCentral African RepublicChadChileChinaColombiaComorosCook IslandsCosta RicaCote d'IvoireCroatiaCubaCyprusCzechia (Czech Republic)Democratic Republic of the CongoDenmarkDjiboutiDominicaDominican RepublicEast TimorEcuadorEgyptEl SalvadorEquatorial GuineaEritreaEstoniaEswatiniEthiopiaFalkland IslandsFijiFinlandFranceGabonGeorgiaGermanyGhanaGibraltarGreeceGrenadaGuatemalaGuineaGuinea-BissauGuyanaHaitiHome Fee Status StudentsHondurasHong Kong SARHungaryIcelandIndiaIndonesiaIranIraqIrelandIsraelItalyJamaicaJapanJordanKazakhstanKenyaKiribatiKosovoKuwaitKyrgyzstanLaosLatviaLebanonLesothoLiberiaLibyaLiechtensteinLithuaniaLuxembourgMacauMadagascarMalawiMalaysiaMaldivesMaliMaltaMarshall IslandsMauritaniaMauritiusMexicoMicronesiaMoldovaMonacoMongoliaMontenegroMontserratMoroccoMozambiqueMyanmarNamibiaNauruNepalNetherlandsNew ZealandNicaraguaNigerNigeriaNorth KoreaNorth MacedoniaNorwayOmanPakistanPalauPalestinePanamaPapua New GuineaParaguayPeruPhilippinesPolandPortugalPuerto RicoQatarRepublic of the CongoRomaniaRussiaRwandaSamoaSan MarinoSão Tomé and PríncipeSaudi ArabiaSenegalSerbiaSeychellesSierra LeoneSingaporeSlovakiaSloveniaSolomon IslandsSomaliaSouth AfricaSouth KoreaSouth SudanSpainSri LankaSt Kitts and NevisSt. HelenaSt. Kitts & NevisSt. LuciaSt. Vincent & the GrenadinesSudanSurinameSwedenSwitzerlandSyriaTaiwanTajikistanTanzaniaThailandThe GambiaTogoTongaTrinidad and TobagoTunisiaTürkiyeTurkmenistanTurks and Caicos IslandsTuvaluUgandaUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited KingdomUnited States of AmericaUruguayUzbekistanVanuatuVenezuelaVietnamWalesYemenZambiaZimbabwe

English language requirements

English language band:

B

To study at King's, it is essential that you can communicate in English effectively in an academic environment. You are usually required to provide certification of your competence in English before starting your studies.

Nationals of majority English speaking countries (as defined by the UKVI) who have permanently resided in this country are not usually required to complete an additional English language test. This is also the case for applicants who have successfully completed an undergraduate degree (of at least three years duration), a postgraduate taught degree (of at least one year), or a PhD in a majority English speaking country (as defined by the UKVI) within five years of the course start date.

For information on our English language requirements and whether you need to complete an English language test, please see our English Language requirements page.

Selection process

Applications must be made online using King’s online application portal apply.kcl.ac.uk and a non-refundable application fee of £85 applies.

Please note that as part of the evaluation process of your application you may be required to undertake a Skype interview.

Personal statement and supporting information

You will be asked to submit the following documents in order for your application to be considered:

Supporting document	Yes	Please provide a writing sample of around 500 words, answering the following questions. Please note this an essential requirement and supporting statements which do not answer the questions below will not be assessed as part of your application. Why you are applying for this specific programme, and how does it fit in with your future plans? (max 250 words) How does your experience and education make you a suitable candidate for this programme? (max 250 words) Please write these questions as separate answers, with a clear title for your answer to each question. Documents where your answers are not clearly titled and separated will not be accepted
Previous Academic Study	Yes	A copy (or copies) of your official academic transcript(s), showing the subjects studied and marks obtained. If you have already completed your degree, copies of your official degree certificate will also be required. Applicants with academic documents issued in a language other than English, will need to submit both the original and official translation of their documents.
References	Yes	One academic reference is required. A professional reference will be accepted if you have completed your qualifications over five years ago. In some cases, we may request an additional reference from you.
Other	Optional	Applicants may wish to include a CV (Resume) or evidence of professional registration as part of their application

Teaching & structure

Teaching methods - what to expect

Lectures

Seminars

Self-Study

Check out further information about our Geography courses including our teaching team, exclusive videos and more on our hub page.

We will use a delivery method that will ensure students have a rich, exciting experience from the start. Face-to-face teaching will be complemented and supported with innovative technology so that students also experience elements of digital learning and assessment.

We will teach you through a combination of lectures and seminars, typically 20 hours per module. We also expect you to undertake 130 hours of independent study for each module. 

Module	Lectures, seminars and feedback	Self-study
Per 15-credit taught module	16-30 hours.	120-134 hours (some modules may involve lab work or e-learning which would require less self­ guided learning).
Dissertation module	Usually 5 contact hours of one-to-one or group consultation with supervisors.	595 hours of self-study and project work.

Typically, one credit equates to 10 hours of work.

Location

This programme is primarily taught at the King’s College London Strand Campus, with occasional lectures and practical sessions taking place at the Waterloo Campus. Please note that locations are determined by where each module is taught and may vary depending on the optional modules you select. 

Assessment

• Coursework
• Practical Examinations
• Written Examinations
• Oral Presentations
• Lab Work
• Dissertation

Your performance will be assessed through a combination of coursework and written/practical examinations. Forms of assessment may typically include essays and other written assignments, oral presentations, lab work and occasionally by examination, depending on the modules selected. All students also undertake a research based dissertation of 12,000 words.

The study time and assessment methods detailed above are typical and give you a good indication of what to expect. However, they are subject to change.

Structure

Programmes are divided into modules. You will take modules totalling 180-190 credits as outlined below.

Required modules

Programmes are divided into modules. You will take modules totalling 180-190 credits as outlined below. You are required to take the following modules:

Dissertation (60 Credits)

Geopolitics of Boundaries, Borderlands and Territory (15 credits)

Practising Social Research (15 credits)

Security and the Global Natural Environment (15 credits)

Optional modules

In addition, students are required to take 75 to 85 credits from a range of optional modules, of which at least 30 credits must be from the prescribed list of options specific to this programme. Prescribed list of options specific to this Programme, which may typically include:

Critical Geographies of Violence and Terror (15 credits)

Critical Geopolitics (15 credits)

Territorial & Boundary Dispute Resolution (15 credits)

Understanding Human Mobility (15 Credits)

Water Sustainability, Society and Governance (15 credits)

Other Optional Modules Available to Students on this Programme:

• Internship (Environment and Society) (15 credits)
• Any Level 7 (Masters) modules offered in the Department of Geography that are not subject to exclusion criteria (e.g. prerequisite modules or restricted to the specific Masters’ programme).
• Any Level 7 (Masters) modules offered in the Department of War Studies, subject to availability.
• Selected modules offered in the Dickson Poon School of Law, by arrangement)
• Up to 20 credits of Level 7 (Master’s) modules from any King’s Departments or Institutes outside of Geography, subject to approvals.

Indicative Module Catalogue

Please click here to view our indicative module catalogue guide for 24/25 which includes more information on the modules offered

Part-Time Students

Part time students are advised to take 75-90 credits of taught modules in their first year, including the compulsory modules Geopolitics of Boundaries, Borderlands and Territory (15 credits) and Security and the Global Natural Environment (15 credits), thereby allowing enough time to focus on the dissertation in their second year. Students are normally advised to take the compulsory research methods module Practising Social Research in their second year, but that can be taken in the first year, should students have strong reasons to do so and have the agreement of their Programme Director.

Part-Time International Students and paid or unpaid work
Please note that for international students, UK Government guidelines are currently more restrictive for those holding part-time visas than full-time visas. If you hold a student visa for a part-time programme, you will not have the right to undertake any work, paid or unpaid, in the UK. Therefore, the Internship (Environment and Society) module is only available to full-time overseas students but not part-time overseas students, as the UK government considers it unpaid work. The Internship module is also available to full- or part-time home students. 

King’s College London reviews the modules offered on a regular basis to provide up-to-date, innovative and relevant programmes of study. Therefore, modules offered may change. We suggest you keep an eye on the course finder on our website for updates.

Please note that modules with a practical component will be capped due to educational requirements, which may mean that we cannot guarantee a place to all students who elect to study this module.

Careers

Employability

Our Geopolitics, Resources and Territory MA graduates have gone on to occupy senior management positions in academia, government agencies and international consultancies. Many have also gained employment with NGOs involved in dispute resolution, international law firms, government ministries, oil and water companies, departments of the United Nations and the European Union. Employers of our graduates have commented over the years that we offer a more focused, specialised, topical and in some ways more interesting product than the more standard and numerous International Relations variant programmes. The title of our programme (and its predecessor - Geopolitics, Territory and Security (GTS) stands out!

Making use of our central London location, we make full use of GRT programme friends passing through central London. In addition to novel academic takes, our irregular series of seminars and lectures typically includes career-focused sessions on the security and political risk scene in London and careers in international law. 

Geography’s ever-popular Internship module, which has been running for over 20 years, also helps masters students take their first steps towards employment, offering opportunities to undertake a period of work with an organisation broadly related to their programme of study. The internship not only provides valuable career enhancing opportunities but also counts towards their degrees. In 2021-22, over 150 students worked with 60 different organisations across a range of sectors including: international agencies; local councils and national government departments; companies in the for-profit and not-for-profit sector, research institutes and charities. As well as UK organisations, partners also included Belgium, Canada, Ethiopia, Germany, and the United States. 

Curious to find out more? Access on-demand content including taster lectures and talks, and meet our current staff and students on our subject hub page.

Fees & Funding

Tuition Fees

UK:

Full time: £14,500 per year (2025/26)

Part time: £7,250 per year (2025/26)

International:

Full time: £31,600 per year (2025/26)

Part time: £15,800 per year (2025/26)

These tuition fees may be subject to additional increases in subsequent years of study, in line with King’s terms and conditions.

Deposit

If you receive an offer for this programme, you will be required to pay a non-refundable deposit to secure your place. Deposit payments are credited towards the total tuition fee payment.

The Home deposit is £500. The International deposit is £2000.

• If you receive an offer before March, payment is due by 20 March.
• If you receive an offer between 1 March and 20 May, payment is due within one month of receiving the offer.
• If you receive an offer between 21 May and 15 July, payment is due within two weeks of receiving the offer.
• If you receive an offer between 16 July and 10 August, payment is due within one week of receiving the offer.
• If you receive an offer from 11 August onwards, payment is due within three days of receiving the offer.

If you are a current undergraduate King’s student in receipt of the King's Living Bursary this academic year, you are not required to pay a deposit to secure your place on the programme. Please note, this will not change the total fees payable for your chosen programme.

Please visit our web pages on fees and funding for more information.

Additional Costs

In addition to your tuition costs, you can also expect to pay for:

• Books if you choose to buy your own copies.
• Clothing for optional course related events and competitions.
• Library fees and fines.
• Personal photocopies.
• Printing course handouts.
• Society membership fees.
• Stationery.
• Graduation costs.
• Travel costs for travel around London and between campuses.
• Some modules include the option to undertake other short day-trip fieldwork. These fieldwork options will enhance the modules, but they are not assessed as part of the module. The additional costs for short day-trip fieldwork would typically not exceed £50 per year.
• Costs may be incurred for your dissertation work if fieldwork and/or laboratory materials are needed for the chosen study topic, but such work is not mandatory and would not impact academic success if an alternative approach to dissertation research is taken.

Funding

To find out more about bursaries, scholarships, grants, tuition fees, living expenses, student loans, and other financial help available at King's please visit the Fees and Funding section.

• Course essentials
• Entry requirements
• Teaching & structure
• Careers
• Fees & Funding

This Geopolitics, Resources and Territory MA will teach you about how international boundaries on land and sea are created, maintained and questioned – a traditional focus, concentrating not only on how the social sciences have covered all this but also the legal, technical and practical factors that are involved here. You’ll gain insights into how border and territorial disputes are resolved, and how contemporary issues such as water conflict can be tackled – not just from internationally-renowned academic researchers but also leading practitioners with an everyday familiarity with and involvement in such issues. You’ll explore how academic disciplines have evolved to cover territorial questions and specific analysis such as critical water scholarship, including cutting edge new research and emergent critical lenses. This will give you an appreciation of how to develop new approaches within critical border studies and critical water scholarship. This Geopolitics, Resources and Territory MA focuses on how these processes play out at the international, regional and local levels, with in-house regional specialisation on critically important areas of the developing world, most notably the Middle East and North Africa, and South Asia. You’ll develop multidisciplinary lenses capable of focusing sharply on crucial world challenges, applying geopolitical and political geographic analysis, relevant elements of international law, and other approaches from the social sciences /humanities and international relations theory. You’ll get ample opportunity to specialise in the areas of territorial and resource geopolitics that interest you most. We allow students a lot of freedom in developing their own coursework and research, guiding individuals in shaping their approaches to these issues and associated questions of environmental security. The GRT programme makes full use of KCL’s magnificent central London location on the Thames. We build in programme field visits to the British Library at St Pancras, the National Archives in Kew and other significant repositories and institutions. We also stage an irregular series of talks and seminars, delivered by experts passing through London – from subjects as diverse as specialised research on artificial islands in the South China Sea to navigating ancient maps and documents on territorial dispute sin the archives.

Base campuses

Strand Campus

Located on the north bank of the River Thames, the Strand Campus houses King's College London's arts and sciences faculties.

Waterloo Campus

Waterloo campus is home of the Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery and facilities for other faculties

Please note that locations are determined by where each module is taught and may vary depending on the modules you study.

Regulating bodies

King's is regulated by the Office for Students

UK applicants

Standard requirements

A minimum 2:1 undergraduate Bachelor’s (honours) degree

If you have a lower degree classification, or a degree in an unrelated subject, your application may be considered if you can demonstrate significant relevant work experience, or offer a related graduate qualification (such as a Masters or PGDip).

Programme-Specific Requirements

2:1 undergraduate degree. Candidates who do not achieve a 2:1 but have professional or voluntary experience will also be considered.

In order to meet the academic entry requirements for this programme you should have a minimum 2:1 undergraduate degree or international equivalent. If you are still studying you should be achieving an average of at least 60% or above in the UK marking scheme.

International applicants

Equivalent International qualifications

Select a countrySelect a countryAfghanistanAlbaniaAlgeriaAndorraAngolaAnguillaAntigua & BarbudaArgentinaArmeniaArubaAustralasiaAustraliaAustriaAzerbaijanBahamasBahrainBangladeshBarbadosBelarusBelgiumBelizeBeninBermudaBhutanBoliviaBosnia and HerzegovinaBotswanaBrazilBritish Virgin IslandsBruneiBrunei DarussalamBulgariaBurkina FasoBurundiCambodiaCameroonCanadaCape VerdeCayman IslandsCentral African RepublicChadChileChinaColombiaComorosCook IslandsCosta RicaCote d'IvoireCroatiaCubaCyprusCzechia (Czech Republic)Democratic Republic of the CongoDenmarkDjiboutiDominicaDominican RepublicEast TimorEcuadorEgyptEl SalvadorEquatorial GuineaEritreaEstoniaEswatiniEthiopiaFalkland IslandsFijiFinlandFranceGabonGeorgiaGermanyGhanaGibraltarGreeceGrenadaGuatemalaGuineaGuinea-BissauGuyanaHaitiHome Fee Status StudentsHondurasHong Kong SARHungaryIcelandIndiaIndonesiaIranIraqIrelandIsraelItalyJamaicaJapanJordanKazakhstanKenyaKiribatiKosovoKuwaitKyrgyzstanLaosLatviaLebanonLesothoLiberiaLibyaLiechtensteinLithuaniaLuxembourgMacauMadagascarMalawiMalaysiaMaldivesMaliMaltaMarshall IslandsMauritaniaMauritiusMexicoMicronesiaMoldovaMonacoMongoliaMontenegroMontserratMoroccoMozambiqueMyanmarNamibiaNauruNepalNetherlandsNew ZealandNicaraguaNigerNigeriaNorth KoreaNorth MacedoniaNorwayOmanPakistanPalauPalestinePanamaPapua New GuineaParaguayPeruPhilippinesPolandPortugalPuerto RicoQatarRepublic of the CongoRomaniaRussiaRwandaSamoaSan MarinoSão Tomé and PríncipeSaudi ArabiaSenegalSerbiaSeychellesSierra LeoneSingaporeSlovakiaSloveniaSolomon IslandsSomaliaSouth AfricaSouth KoreaSouth SudanSpainSri LankaSt Kitts and NevisSt. HelenaSt. Kitts & NevisSt. LuciaSt. Vincent & the GrenadinesSudanSurinameSwedenSwitzerlandSyriaTaiwanTajikistanTanzaniaThailandThe GambiaTogoTongaTrinidad and TobagoTunisiaTürkiyeTurkmenistanTurks and Caicos IslandsTuvaluUgandaUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited KingdomUnited States of AmericaUruguayUzbekistanVanuatuVenezuelaVietnamWalesYemenZambiaZimbabwe

English language requirements

English language band:

B

To study at King's, it is essential that you can communicate in English effectively in an academic environment. You are usually required to provide certification of your competence in English before starting your studies.

Nationals of majority English speaking countries (as defined by the UKVI) who have permanently resided in this country are not usually required to complete an additional English language test. This is also the case for applicants who have successfully completed an undergraduate degree (of at least three years duration), a postgraduate taught degree (of at least one year), or a PhD in a majority English speaking country (as defined by the UKVI) within five years of the course start date.

For information on our English language requirements and whether you need to complete an English language test, please see our English Language requirements page.

Selection process

Applications must be made online using King’s online application portal apply.kcl.ac.uk and a non-refundable application fee of £85 applies.

Please note that as part of the evaluation process of your application you may be required to undertake a Skype interview.

Personal statement and supporting information

You will be asked to submit the following documents in order for your application to be considered:

Supporting document	Yes	Please provide a writing sample of around 500 words, answering the following questions. Please note this an essential requirement and supporting statements which do not answer the questions below will not be assessed as part of your application. Why you are applying for this specific programme, and how does it fit in with your future plans? (max 250 words) How does your experience and education make you a suitable candidate for this programme? (max 250 words) Please write these questions as separate answers, with a clear title for your answer to each question. Documents where your answers are not clearly titled and separated will not be accepted
Previous Academic Study	Yes	A copy (or copies) of your official academic transcript(s), showing the subjects studied and marks obtained. If you have already completed your degree, copies of your official degree certificate will also be required. Applicants with academic documents issued in a language other than English, will need to submit both the original and official translation of their documents.
References	Yes	One academic reference is required. A professional reference will be accepted if you have completed your qualifications over five years ago. In some cases, we may request an additional reference from you.
Other	Optional	Applicants may wish to include a CV (Resume) or evidence of professional registration as part of their application

Teaching methods - what to expect

Lectures

Seminars

Self-Study

Check out further information about our Geography courses including our teaching team, exclusive videos and more on our hub page.

We will use a delivery method that will ensure students have a rich, exciting experience from the start. Face-to-face teaching will be complemented and supported with innovative technology so that students also experience elements of digital learning and assessment.

We will teach you through a combination of lectures and seminars, typically 20 hours per module. We also expect you to undertake 130 hours of independent study for each module. 

Module	Lectures, seminars and feedback	Self-study
Per 15-credit taught module	16-30 hours.	120-134 hours (some modules may involve lab work or e-learning which would require less self­ guided learning).
Dissertation module	Usually 5 contact hours of one-to-one or group consultation with supervisors.	595 hours of self-study and project work.

Typically, one credit equates to 10 hours of work.

Location

This programme is primarily taught at the King’s College London Strand Campus, with occasional lectures and practical sessions taking place at the Waterloo Campus. Please note that locations are determined by where each module is taught and may vary depending on the optional modules you select. 

Assessment

• Coursework
• Practical Examinations
• Written Examinations
• Oral Presentations
• Lab Work
• Dissertation

Your performance will be assessed through a combination of coursework and written/practical examinations. Forms of assessment may typically include essays and other written assignments, oral presentations, lab work and occasionally by examination, depending on the modules selected. All students also undertake a research based dissertation of 12,000 words.

The study time and assessment methods detailed above are typical and give you a good indication of what to expect. However, they are subject to change.

Structure

Programmes are divided into modules. You will take modules totalling 180-190 credits as outlined below.

Required modules

Programmes are divided into modules. You will take modules totalling 180-190 credits as outlined below. You are required to take the following modules:

Dissertation (60 Credits)

Geopolitics of Boundaries, Borderlands and Territory (15 credits)

Practising Social Research (15 credits)

Security and the Global Natural Environment (15 credits)

Optional modules

In addition, students are required to take 75 to 85 credits from a range of optional modules, of which at least 30 credits must be from the prescribed list of options specific to this programme. Prescribed list of options specific to this Programme, which may typically include:

Critical Geographies of Violence and Terror (15 credits)

Critical Geopolitics (15 credits)

Territorial & Boundary Dispute Resolution (15 credits)

Understanding Human Mobility (15 Credits)

Water Sustainability, Society and Governance (15 credits)

Other Optional Modules Available to Students on this Programme:

• Internship (Environment and Society) (15 credits)
• Any Level 7 (Masters) modules offered in the Department of Geography that are not subject to exclusion criteria (e.g. prerequisite modules or restricted to the specific Masters’ programme).
• Any Level 7 (Masters) modules offered in the Department of War Studies, subject to availability.
• Selected modules offered in the Dickson Poon School of Law, by arrangement)
• Up to 20 credits of Level 7 (Master’s) modules from any King’s Departments or Institutes outside of Geography, subject to approvals.

Indicative Module Catalogue

Please click here to view our indicative module catalogue guide for 24/25 which includes more information on the modules offered

Part-Time Students

Part time students are advised to take 75-90 credits of taught modules in their first year, including the compulsory modules Geopolitics of Boundaries, Borderlands and Territory (15 credits) and Security and the Global Natural Environment (15 credits), thereby allowing enough time to focus on the dissertation in their second year. Students are normally advised to take the compulsory research methods module Practising Social Research in their second year, but that can be taken in the first year, should students have strong reasons to do so and have the agreement of their Programme Director.

Part-Time International Students and paid or unpaid work
Please note that for international students, UK Government guidelines are currently more restrictive for those holding part-time visas than full-time visas. If you hold a student visa for a part-time programme, you will not have the right to undertake any work, paid or unpaid, in the UK. Therefore, the Internship (Environment and Society) module is only available to full-time overseas students but not part-time overseas students, as the UK government considers it unpaid work. The Internship module is also available to full- or part-time home students. 

King’s College London reviews the modules offered on a regular basis to provide up-to-date, innovative and relevant programmes of study. Therefore, modules offered may change. We suggest you keep an eye on the course finder on our website for updates.

Please note that modules with a practical component will be capped due to educational requirements, which may mean that we cannot guarantee a place to all students who elect to study this module.

Employability

Our Geopolitics, Resources and Territory MA graduates have gone on to occupy senior management positions in academia, government agencies and international consultancies. Many have also gained employment with NGOs involved in dispute resolution, international law firms, government ministries, oil and water companies, departments of the United Nations and the European Union. Employers of our graduates have commented over the years that we offer a more focused, specialised, topical and in some ways more interesting product than the more standard and numerous International Relations variant programmes. The title of our programme (and its predecessor - Geopolitics, Territory and Security (GTS) stands out!

Making use of our central London location, we make full use of GRT programme friends passing through central London. In addition to novel academic takes, our irregular series of seminars and lectures typically includes career-focused sessions on the security and political risk scene in London and careers in international law. 

Geography’s ever-popular Internship module, which has been running for over 20 years, also helps masters students take their first steps towards employment, offering opportunities to undertake a period of work with an organisation broadly related to their programme of study. The internship not only provides valuable career enhancing opportunities but also counts towards their degrees. In 2021-22, over 150 students worked with 60 different organisations across a range of sectors including: international agencies; local councils and national government departments; companies in the for-profit and not-for-profit sector, research institutes and charities. As well as UK organisations, partners also included Belgium, Canada, Ethiopia, Germany, and the United States. 

Curious to find out more? Access on-demand content including taster lectures and talks, and meet our current staff and students on our subject hub page.

Tuition Fees

UK:

Full time: £14,500 per year (2025/26)

Part time: £7,250 per year (2025/26)

International:

Full time: £31,600 per year (2025/26)

Part time: £15,800 per year (2025/26)

These tuition fees may be subject to additional increases in subsequent years of study, in line with King’s terms and conditions.

Deposit

If you receive an offer for this programme, you will be required to pay a non-refundable deposit to secure your place. Deposit payments are credited towards the total tuition fee payment.

The Home deposit is £500. The International deposit is £2000.

• If you receive an offer before March, payment is due by 20 March.
• If you receive an offer between 1 March and 20 May, payment is due within one month of receiving the offer.
• If you receive an offer between 21 May and 15 July, payment is due within two weeks of receiving the offer.
• If you receive an offer between 16 July and 10 August, payment is due within one week of receiving the offer.
• If you receive an offer from 11 August onwards, payment is due within three days of receiving the offer.

If you are a current undergraduate King’s student in receipt of the King's Living Bursary this academic year, you are not required to pay a deposit to secure your place on the programme. Please note, this will not change the total fees payable for your chosen programme.

Please visit our web pages on fees and funding for more information.

Additional Costs

In addition to your tuition costs, you can also expect to pay for:

• Books if you choose to buy your own copies.
• Clothing for optional course related events and competitions.
• Library fees and fines.
• Personal photocopies.
• Printing course handouts.
• Society membership fees.
• Stationery.
• Graduation costs.
• Travel costs for travel around London and between campuses.
• Some modules include the option to undertake other short day-trip fieldwork. These fieldwork options will enhance the modules, but they are not assessed as part of the module. The additional costs for short day-trip fieldwork would typically not exceed £50 per year.
• Costs may be incurred for your dissertation work if fieldwork and/or laboratory materials are needed for the chosen study topic, but such work is not mandatory and would not impact academic success if an alternative approach to dissertation research is taken.

Funding

To find out more about bursaries, scholarships, grants, tuition fees, living expenses, student loans, and other financial help available at King's please visit the Fees and Funding section.

Application closing date guidance

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