Masterstudiengang "Modern War Studies" (Univ. of Buckingham)

With Britain having recently been more heavily involved in overseas wars than at any point in the last half century, the University of Buckingham has launched a Master’s degree in Modern War Studies based at the Cavalry and Guards Club in London. The course commences in late September 2012 with three ‘research skills seminars’ and after a year of supervised independent research, culminates with the student’s submission of a dissertation. During the first six months, candidates are encouraged to attend a series of guest seminars and dinners at which some of the most eminent names in the field present papers. This series of talks examines why and how modern wars are fought, and the principal influences that will affect the conduct of war – and Britain’s role – in the future.

For Master’s degree candidates the core of the programme is the writing, under supervision, of the dissertation on a subject chosen by the student in the field of Modern War Studies. Subject to approval by the Course Director, the topic to be examined in the dissertation can address any aspect of warfare since 1945, and the precise topic is usually formulated in a process of discussion with the Course Director and/or the student’s supervisor. The length of the dissertation is not more than 40,000 words and usually not less than 20,000.

For those who wish to attend the seminars and dinners, but do not have time to complete the coursework involved in the MA programme, it is possible to register for the course as an Associate Student. This status enables Associate Students to attend the seminars and to meet the guest lecturers, but not to proceed to the MA degree.

There will be a programme of three research skills sessions and ten guest seminars running approximately every other week from October 2012 to March 2013.

Lord Ashdown (Politician and diplomat) - “Grand Strategy in the 21st Century”
General the Lord Dannatt (Former Chief of the General Staff) - “Security, Stability and Change: An analysis of today’s threats and our responses”
Sir Max Hastings (Military Historian and Author) - “The Falklands War 30 Years On”
Professor Hew Strachan (All Souls’ College, Oxford)- “The Changing Nature of War”
General Sir John Kiszely (Former Director of the Defence Academy) - “Coalition Warfare in the 21st Century”
Major General Mungo Melvin (Author of Manstein – Hitler’s Greatest General) - “Counter-Stroke Operations from Manstein to Schwarzkopf”
Jack Fairweather (Journalist and Author) – “Britain and Iraq 2003-9″
Professor Gwyn Prins (London School of Economics) - “The British Way of Strategy Making – Vital Lessons for Our Times”
Major Laurence Bedford (Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment) - “Company Command in War – Personal Reflections”
Dr Matthias Strohn (Royal Military Academy Sandhurst) - “Counter-Insurgency During the Cold War”