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Course Info

To recognise the achievement of graduation from the Advanced Command and Staff Course (ACSC) or its international equivalent, the University of Buckingham offers a special six-months discounted MA by Research in the field of Modern War Studies and Contemporary Military History. This offer is open to all officers (regular and reserve) who have graduated from the ACSC or an equivalent course in their international home institutions.

The course commences in October with a ‘Research Skills Study Day’ and, after 6 months of supervised independent research, culminates with the student’s submission of a dissertation of approximately 12,500 – 25,000 words.During their time of study, candidates are encouraged to attend both a series of guest seminars at the Army and Navy Club, Pall Mall, and a course research day at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.

The course is based in London, but there are no residential requirements for the course. Past students have come from Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas. Face-to-face tutorials remain the preferred way of teaching, but other (online) methods can also be used.

In order to make full use of the course and its guest seminars, it is advised to start with the course at the beginning of the academic year (October). We recognise that this might not be possible for everybody and, therefore, offer a second start-date in January.

Teaching & Assessment

Quality teaching

We offer high quality, traditional Oxbridge-style teaching, which leads to our degrees being recognised around the world. The standards of degrees and awards are safeguarded by distinguished external examiners – senior academic staff from other universities in the UK – who approve and moderate assessed work.

Teaching methods

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 normally 12,500 words. Research does not have to be confined to British-related subjects. Some of the themes which students may wish to examine include: political decision making; alliances; warfare and faith; the impact of critical strategic thinkers; intelligence gathering; the impact of technology on the battlefield; the development of doctrine; military-media relations; leadership; command and control; the application of force at the strategic, operational and tactical levels of war on land, sea and air; and the influence of war on non-combatants, politics, society, economies and cultures.