Master in War and Defence

War Studies is the multi-disciplinary study of war. It explores the ways in which war and defence are conducted and organised. Some of the central issues addressed by the programme include military strategy and organisation of a country’s defence systems. The use of military force and the organization of military structures often play an important role in security and peace missions and the course also deals with such topics as humanitarian interventions, peace keeping, and security policy. As a participant in the programme you will have access to a broad range of elective courses, for example from political science, crisis management and of course war studies. You will participate in these together with students from other programmes, which makes for an interesting and valuable blend of perspectives.

The programme will give you rigorous training in scientific methods to promote advanced analytical skills. Scenario-based roleplay, war gaming and a semester devoted to practical training also form part of the programme. In other words, the programme will give you not only theoretical and case-based knowledge of war and defence but also relevant practical and vocational skills.

At the Swedish Defence University students have access to Sweden’s foremost experts in war studies; lecturers and researchers who are not only leaders in their field, but who also frequently act as consultants to the media. The research conducted in the the field of war studies covers a broad range of subjects from military strategy, total defence, and civil war, to peacekeeping operations and war and gender.

Structure of the programme

Semester 1

During your first semester you will read an introductory course in war studies with focus on how and why states exercise military power, followed by a course in scientific method. The introductory course gives a basic grounding in war studies, while the course in methodology teaches you how to analyse and understand warfare and the organisation of war and defence in a scientific framework.

Semester 2

In your second semester you will read four elective course. You decide for yourself if you wish to delve deeper into a specific area by following the suggested thematic tracks, or if you would prefer to read courses with a broader span. The elective courses offer a broad spectrum of subject matter. For example, you could choose in-depth studies of various types of warfare, strategy or defence or opt for courses in political science focusing on security policy, crisis management or policy analysis. In other words, the master programme offers both breadth and in-depth knowledge based on the latest research findings.

Semester 3

The third semester is reserved for work on your master’s dissertation. This gives you the opportunity to conduct an in-depth study of the issues that interest you most and to test your proficiency in scientific methods.

Semester 4

For the fourth semester you are free to decide whether you wish to apply for an internship, or if you prefer, to take additional elective courses. In other words, you can choose to engage in more empirical and theoretical studies or to focus more directly on practical situations in a work environment.

In the second and fourth semesters there are opportunities for studies abroad via our exchange agreements with partner universities.

Student exchange schemes

The Swedish Defence University takes part in the Erasmus programme, which allows our students to spend a semester of their master’s training at a university abroad. Being an exchange student is an excellent ways of broadening one’s perspectives and acquiring new experiences at prestigious universities such as the University of St Andrews (Scotland), Sciences Po (France) and the University of Bologna (Italy). Our partner universities offer a wide selection of relevant courses, which means that your master’s degree may come to include several different specialties.

Of all the academic institutions in Sweden, the Swedish Defence University (SEDU) it the only one that offers the unique Master’s Programme in War and Defence. Successful students move on to careers in relevant fields in public agencies and government departments, such as ministries for foreign affairs, defense research agencies, and agencies and organisations involved in civil contingencies work. In the private sector there are openings in security companies in fields ranging from cybersecurity to total defence, and in both national and international organisations such as the EU and the UN. In addition to jobs as researchers and analysts there are also job opportunities in civil defence and contingency planning at local, regional and national levels. For graduates who are Swedish citizens there are also openings for a civilian career in the Swedish Armed Forces.

Successful completion of the course also makes you eligible for a number of research programmes, for example in the fields of war studies, political science, peace and conflict research and international relations.