Prospectus

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International Relations: European Union Studies

Master

This one-year Master of Arts in International Relations, specialisation European Union Studies, offered by the Faculty of Humanities of Leiden University, focuses on the processes of European integration from an interdisciplinary angle by a mix of specialist, academic researchers and experts with direct experience in policy-formulation and policy-making.

During the first semester students will follow four compulsory basic courses each designed to explore the state-of-the-art developments in its own field. Whilst each course maintains its own unique identity, their content has been designed to produce an integrated interdisciplinary core of overlapping and mutually reinforcing conceptual tools of analysis. In addition, all students take a “methods course”, a thesis seminar and a European seminar, which is continued in the second semester.

In the second semester students can choose three courses from a wide range of specialist courses. By writing a thesis, the students will explore a topic of their own choice in-depth.

Students who start in February will follow an adapted course-schedule: please consult the details under the heading “more info”.

All students have to apply for admission, see mastersinleiden

Courses

Course EC Semester 1 Semester 2

First semester
History of European Integration 5
Institutions of the EU 5
EU Law 5
Economics of the EU 5
Methods in International Relations Research 5
Thesis Seminar International Relations 5
EU Seminar 0

Second semester

Choose three courses of the following: (Students of the February intake can only select electives from block IV) Please note: contents of the electives subject to change, specifically when no teacher is indicated yet.
EU and Parliamentary Democracy 5
EU Environmental Policy and Law 5
EU External Relations: the Neighbourhood and Beyond 5
External Economic Relations 5
Germany and European Integration, with a particular focus on the Euro Crisis 5
Justice and Home Affairs 5
Economic and Monetary Union 5
EU and Energy Policy 5
EU Public Affairs & Lobbying 5
Europe on the World Stage: the development of the EU’s foreign, security and defence policies 5
Euroscepticism 5
Migration Law and Policy in the EU 5
MA Thesis European Union Studies 15

More info

Objectives Structure Contact information

Objectives

The programme focuses on the processes of European integration from an interdisciplinary angle by a mix of specialist, academic researchers and experts with direct experience in policy-formulation and policy-making.

Structure

During the first semester students take the following compulsory basic courses of 5 EC each:

  • History of European Integration

  • Institutions of the EU

  • EU Law

  • Economics of the EU

  • Methods in International Relations Research

  • Thesis Seminar

Whilst each course maintains its own unique identity, their content has been designed to produce an integrated interdisciplinary core of overlapping and mutually reinforcing conceptual tools of analysis. In addition to these six courses, students attend a number of EU Seminars (continued in the second semester).

During the second semester, students can choose three electives from a wide range of courses (15 EC total) and finish their thesis. By writing the thesis, students will explore a topic of their own choice in-depth.

For students starting in the February-semester, the programme looks slightly different:

First semester:

  • Institutions of the EU (5 EC – block III)

  • Economics of the EU (5 EC – block III)

  • Thesis Seminar (5 EC – block III)

  • Three electives (15 EC – block IV)

  • EU Seminars

  • Optional: attend Methods course of the track International Studies – this course is a compulsory part of the second semester, but it could be useful to join during the first semester.

Second semester:

  • History of European Integration (5 EC)

  • EU Law (5 EC)

  • Methods in International Relations Research (5 EC)

  • EU Seminars (continued)

  • Thesis (15 EC)

Contact information

For more information, contact the Co-ordinator of Studies