Prospectus

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International Relations: International Studies

Master

This one-year Master of Arts in International Relations, specialisation International Studies offered by the Faculty of the Humanities of Leiden University, discusses the pivotal theoretical and practical issues in international politics today, thereby providing students with the contextual knowledge and the analytical abilities to study and comprehend the diversity and the complexities of our rapidly changing world. International Studies takes a special interest in the encounter, the interactions between global and national ideas, cultures, and policies.

The programme (60 ECTS total – 30 ECTS per semester) consists of a Core Course specialisation and two general core courses (Ideas in World Politics and Regionalism in World Politics) as well as a combined thesis seminar and methods course and a Thesis. The remaining 20 EC (10 EC per semester) can be acquired by choosing electives or an internship.

Students can focus on one of four areas by choosing a Core Course specialization and electives:

  • Culture and Politics

  • Global Conflict in the Modern Era

  • Global Order in Historical Perspective

  • Global Political Economy

Please note that there may be additional entry requirements for electives that are offered by other departments, and that the number of places available for MAIS students might be limited. Also make sure you read the details under ‘more info’ for more detailed information about the curriculum and your options.

All students except graduates from the Leiden BA in International Studies and graduates from the LUC The Hague Liberal Arts and Sciences BA with a major in World Politics or Human Diversity have to apply for admission, see mastersinleiden.

Students of the February 2016, September 2016, and February 2017 intakes please refer to the more info tab for a full overview of the curriculum.

Courses

Course EC Semester 1 Semester 2

SEPTEMBER SEMESTER

Mandatory courses:
Ideas in World Politics 5
Thesis Seminar and Methods in International Relations Research 5

Core Course Specialisation, choose one of four:
Core Course Culture and Politics 10
Core Course Global Conflict in the Modern Era 10
Core Course Global Order in Historical Perspective 10
Core Course Global Political Economy 10

Elective, choose 10 EC from the following:

Electives organised by the MA International Relations
A History of the United Nations 10
Best Practice: Legislating and Regulating a Better Global Economy 10
BRIC: Emerging Powers and Changing Global Relations 10
From Colour Lines to Razor Wire Fences: A Global History of Migration Regulation and Restriction 10
Global Governance and Human Rights: History, Theory, and Practice 10
Nationalism: The Experience of Post-Cold War Europe 10
Researching Authoritarianism: the Politics of Conflict, Violence, and Genocide 10
Strategy and Grand Strategy in Theory and Practice 10
Women and Politics in Asia 10
Internship MA International Studies 10

Electives organised by other programmes

Additional entry requirements can be found in the course descriptions. The number of places available for MAIS students is limited.
American Radicalism: Challenging and Empowering U.S. Democracy 10
Asia through Consumption 10
China's International Political Economy 10
Corruption in Russia and Eurasia 10
Contemporary Japan’s Economy in Global Economic Crises 10
Cultures of Resistance in the Post-colonial World 5
Economic Development and Social Change in Southeast Asia 10
From Inkwell to Internet: Text and Transmission in the Muslim World 10
Histories of Southeast Asia 5
History and Politics in Africa 5 / 10
Images of Africa. Interdisciplinary approaches 5
Interculturality 1: Key Concepts 10
International Relations in the Slavic Triangle Russia Ukraine and Belarus 10
Le français des affaires 10
Literature and Politics in the Persian-speaking World 10
Politics of Culture in Southeast Asia 10
Sacred Journeys: Pilgrimage and Holy Places 10
Sociology of Japan 10
The Middle East in the International Political Economy 10
Theories and Methods of Middle East and Islamic Studies 2 10
The Ottoman Empire and Turkey (1908 - 1945) 10
The Politics of Culture in North Korea 10
The Politics of Digital China 10
The State in Modern Chinese History 10

FEBRUARY SEMESTER

Mandatory courses:
Regionalism in World Politics 5
MA Thesis International Studies 15

Elective, choose 10 EC from the following:

Electives organised by the MA International Relations
Collective Memory: A Shared Historical Narrative in Reconciliation 10
Contemporary Brazil 10
Decentering International Relations: Views from the Global South 10
International Relations of the Asia-Pacific 10
Issues in Latin American Foreign Policies 10
Nation-building and Resistance 10
Genocide, Civilian Victimization, and Violence 10
Global Governance and Human Rights: History, Theory, and Practice 10
Internationalism, Empire and the Cold War: 20th Century International Relations 10
Legacies of War and Memory in World Politics 10
Neoliberalism and Illegality: Flows, Commodities, Locations 10
Politics and Markets in Asia 10
Strategy and Grand Strategy in Theory and Practice 10
Violent Non-state Actors in International Affairs 10
Internship MA International Studies 10

Electives organised by other programmes

Additional entry requirements can be found in the course descriptions. The number of places available for MAIS students is limited.
Anthropology of Muslim Societies 10
Brazil Visiting Chair 2017: The BRICS and economic and international changes 10
Confucianism, Idealism and Power in East Asia's Past and Present 10
Contemporary Indian Politics 5
Creativity and Culture in Contemporary China 10
Crime and Criminal Justice: East Asian Perspectives 10
Developments in the Modern Middle East 10
Heritage and governance: Between global policy and local practice 5
Human Rights Discourses on North Korea 10
Interculturality 2: The Global Imagination 10
Nation States and Great-power Rivalry in the Middle East: from World War I to the Cold War 10
Political Economy of Southeast Asia 10
(Re)mapping the City in Modern Literature and Visual Cultures 10
Theories and Methods of Middle East and Islamic Studies 3 10
The Rooseveltian Century: The Rise of the U.S. as a Global Power in the Twentieth Century 10
`Ulamâ’ in the Modern Muslim World 10

More info

Objectives
Structure
Contact information

Objectives

International Studies discusses the pivotal theoretical and practical issues in international politics today, thereby providing students with the contextual knowledge and the analytical abilities to study and comprehend the diversity and the complexities of our rapidly changing world. International Studies takes a special interest in the encounter, the interactions between global and national ideas, cultures, and policies.

Structure

The programme ( 60 EC) consists of two semesters, each consisting of 30 EC. In the first semester students follow two core courses of 5 EC each (Ideas in World Politics and Thesis Seminar and Methods in International Relations Research) and two courses of 10 EC each (a Core Course specialization and an elective). In the second semester students choose a second elective (10 EC), take the core course Regionalism in World Politics (5 EC) and write their thesis (15 EC).

Students wishing to replace one of their electives with an elective from the European Union Studies specialization or with an external course or internship, please contact the coordinator of studies to discuss your options.

Curriculum for students of the February 2016 intake:

February semester

  • Core Course II (10 EC)

  • Thesis seminar (5 EC)

  • Methods in International Relations Research (5 EC)

  • Elective (10 EC)

September semester

  • Ideas in World Politics (5 EC)

  • Regionalism in World Politics (5 EC)

  • Elective (10 EC)

  • Thesis (10 EC)

  • Students of the February 2016 intake are allowed to exchange the September elective for a Core Course specialization after consulting with the coordinator of studies.

Curriculum for students of the September 2016 intake:

September semester

  • Core Course specialisation (10 EC)

  • Thesis Seminar and Methods in International Relations Research (5 EC)

  • Ideas in World Politics (5 EC)

  • Elective (10 EC)

February semester

  • Regionalism in World Politics (5 EC)

  • Elective (10 EC)

  • Thesis (15 EC)

Curriculum for students of the February 2017 intake:

February semester

  • Ideas in World Politics (5 EC)

  • Thesis Seminar and Methods in International Relations Research (5 EC)

  • 2 electives (20 EC)

September semester

  • Regionalism in World Politics (5 EC)

  • Core Course specialization (10 EC)

  • Thesis (15 EC)

Please contact the coordinator of studies with any questions about your curriculum in case of a study delay.

Contact information

For more information, contact the coordinator of studies.