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Objectives
The programme has the following objectives
1. to enable students to acquire academic knowledge, understanding and skills, and train them in the use of scientific methods in the field of International Relations;
2. to enable students to develop the following academic and professional skills:
independent academic reasoning and conduct
the ability to analyse complex problems,
the ability to clearly report academic results, both in writing and orally;
- to prepare students for an academic career and further education;
- to prepare students for a career outside academia.
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
Regions in World Politics
Thesis Seminar and Methods in International Relations Research
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).
In the second semester, students have to complete a total of three 5 EC electives. It is possible to substitute one of these three electives with an elective from one of the other specialisations of the MA International Relations. This brings the total number of credits for the electives at 20 EC (2x5 EC and 1x10 EC). Students can also replace one of their three electives with an external course or an internship. If you wish to make use of these possibilities, please contact the coordinator of studies to discuss your options.
Master thesis and requirements for graduation
The thesis will be based on original research and will be 13.000 – 15.000 words in size (excluding footnotes and bibliography, including annexes) and contain an integrated interdisciplinary approach (for students of the February 2014 intake and earlier: 20.000 words).
Students are guided in writing their thesis by thesis supervisors. Students are also expected to follow the course Thesis Seminar and Methods in International Relations Research during the semester prior to the one in which they plan to write the Thesis. This seminar consists of a number of meetings in which students are given the opportunity to present their work and to comment on the work of others.
The thesis should be based on original research. The maximum length is 15.000 words, including notes, bibliography, and appendices.
Students are guided in writing their thesis by thesis supervisors. Students are also expected to follow the course Thesis Seminar and Methods in International Relations Research during the semester prior to the one in which they plan to write the Thesis. This seminar consists of a number of meetings in which students are given the opportunity to present their work and to comment on the work of others.
The thesis is a product of academic research which the student has carried out under supervision by a lecturer but with a high degree of independence. In principle, the thesis must be of sufficient quality (possibly following some modifications) to be published in an academic journal in the relevant field. The thesis must demonstrate among others that the student is able to:
completely independently formulate a research question which displays insight into the methodological principles, central issues and state of the art of his or her field of research;
independently formulate a realistic research plan which fulfills the criteria set in the relevant field of research;
critically and analytically report on existing academic debates and propose creative solutions based on secondary literature;
apply the more complex concepts/methods of his or her field to a corpus of primary source material (whether existing or collected during the student’s own research);
formulate ideas clearly and correctly.
Graduates of the programme have attained the following learning outcomes, listed according to the Dublin descriptors:
1. Knowledge and understanding
a. knowledge and understanding of the discipline of International Relations, including its evolution, key
debates and paradigms;
b. insight into regional and global politics grounded in the diversity of human understanding and experience
across time and space.
2. Applying knowledge and understanding
a. the ability to conduct independent academic research that is original and reflects insight into the key
discussions of the field;
b. the ability to comprehend diverse perspectives and apply appropriate theoretical frameworks and
methodological approaches in the conduct of research.
3. Judgement
a. the ability to locate primary and secondary sources and critically evaluate evidence derived from them;
b. the ability to recognize and assess arguments on the basis of their quality and reliability;
c. the ability to analyze complex issues, logically, systematically, and coherently;
d. the ability to draw original, evidenced-based conclusions.
4. Communication
a. the ability to present analyses in a cogent manner both orally and in writing and through a variety of
formats (including digital) to academic and non-academic audiences;
b. the ability to debate constructively and negotiate effectively.
5. Transferable skills
a. the ability to apply the academic research skills acquired during the programme of study to professional
environments;
b. the ability to work creatively and effectively, in a self-directed manner and with proper time-management,
both individually and in a team;
c. the capacity to assimilate feedback from supervisors and peers and in turn offer feedback to the work of
others.
Specialisation in European Union Studies
1. Knowledge and understanding
a. the ability to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of theories, concepts, and methods by which the
European Union is analysed from a multidisciplinary perspective (drawing specifically on the disciplines of
history, law, political science/international relations, and economics) to an advanced level that provides a basis for
originality in developing and/or applying ideas within a research context;
b. the ability to demonstrate comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the multiplicity and complexity of
the study of the European Union across time, including the variety of: levels and units of analysis; policy areas and
their codification; actors; institutions; relationships; as well as the various contexts in which the EU operates in
order to develop understanding of the EU’s place and role in the regional but also global environments;
c. the ability to demonstrate an understanding of academic and non-academic discussions on European Union
policy issues, and the practical challenges to European integration experienced by practitioners.
2. Applying knowledge and understanding
a. the ability to conduct independent academic research that reflects insight into key discussions of the European
Union.
b. the application of concepts and theories from different disciplines and policymaking areas.
c. the ability to engage in academic and non-academic discussions on European Union policy issues.
Specialisation
European Union Studies is one of the specialisations of the Master International Relations.
The Master International Relations has five specialisations:
Contact information
For more information, please contact the study adviser.
Career Preparation
Career Preparation in the MA International Relations
The programme
How can you use the knowledge and the skills that you acquire during the MA International Relations? What skills do you already have, and what further skills do you still want to learn? How do you translate the courses that you choose into something that you’d like to do after graduation?
These questions and more will be discussed at various times during your study programme. You may already have spoken about them with your study coordinator, the Humanities Career Service or other students, or made use of the Leiden University Career Zone. Many different activities are organised to help you reflect on your own wishes and options, and give you the chance to explore the job market. All these activities are focused on the questions: ‘What can I do?’, ‘What do I want?’ and ‘How do I achieve my goals?’.
Activities
You will be notified via the Faculty website, your study programme website and email about further activities in the area of job market preparation. The following activities will help you to thoroughly explore your options, so we advise you to take careful note of them:
Transferable skills
Future employers are interested not only in the subject-related knowledge that you acquired during your study programme, but also in the ‘transferable skills’. These include cognitive skills, such as critical thinking, reasoning and argumentation and innovation; intrapersonal skills, such as flexibility, initiative, appreciating diversity and metacognition; and interpersonal skills, such as communication, accountability and conflict resolution. In short, they are skills that all professionals need in order to perform well.
It is therefore important that during your study programme you not only acquire as much knowledge as possible about your subject, but also are aware of the skills you have gained and the further skills you still want to learn. The course descriptions in the e-Prospectus of the MA International Relations include, in addition to the courses’ learning objectives, a list of the skills that they aim to develop.
The skills you may encounter in the various courses are:
Collaboration
Persuasion
Research
Self-directed learning
Creative thinking
Courses of the MA International Relations
Courses of the study programme obviously help to prepare you for the job market. As a study programme, we aim to cover this topic either directly or less directly in each semester.
Contact
If you have any questions about career choices, whether in your studies or on the job market, you are welcome to make an appointment with the career adviser of the the Humanities Career Service 071-5272235, or with your coordinator of studies, Janneke Walstra
