MA in International Public Affairs (MAIPA)
Vienna, Austria
DURATION
2 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Request application deadline
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2025
TUITION FEES
EUR 12,000 / per year
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
Key Summary
Introduction
The MA in International Public Affairs (MAIPA) is an interdisciplinary degree with an international profile intended for students who aspire to work in international organizations, NGOs, public administration, or related fields such as journalism and academia.
International Public Affairs captures two dimensions of study: on the one hand, the international, which includes governance on the regional, global and transnational levels; and on the other hand, the public, which includes interaction among the government, private and the voluntary sector. After the first term of compulsory courses in public policy, politics, economics, and international relations, MAIPA students must choose one of two specializations for the next three terms of their MA: (i) Democracy and Rule of Law or (ii) Policy and Governance. The final two terms of the second year are devoted to a mandatory thesis.
The MA in International Public Affairs is open to students with undergraduate degrees in social sciences, humanities, law and related subjects.
Curriculum
The overarching aim of the program is to provide students with a solid conceptual grounding in international dimensions of public affairs that will prepare students for their future roles as policy-makers, advisors, and analysts in government, international organizations and non-governmental organizations or in journalism, thinks tanks and academia. Through the courses included in the core curricula, the course is designed to give graduate a broad interdisciplinary base that draws on the disciplines of economics, international relations, politics and public policy.
The program consists of seven modules:
- The Foundation Module takes place in the autumn and winter terms of year 1. It consists of four foundations courses (some of which stretch over two terms), totaling 36 ECTS credits
- The Democracy 1 Module consists of mandatory elective courses of 4 or 8 ECTS each. Students who take the Democracy and Rule of Law track must complete 12 credits from this pool. These courses are elective courses for students in the Policy and Governance track.
- The Policy 1 Module consists of mandatory elective courses of 4 or 8 ECTS each. Students who take the Policy and Governance track must complete 12 credits from this pool. These courses are elective courses for students in the Democracy and Rule of Law track.
- The Research Methods Module takes place in the autumn and winter terms of year 1. It consists of mandatory courses worth 8 ECTS, plus one elective course.
- The Democracy 2 Module consists of a number of mandatory elective courses. Students who take the Democracy and Rule of Law track must complete 20 ECTS credits from this pool. These courses are elective courses for students in the Policy and Governance track.
- The Policy 2 Module consists of a number of mandatory elective courses. Students who take the Policy and Governance track must complete 20 ECTS credits. These courses are elective courses for students in the Democracy and Rule of Law track.
- The Thesis Module consists of the written master’s thesis, worth 24 ECTS. It is mandatory for all students.
Students take 16 ECTS in elective courses to reach 120 ECTS.
Please note that language courses and computer courses are not part of the program curriculum and hence related credits will not count towards your degree.
Students can transfer 4 ECTS between year 1 to year 2. Eg. If they complete 64 ECTS in year 1, the minimum credits required in year 2 will be reduced from 60 ECTS to 56 ECTS.
Second year students may also choose from Policy 1 and Democracy 1 courses.
An optional Internship can replace one 4 ECTS course in the second year.
Students choose one of two tracks:
The Democracy and Rule of Law track
Students in the Democracy and Rule of Law track must complete the Foundation Module (36 ECTS); at least 12 ECTS credits from the Democracy 1 module; at least 20 ECTS credits from the Democracy 2 module; and as well as the Research Module (at least 8 ECTS), at least 4 ECTS from the Policy 1 module and the thesis (24 ECTS). The remaining 16 ECTS credits are to be selected from freely elective courses from the Research Methods module, an optional internship and courses from DPP and/or other departments.
The Policy and Governance track
Students in the Policy and Governance track must complete the Foundation Module (36 ECTS); at least 12 ECTS credits from the Policy 1 module; at least 20 ECTS credits from the Policy 2 module; and as well as the Research Module (at least 8 ECTS), at least 4 ECTS from the Democracy 1 module and the thesis (24 ECTS). The remaining 16 ECTS credits are to be selected from freely elective courses from the Research Methods modules, an optional internship and courses from DPP and/or other departments.
The two tracks have common mandatory courses in the Foundation Module and the Research Methods Module, but have different rules for the number of courses that are to be selected from the Policy 1, Policy 2¸Democracy 1 and Democracy 2 modules.
Program Outcome
- Systematic understanding of theories, concepts and principles behind ‘international public affairs’;
- Systematic understanding ‘international public affairs’ at all levels of governance;
- Systematic understanding of, and capability to work with, the core research methods of economics, international relations, politics and public policy
- Systematic development of interdisciplinary skills across economics, international relations, politics and public policy
- An ability to navigate disciplinary boundaries and work with interdisciplinary research including a strong humanities/history component