DURATION
2 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
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EARLIEST START DATE
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TUITION FEES
EUR 8,000 / per year *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* per year. Scholarships available covering both tuition fees and living expenses.
Key Summary
Introduction
In the unique two-year international joint Master’s programme in European Politics and Society (EPS) you will be able to study at four major European research universities in the cities of Prague, Leiden, Krakow and Barcelona.
Interested in Europe and its role in the World
The EPS Programme gives you the possibility to acquire high-level pluri-disciplinary knowledge and skills, with a central focus on the societal, political, and economic processes that have formed contemporary Europe and determine its role in the international environment.
Through its student population, the programme fosters exchange among diverse European and non-European cultures, and offers a unique learning experience to both EU and non-EU students. The EPS Programme thus contributes to building a real trans-European community of students, experts and academia that deal with current European challenges.
Multidisciplinary two-year joint Master's at four top European Universities
You will start this programme with a range of introductory courses in Prague, the second semester focuses on EU related courses and will be taught in Krakow or Leiden. For the final year, you will be able to choose between four different study tracks reflecting the diverse expertise of the Consortium members (Charles University, Jagiellonian University, Leiden University and Pompeu Fabra University). Each track combines various elective courses, research methods training, and an internship with an advanced research dissertation supervised by key staff from each Partner University (the internship does not apply to Pompeu Fabra University).
Why Leiden University?
Leiden University offers ambitious students a world-class environment in which to reach their full potential.
Leiden University's Humanities department consistently ranks in the top 30 Humanties departments worldwide in the THE World University Ranking. At Leiden University, the oldest university in the Netherlands, you can access resources found nowhere else in the world, such as those of the famous Leiden University Library and its collections of original manuscripts and periodicals.
An ideal location for the study of international relations
Leiden University offers you one of the best locations from which to explore and study the world, as well as launch your career. Our location close to The Hague, the legal capital of the world, brings you within easy reach of some of Europe and the Netherland's most important political and international organisations.
A centre of scholarly expertise
At Leiden University, we are among the leading centres in Europe for the study of international relations, with the largest concentration of scholarly expertise anywhere in the Netherlands. Many of our staff members enrich their research and teaching with additional insights garnered from their experience working in government, NGOs and other international organisations.
An individual approach to learning
At Leiden University we have a dedicated team of researchers in the field of International Relations. All classes are taught by accomplished scholars at Leiden. Small classes ensure every student has valuable time interacting with lecturers, each of whom is personally invested in you and developing your potential.
Curriculum
1st year
Semester 1
The EPS Programme is a two-year Master’s Programme divided into four semesters. All students spend the first semester in Prague, ensuring you have the opportunity to meet with the full cohort of your peers. Before the beginning of the first semester, you participate in the Prague Introductory week, where you meet the academic coordinators and faculty staff. During the first semester, you take compulsory courses only. This semester serves as an Introduction to the Master’s Programme. It is based mainly on methodology and an introduction to the main challenges faced by Europe today as well as the key academic disciplines relevant to their understanding. At the end of the first semester, you begin the process of selecting the topic of your Master’s thesis, with the assistance of academic coordinators from Charles University.
In the first semester, all students will also travel to Brussels, for the Brussels field trip, a 2-3 day event to meet experts from EU (and other related) institutions.
Semester 2
For the second semester, you will have two options: Leiden or Krakow. This semester also contains a number of compulsory courses that cover different areas of EU studies and relevant ideas. In addition, you can prepare for your own specialisation by choosing from a range of facultative courses and language training. The compulsory Research Methods course is designed to ensure students further develop their critical analytical skills in order to interrogate and critique the secondary and primary sources they encounter in their studies. This is also the course where students progress their ideas for their thesis, delivering a research proposal in which they set out their research question/hypothesis, review relevant literature and articulate their research design.
Towards the end of the second semester, all students participate in an online Research Seminar. Students present their MA thesis project plans to their peers and academic staff from the partner universities. This offers students an invaluable opportunity to test their ideas and receive a wider range of feedback from other students and academic experts.
With European Politics and Society you will be at the forefront of a new approach to understanding how the fields of European politics, contemporary history, culture, economy, international relations and policy making are linked.
2nd year
For the second year of the EPS Programme, you may choose between the universities that constitute the EPS consortium: Charles University in Prague (Czech Republic), Jagiellonian University in Krakow (Poland), Leiden University (Netherlands) and Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona (Spain). Students cannot, however, remain at the university of their second semester.
Semester 3
During the two final semesters, you will have a wide choice of facultative courses that reflect the added value of each member of the consortium – areas of academic expertise of these universities in terms of course offerings and research. These fields are the following: Traditions and Future of a Multilevel Europe (Prague), Policymaking in the EU (Barcelona), Centre and Periphery (Krakow) and Europe in the International Environment (Leiden). If you take your second year in Leiden, Prague or Krakow there is an obligatory internship of 15 ECTS with an international organization or company. Barcelona has a more scientific specialization and you concentrate on research skills. In January, between the third and fourth semesters, students travel to Barcelona for the Barcelona Research Seminar.
Semester 4
Students devote the bulk of their final semester to the thesis, working closely with the MA thesis seminar teacher (where applicable) and their academic supervisor. In April, selected second year students participate in the Oxford Spring School, a unique student event and academic experience, thanks to the partnership with the Europaeum, a network of 18 leading European universities.
Educational methods
- Seminars
- Lectures
- Self-study
- Internship
- Workshops
- Role plays
Assessment methods
- Exams
- Peer feedback and assessment
- Essays, research papers
- Oral presentations
- Thesis
Objectives
The joint Master’s degree European Politics and Society aims to bring you state-of-the-art knowledge in your subject area of choice and prepare you for a central role in relation to Europe’s future as the next generations of managers, policy makers and research leaders.
Admissions
Career Opportunities
Graduates of the EPS Programme will primarily obtain high-level academic knowledge and skills during the two-year Master Degree. In addition to that, thanks to a large network of Associate Partners in all Consortium member countries, in Brussels and partner countries outside Europe such as Chili, Armenia and Mexico, you will get a practical experience in the field of European studies and international relations. You will be capable of open but critical understanding and of conceptual thinking, and of appreciating cultural diversity. This intellectual equipment will provide you with an opportunity to find positions related to the problems of the studied area in both public and private spheres.
During your studies you will have ample opportunity to gain experience studying, working, or conducting research at an organisation or institution. This experience is highly valued within international organisations. In class, we encourage every student to participate in discussions with fellow students and lecturers to develop their confidence articulating ideas. Regular events throughout the year, including an Employment Café, present opportunities to network with alumni and explore internship and job opportunities.
Your Master's programme will qualify you for roles in almost every sector of the employment market. Many of our graduates work for public services, research institutes, business services, banking and financial services, communications, education, advisory work, policy development, management, co-ordination, editing and information services.
Examples of the diverse roles of our graduates include:
- Senior policy advisor at the European Union
- Senior policy advisor for national governments
- Senior policy advisor for multinationals or NGOs
- Embassy staff
- Consultant
- Development worker
- Academic researcher
- PhD candidate
- Policy advisor for central and local governmen
- Policy advisor for businesses
- Policy advisor for NGOs
- Journalist