MA International Relations
Leiden, Netherlands
DURATION
1 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.
Introduction
Understanding the complexities of world affairs requires an ability to think critically and to draw insights from a variety of perspectives, sources, and analytic frames. Leiden University’s Master of Arts in International Relations addresses these needs through distinctive humanities-based training in international relations that draws on the University’s internationally-recognised strengths.
Why study International Relations at Leiden University
You will join the only master's programme in the Netherlands to offer five unique specialisations within the field of international relations. With a broad curriculum and flexible design, the Master’s degree in International Relations allows you to tailor your degree to suit your career goals. You will be able to specialise in areas ranging from the European integration process to the global political economy to the pursuit of global justice.
The programme is unique in its embrace of a humanities-based approach to international relations. Ideas in world politics are combined with historiographical, cultural, and area studies teaching and research. This approach demonstrates how humankind in all its variety makes sense of the world and how international relations shapes social conditions and systems of meaning across and within countries. This will help you become a well-rounded professional who is prepared to tackle the challenges and opportunities in the field of international relations.
Admissions
Curriculum
Semester 1
Core Course (10 EC)
- Humanities-Based International Relations (5 EC)
- Thesis and Methods in International Relations Research (5 EC)
- Electives (10 EC)
Semester 2
- Regions in World Politics (5 EC)
- Thesis (15 EC)
- Electives (10 EC)
Master's thesis
The Thesis and Methods course is made to prepare you for writing a Master's thesis. The course introduces you to core conceptual, methodological, and theoretical issues that you encounter when you are working on your Master's thesis. On top of that, a series of seminars will focus on specific issues related to International Relations. Once you start the thesis process, you will have great freedom to choose what you want to write about. We have many thesis supervisors who have different areas of expertise.
Internship
You have the opportunity to do an internship at an organization in the Netherlands or abroad. This experience is highly valued within international organisations. Organisations that our students have interned at include:
- Dutch Ministry of Defense
- Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and embassies around the world
- Media outlets such as EenVandaag
- Netherlands Permanent Mission to the United Nations
- Netherlands Institute for International Relations ‘Clingendael’
- The International Centre for Counterterrorism
- The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies
Please note that you will need to find your internship and have to follow an internship procedure for approval. Pursuing an internship may have consequences for the date of your graduation.
Gallery
Career Opportunities
Where do our graduates work?
Because of the extensive curriculum and specializations, the career opportunities after completing the Master's program in International Relations are broad. Our graduates have landed jobs in various sectors of the job market, such as research institutes, international organizations, government bodies, NGOs, and academia. Examples of the diverse roles of our graduates include:
- Policy advisor at a mini foreign Affairsstry of foreign affairs;
- Communications manager and project assistant at an NGO promoting reconciliation and peace;
- Consular spokesperson at a ministry of foreign affairs;
- Consultant at an NGO;
- Project manager at a company specializing in geo-services, international development, and project management;
- PhD candidate and research assistant;
- Communications officer at an international student federation.