European Masters Programmes

To make it a bit easier for you to find your way, the E&M team decided to search the infinite number of options and offer you the top 3. To find truly European programmes, we had to develop criteria based on what the programme offers, how it is organised and who can participate. The number of countries where the courses take place, the background of the participants and cultural diversity were key points.

Photo: Jannis Dickmann www.youthphotos.eu

Advice needed?

In a highly stimulating international atmosphere, the programmes must enhance European knowledge and give their graduates a better understanding of what Europe is all about. And on the practical side, career opportunities played an important role in the selection process too.

It has been a long journey, taking us across the continent. Our team devoted itself to finding these programmes and categorising the results. We have searched every European country, dividing them into groups and distibuting them among us. Out of about 40 programmes in the preselection phase, the top 3 were chosen.

So, here it is: The Crème de la Crème of European Masters programmes with key information and useful links:

The first place in our ranking goes to the European Interdisciplinary Studies programme at the College of Europe in Natolin (Warsaw). With campuses in Belgium and Poland (this particular programme is offered only in Poland), the college builds on a fifty-year tradition of excellence and is considered a "classic" within European education. Its reputation is outstanding and its quality has been tried and tested: this is the best recommendation ever for "guaranteed" prestigious job opportunities in the public sector. And there is a reason why.

The 1-year programme in Natolin offers an in-depth analysis of European integration from a multidisciplinary perspective. It especially allows you to get to know the political and socio-economic realities of Central and Eastern Europe. The first semester provides an introduction to the essentials of European politics and policies, economics and EU/EC law, including the decision-making processes of the EU. During the second semester, you will participate in specialised courses on governance in the EU, the Common Market, the EU as a regional actor, and the EU as a global actor.

Extra-curricular activities are provided to enrich your experience: students are invited to top seminars and events with prominent guests, most of whom are former students of the programme. An excellent opportunity for networking, however you choose to approach it. Apart from the knowledge you gain, the most important aspect of the course are the contacts you make. One day, knowing the Finnish EU-Minister might come in handy...

This leads us to the next point: career opportunities. Even if you are one of that rare breed who will study only for the sake of learning, you must agree that it's not only your studies that matter but also what follows. And that's exactly where this programme beats the rest of our pre-selection list. Statistics show that the vast majority of the programme's graduates take on high-level jobs, for example at ministries back home. 

Photo: Christopher Hepburn www.youthphotos.eu

Which way?

This programme is for those who want first-hand international experience, including a wider network of contacts which could lead to a career which crosses a few national borders. You must be ready, however, to take a bigger risk and accept uncertainty.

The 14-month "Euromasters" allows you to study in 3 different countries and receive a joint degree awarded by all the partner universities (the Universities of Berlin, Madrid, Prague, Siena, Seattle (US) and the Institut d'Études Politiques de Paris (IEP)). Once again, the academic programme has an interdisciplinary approach in a highly selective international environment, but you can hardly expect anything else when it comes to the rich diversity of Europe, right? The aim is to enable participants to understand political relations in a European context. Important focuses are social developments and important historical events in Europe. Another key aspect is the "Trans-Atlantic Track", which concentrates on EU-US relations, allowing you to see Europe from the outside: after all, Europe is said to be easier to define when you're elsewhere.

The goal is to prepare students for an international career in the fields of business, politics, diplomacy, administration or research. There are however no official statistics showing how many of the programme's former students have actually ended up in these fields, and at what level. This takes quite a few points from this programme and places it second. What is certain, however, is that some graduates did make it to big corporations like Microsoft, embassies in the "most wanted countries" and the UN.

Applicants must have completed a university degree (Bachelor's or equivalent). Furthermore, a high level of proficiency in English as well as in one of the other languages of the programme (Italian, German, French or Spanish) is required. The application deadline is 31 May.

More info: http://www.bath.ac.uk/esml/em/content.html

Culture?! Euroculture?!? Is there such a thing? If the very definition of Europe is hard to define, hadn't we better leave this field alone? If that is your first reaction when reading the name of this programme, you'd better give it a closer look.

Taking an up-to-date programme and an international and challenging atmosphere "for granted", you graduate in 14 months with a double MA degree from the University of Groningen (Netherlands) and one of the partner universities: Deusto-San Sebastian (Spain), Göttingen (Germany), Krakow (Poland), Olomouc (Czech Republic), Strasbourg (France), Udine (Italy) or Uppsala (Sweden), depending on your choice of profile (internship or research). The programme aims to enable students to identify the European dimensions of social problems and to collect and process relevant information from European institutions and organizations, putting them in a global context. The Masters concentrates on cultural and social developments, the political process of European integration, values, citizenship and European cultural identity, but combines them with research studies on processes in all parts of the world, for example Asia. In the end, you are prepared to be what could be called a "generalist", somebody who can see the bigger picture - exactly what's wanted from top executives, right? How you get there is a different question.

The programme does offer a lot, but it comes only third in our ranking. The reason: it has only existed for a few years and some of the partners joined a bit later. It has yet to become popular, which may lead you to lengthy job interviews with unknown outcome explaining what you actually did. It may be just a matter of time though before the programme gets the necessary acknowledgement. If you feel like spending some time near the administrative heart of Europe with numerous opportunities to be noticed, do give it a try! And all this whilst examining Europe's role on a global scale.

This programme is open to students holding a university BA degree in arts or the humanities. You have to provide several documents along with your application form, such as a letter of motivation, certified copies of your degree certificate, two letters of recommendation, and an academic as well as a professional CV. Classes in the Netherlands are taught entirely in English, so non-native speakers of English must also provide proof of their proficiency in English. Scholarships are provided. The deadline for those who want to apply for an Erasmus Mundus grant is the 15th December 2008. Regular applications have to be sent by 15th April 2009.

More infro:
http://www.rug.nl/let/onderwijs/internationalestudies/euroculture/index