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The Master of Arts in International Relations (MA) program at WVPU prepares you for leadership and service in the international diplomatic, professional and academic communities. Led by a team of internationally recognized researchers, lecturers and scholar-practitioners, you will examine great powers politics, humanitarian issues, and the dynamics of the international political economy, learning how to employ competing theories, methods and approaches.

Coursework provides exposure to the key subfields of the discipline and relevant issues such as international security, European integration, EU-Asia relations, terrorism and energy security. The program can open doors for work with a governmental agency, an intergovernmental organization, a nongovernmental organization or a multinational corporation. This program is also suitable if you are planning to pursue a PhD or an academic career at another institution.

Students working together on computer

Learning Outcomes

Students working together on computer

Students who complete this program will be able to:

  • Explain and apply theories of international relations, predominantly realism, liberalism, constructivism, feminism, critical theory, sub-theories and other IR-specific models such as the rational actor or bureaucratic behavior models.
  • Apply qualitative and quantitative methods to answer cross-countries research questions based on scholarly literature reviews.

In addition, students learn to:

  • Critically analyze international events and issues and identify causal relationships between variables that explain political, economic, security political, military and societal conflicts.
  • Demonstrate working knowledge of several subfields of the international relations disciplines and neighboring disciplines.
  • Analyze current political, diplomatic, economic and/or security crises of both global and regional scale and propose policy options from the perspective of various actors.
  • Demonstrate strong research skills incorporating knowledge of state-of-the-art scholarly research in several of the following fields: U.S. Foreign Policy, European Integration, Asia-Pacific Studies, Energy Security, International Law, International Political Economy, Terrorism, International Governmental and Non-Governmental Organizations, and more.
  • Demonstrate effective written communication skills and produce publishable research papers at a professional or scholarly level.

 

MA in International Relations

The Master of Arts in International Relations (MA) enables students to analyze the complexities and processes involved in world politics and international affairs. The program prepares students for leadership and service in the international diplomatic, professional and academic communities and to compete for positions in a governmental agency, an intergovernmental organization, a non-governmental organization or a multinational corporation. This program is particularly suited for individuals seeking careers or advancement among the Vienna-based International Organizations (IAEA, UNOV, UNIDO, CTBTO, World Bank among others) and is also recommended for students planning to pursue a doctoral program or an academic career.

Stemming from a multitude of nations, International Relations students examine great powers politics, humanitarian issues, and the dynamics of the international political economy, learning how to employ competing theories, methods, and approaches. Coursework provides exposure to the key subfields of the discipline including International Security, European Integration, EU-Asia Relations, Terrorism and Energy Security and relevant issues such as globalization, human rights, humanitarian action, and economic development.

The Master of Arts in International Relations program prepares students to take on positions of leadership and responsibility in the public and private sectors, to take on roles as advocates as well as analysts, and navigate the sensitivities and complexities of international politics, diplomacy and foreign policy to advance their cause and benefit the public good thereby keenly matching WVPU’s profile and objectives. Graduates of the Master of Arts in International Relations program are fully qualified for the degree they earned and are critical and adaptive thinkers capable of succeeding in a complex, changing and competitive labor market. The program’s strong focus on research, methods, and analysis combined with frequent exposure to real-world cases ensures that its graduates are professionally ready to step in and make a difference and possess the academic background to pursue a terminal degree.

 

Coursework

The Master of Arts in International Relations curriculum is organized into four modules:

  • A Core Competencies Module (3 courses / 22.5 ECTS)
  • Cluster Modules:
    • Cluster 1: International Politics (4 courses / 30 ECTS)
    • Cluster 2: Comparative Politics (2 courses / 15 ECTS)
  • Electives (1 course, 7.5 ECTS)
  • Thesis (1 course / 15 ECTS)

Full-time students working toward the Master of Arts in International Relations will usually carry a course load of four courses per semester. For each course in the Master of Arts in International Relations program apart from the thesis, students attend 36 hours of courses and conduct approximately another 151.5 hours of self-learning. Students working toward the Master of Arts in International Relations (MA) can complete the program in a minimum of 3 semesters.

Module 1: Core Competencies (22.5 ECTS)

  • INTL 5000 Introduction to International Relations (7.5 ECTS)
  • INTL 5100 Research Methods and Perspectives .(7.5 ECTS)
  • INTL 5900 Advanced Research Methods (7.5 ECTS)

Module 2: Clusters (45 ECTS)

Students must select 4 courses from the International Politics Cluster and 2 from the Comparative Politics Cluster. The courses presented below are examples of classes offered in this module. New courses may be added to the course catalogue with varying topics. s

Cluster 1: International Politics (30 ECTS). Select 4 of the following:

  • INTL 5510 Theories of International Relations (7.5 ECTS)
  • INTL 5530 International Law (7.5 ECTS)
  • INTL 5400 International Political Economy (7.5 ECTS)
  • INTL 5540 International Organizations (7.5 ECTS)
  • INTL 5550 War and Diplomacy (7.5 ECTS)
  • INTL 5590 International Security (7.5 ECTS)
  • INTL 5560 US Foreign Policy (7.5 ECTS)
  • INTL 5860 Issues in International Politics: Energy and Environmental Security (7.5 ECTS)
  • INTL 5860 Issues in International Politics: Monetary Relations (7.5 ECTS)
  • INTL 5860 Issues in International Politics: The Emerging Field of Geoeconomics (7.5 ECTS)
  • INTL 5870 International Law and Politics of Outer Space (7.5 ECTS)
  • INTL 5890 Terrorism in World Politics (7.5 ECTS)

Cluster 2: Comparative Politics (15 ECTS). Select 2 of the following:

  • INTL 5050 Comparative Politics (7.5 ECTS)
  • INTL 5580 Politics of Development (7.5 ECTS)
  • INTL 5625 Middle East Area Studies (7.5 ECTS)
  • INTL 5605 Topics in Comparative Politics: EU Foreign Policy (7.5 ECTS)
  • INTL 5605 Topics in Comparative Politics: The European Union and Asia Pacific
  • INTL 5605 Topics in Comparative Politics: The State and the Arts in the EU and the US
  • INTL 5635 Western European Area Studies (7.5 ECTS)
  • INTL 5645 Asian Area Studies (7.5 ECTS)

Module 3: Electives (7.5 ECTS)

Students must earn a minimum of 7.5 ECTS from any of the courses below or any additional courses from the Cluster module. The courses listed below are serve as an example; actual courses offered may vary.

  • INGO 5000 Non-Governmental Organizations (7.5 ECTS)
  • INTL 5500 Professional Seminars (1-7.5 ECTS)
  • INTL 5610 Non-Thesis Readings/Research (7.5 ECTS)
  • INTL 5300 Field Work (1-7.5 ECTS)
  • INTL 6500 Internship (1-7.5 ECTS)

Module 4: Thesis (15 ECTS)

  • INTL 6250 Master Thesis

Please see WVPU’S Thesis Guidelines (PDF opens in new tab) for more information on the Thesis requirements, as well as the International Relations’ Department Graduate Thesis Guidelines on Connections (for current students).

For a detailed description and a roadmap of the program, please see the Study Plan and Regulations (PDF opens in new tab).

Full course descriptions, individual learning outcomes, details about ECTS, weekly study schedules, and assessment criteria are available in each course syllabus, available via Courses@WVPU.

Faculty — International Relations

Active in 2020-2021

Aner Barzilay, PhD

Topics in Modern European History
anerbarzilay@webster.edu

Dr. Elina Brutschin

Methods of Political Inquiry
Advanced Research Methods
elinabrutschin60@webster.edu

Dr. J. Werner Druml

International Affairs
johannesdruml66@webster.edu

Univ.-Ass. Mag. Dr. Marcel Fink

Comparative Politics
marcelfink07@webster.edu

Dr. Eric Frey

International Political Economy
efrey@webster.edu

Mag. Gerlad Garber

Introduction to Political Argumentation and Debate
geraldgarber07@webster.edu

Dr. Sandra Goldstein

Middle East Area Studies

MMag. Dr. iur. Ralph Janik, LL.M.

International Law
ralphjanik18@webster.edu

Dr. Monika Mokre

Politics of Development
Refugee and Migration Movements
monikamokre25@webster.edu

Prof. Iver B. Neumann, PhD

Globalization
War and Diplomacy

Mag. Dr Dieter Reinisch MRes

The Age of Total War: Europe 1890-1945
Contemporary Europe: 1945-Present
dieterreinisch07@webster.edu

Dr. Astrid Reisinger Coracini

International Law

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