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European Politics and Society: Vaclav Havel Joint Master Programme (joint degree)

The European Politics and Society (EPS): Vaclav Havel Joint Master Programme is a multidisciplinary two-year Joint Master Degree Programme linking the fields of European politics, contemporary history and culture, economy, international relations and policymaking. The key role of the programme is to identify and analyse challenges Europe faces today (migration, security, populism). The first semester of the EPS Programme is based on Master level introductory courses (in Prague ); the second semester focuses on EU related courses (Krakow, Leiden). In the third and fourth semesters, the programme offers four different study tracks reflecting the diverse expertise of the Consortium members (Prague, Krakow, Barcelona, and Leiden). Each track combines various elective courses, research methods training, an internship and language tuition with an advanced research dissertation supervised by key staff from each Partner University.

The EPS Programme gives its students the possibility to acquire high-profile pluridisciplinary knowledge and skills. The first goal of the EPS Programme is to prepare a new generation of managers, policymakers and research leaders. The excellence of the programme is based on a central focus on the societal, political, economic and cultural processes that have formed contemporary Europe and its role in the international environment. The programme also 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 build a real trans-European community of students, experts and academia that deal with current European challenges.

Year 1

Course EC Semester 1 Semester 2

Semester 1

All students spend their first semester in Prague

Charles University, Prague

Semester 2

For the second semester, the students have two options: Leiden or Krakow

Leiden University

Language Course
Economics of the EU 5
Justice and Home Affairs 5
Thesis and Methods in International Relations Research (EUS) 5

Electives Leiden University

Students can choose electives offered by the following programmes: (semester 2 courses)

Jagiellonian University, Krakow

Year 2

Course EC Semester 1 Semester 2

Year 2

For the second year of the European Politics and Society Joint Master Programme, students may choose among all the universities that constitute the EPS consortium

Charles University, Prague

Jagiellonian University, Krakow

Leiden University

Internship (Leiden University) 15
Master Thesis Writing (Leiden university) 30

Electives Leiden University

Students can choose electives offered by the following programmes: (semester 2 courses)

Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona

More Info

Structure

Programme structure (1st year)

Semester 1

The EPS Programme is a two-year Master Programme divided into four semesters. Like all students you will spend your first semester in Prague. 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 enrol only in compulsory courses. This semester serves as an Introduction to the Master 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 choose the topic of your Master thesis with the assistance of academic coordinators from Charles University.

Semester 2

For the second semester, you will have two options: Leiden or Krakow. This semester is also contains a number of compulsory courses that cover different areas of EU studies. In addition, you can prepare for your own specialization by choosing from a range of facultative courses and language training. At the beginning of the second semester, all students participate in a three-day Barcelona Research Seminar. This event has multiple objectives. All first and second year students meet each other to enable them to share their experience and built an international community. First year students present their MA thesis project plans, while second year students can show the progress they have made. They all receive feedback from other students and academic experts. Apart from this there will be an intensive training in research methods offered.

Programme structure (2nd year)

For the second year of the EPS Programme, students may choose among all 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). Their choice of preferences must already be specified in their application before they enter the programme.

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 ec with an international organization or company. Barcelona has a more scientific specialization and you concentrate on research skills. In the third semester all students will also travel to Brussels, for the Brussels field trip, a 3-day event to meet experts from EU institutions.

Semester 4

Students devote their final semester to the Master thesis. This is why they attend MA thesis seminars both semesters and work closely both with the MA thesis seminar teacher and their academic supervisor. In April, second year students participate in the Oxford Spring School. Thanks to the partnership with Europaeum, the students take part in this unique student event and academic experience..

Course Registration

Students are required to register for courses through uSis.

General information about uSis is available in English and Dutch.

Master thesis and requirements for graduation

to be announced