Arqus Joint Master's Programme in European Studies Leipzig University

ARQUS European University Alliance
University of Granada
University of Graz
Vilnius University

The programme can be studied entirely in English. Elective courses are offered also in German, Spanish and Lithuanian.

The Joint Master’s Programme of the Arqus European University Alliance was established to provide a multidisciplinary understanding of Europe’s role in the world. It provides an assessment of the relationship between Europeanisation and globalisation, the impact of global developments on Europe, and the changing role of the continent in the new world order. The jointly developed programme brings together the University of Granada, University of Graz, Leipzig University and Vilnius University.

The Arqus Joint Master’s Programme aims to advance a multidisciplinary understanding of Europe’s role in the world by drawing on a range of approaches in the humanities and social sciences. The programme considers European people, governments, and companies as well as civil society as global actors. Through research-based analysis, students will be able to make independent contributions to analysing and shaping future-oriented projects and the related scientific and political debates. The Arqus Alliance, as one of the first-generation European university alliances, is the appropriate home for such a programme since its member universities come from the Eastern, Southern, Western, and Northern as well as Central European regions and have foci in their research-based teaching that perfectly complement each other. For this joint programme, the Arqus European University Alliance brings together long-standing comprehensive research universities that share extensive experience in joint projects and a common profile as internationalised institutions. They all have developed a form of European Studies over the past years, and they now bring this extensive experience into the new framework of a joint degree programme. The study programme is a jointly offered programme between the four participating universities of Granada, Graz, Leipzig, and Vilnius.

Semester dates depend on the mobility track.
The winter semester starts in September/October each year.
Joint online courses for students are offered across the consortium of partner universities.

All applicants: 15 April for the following winter semester

The programme is divided into modules of 10 ECTS each. Within each module, there are two related courses. There are two types of modules. On the one hand, there are modules that are offered jointly by the consortium, which strengthen the virtual mobility between the individual study places, i.e. the different universities of the consortium. Students come together for joint classes, and lecturers from all participating universities teach on topics they are particularly qualified for. As a rule, these modules consist of one jointly offered online course and one offline course. The offline course is taught by local lecturers, but it is thematically and methodologically related to the online course, deepening the learning objectives using local specialised knowledge. On the other hand, there are modules that are the responsibility of the individual study places, providing an incentive to the students to follow the physical mobility track by emphasising – within a common thematic framework for these modules – the particular subject-related strengths of the individual study places and by allowing students to prepare for their theses in a specialised manner.

Courses:

Module 1: An Introduction to European Studies: Traditions and Future Challenges to Knowledge Production about Europe (hybrid, responsibility: Leipzig)

Module 2: Europeanisation under the Global Condition: History, Economics, and Politics (hybrid, responsibility: Graz)

Module 3: Europe and Law (hybrid, responsibility: Granada)

Module 4: European Foreign Policies (hybrid, responsibility: Vilnius)

Module 5: Regions in Europe – Between East and West (local courses)

Module 6: Social Transformations in Europe (local courses)

Module 7: Europe and Development (hybrid, responsibility: Vilnius)

Module 8: Global Challenges and European Answers (local courses)

Module 9: Cultural Representation in Current European Societies (local courses)

Module 10: Elective (local)

Module 11: Europe as a global actor (joint online course) 

Module 12: Master’s Thesis

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Students are highly encouraged to spend at least one semester at a partner university.

In the third semester, or optionally during the fourth semester, there is the possibility of completing an internship outside the universities or a research internship in one of the participating universities in order to establish a relationship between the topic of choice for the Master’s thesis and the world of possible later work opportunities. The programme encourages students to benefit from the chance to discover the practical part of research during an internship.

No tuition fees

Depends on mobility track (e.g. Leipzig: approx. 270 EUR per semester)

Required application documents (in English)

• Competed application form
• Bachelor's degree certificate or equivalent (and an English translation of the certificate)
• Transcript of records
• Previous academic performance (GPA or average mark)
• Proof of prior (academic or professional) experience (CV)
• Motivation letter
• Copy of passport
• Proof of English proficiency
• Additional information (recommendation letters, additional diploma, etc.)

Selection criteria:

• thematic and methodological fit as well as examination results of previous studies – 40%
• motivation as expressed in the application – 15%
• performance and linguistic competencies corresponding to a minimum of B2, C1 being an asset, according to the Common European Framework of References for Languages (CEFR) during the interview – 30%
• extracurricular activities the applicant has already participated in and additional language competencies – 15%

English language skills at a minimum of B2 according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages:

• Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL international): minimum score of 550 paper-based (or 213 computer-based or 80 Internet-based)
• International English Language Testing System (IELTS): minimum score of 6.5 (with no section less than 6.0)
• Cambridge C2 Proficiency (CPE): grades A, B, C
• Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE): grades A, B

Computer with video conferencing equipment (microphone, camera)
Platforms: Moodle
Programmes: Zoom and more

All applicants: 15 April for the following winter semester

No

Accommodation in student dorms is available.