This programme aims to deepen graduates understanding of contemporary European politics, history and society. As an interdisciplinary programme, it draws on the expertise of five highly ranked departments at King's and a vibrant research community, designated as a Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence.
KEY BENEFITS
- As an interdisciplinary programme, this MA enables students to study contemporary Europe from a variety of perspectives.
- European & International Studies staff are ranked in departments that are amongst the top four in the country according to the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise.
- Vibrant research community, designated as a Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence in European Law and Governance.
KEY FACTS
Student destinations
Doctoral research at King's or other prestigious universities; employment in government, European Union institutions, international organisations, business, and the media.
Programme leader/s
Dr Leila Simona Talani and Dr Gonzalo Pozo-Martin
Awarding Institution
King's College London
Credit value (UK/ECTS equivalent)
UK 180/ECTS 90
Duration
One year FT, September to September.
Location
Strand Campus; French/German Pathways study in Paris or Berlin in the second semester.
Year of entry 2013
Offered by
School of Arts and Humanities
Department of European & International Studies
Closing date
31 July 2013 - this deadline may be subject to change, depending on application volume. We therefore advise early application where possible.
Please note that applicants wishing to apply for funding (e.g. AHRC) must submit their application by the relevant funding deadline, which is usually early in the year. Please see
http://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/pg/funding/sources/index.aspx for information on the available funding opportunities and deadlines.
35 FT approximately.
Fees
FT Home: £8750 (2013)
FT Overseas: £16500 (2013)
CONTACTS
Contact information
Postgraduate Officer, Centre for Arts & Sciences Admissions (CASA)
tel: +44 (0) 20 7848 2765 / 2232 / 7232
fax: +44 (0) 20 7848 7200
Email
Website
PURPOSE
The programme is ideally suited to anyone with a degree in European Studies, politics, international relations or international political economy. We also welcome recent graduates from other disciplines in the humanities, the social sciences and law, as well as those from a professional background.
DESCRIPTION
MA European Studies attracts a mix of highly capable students from around the world who value the academic, social, economic and cultural appeal of one of Europe’s most dynamic cities. The MA is taught by research-active staff with a passion for knowledge and critical thought. In addition to its core staff from the Department of European & International Studies, it is able to draw upon the expertise of academics from several leading departments, such as War Studies, Geography, the Dickson Poon School of Law and History. European & International Studies staff were ranked in departments that are amongst the top four in the country according to the 2008 UK Research Assessment Exercise. In 2009 we were designated by the EU as a Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence and the department currently holds a Jean Monnet Chair in European Political Economy.
The programme offers an in-depth analysis of major scholarly debates in history, politics, political thought, political economy and international relations, both within and beyond the European Union. Students will study a range of approaches on one of the two core modules (European Identities and the EU; or European Union: History, Institutions, Politics) and then choose from a wide range of specialist modules covering specific regions or issues relating to contemporary Europe (such as EU foreign policy, immigration, economic governance, law, political economy, lobbying and policy making, nationalism and the EU, Russia, the EU and Asia). MA European Studies provides students with substantial opportunities to deepen their expertise by choosing particular modules. Students can simply choose the modules they are interested in or choose to specialise in four distinct areas.
Students opting for the General Pathway study throughout the year at King's; those opting for either the French or German Pathways will spend their second semester at either the Institut d'Etudes Politiques (Sciences Po) in Paris or the Humboldt Universitat in Berlin.
STRUCTURE OVERVIEW
Core programme content
Indicative non-core content
Compulsory
- European Identities and the EU
- European Union: History, Institutions, Politics.
Optional
Students can simply choose the modules they are interested in or choose to specialise in four distinct areas. We have suggested some groupings below, but please note that there are no requirements to choose only from within a grouping. All modules listed below are indicative and may not be taught each year.
European Political Economy
- The EU and Asia: Economics, Politics and Security
- Lobbying and Policy-making in the EU
- Political Economy of the Welfare State
- Political Economy of Europe: Political Science Perspectives
- The Political Economy of Britain in the European Union
- The Political Economy of the Financial Crisis.
European Foreign Affairs
- Foreign Policies of the EU
- European Union: History, Institutions, Politics
- The EU and Asia: Economics, Politics and Security
- Russia and the EU
- EU External Relations Law
- European Security.
European Politics and Governance
- European Politics, Strategy and Simulation Gaming
- Political Parties in Europe
- Lobbying and Policy-making in the EU
- EU Administrative Law
- European Internal Law
- Constitutional Law of the EU.
European Culture and Identities
- The Aurora of our Times: Modern Nationalism in Europe
- European Identities and the EU
- Social Change in Global Cities
- Conceptualising Cities
- Contemporary Borders and Boundaries of Europe.
FORMAT AND ASSESSMENT
120 credits from taught modules assessed by essay; 60 credits from individual dissertation supervised by staff member.
MODULES
More information on typical programme modules.
NB it cannot be guaranteed that all modules are offered in any particular academic year.
Module code: 7AAYM115
Credit level: 7
Credit value: 20 credits
Teaching pattern: One two-hour seminar per week
Assessment:
coursework
One 4,000 word essay (100%) and one optional 4,000 word unassessed essay
This course focuses on the question of ‘identity’ in history and the social sciences, and it asks how these identities might be related to the symbols, founding myths, and institutions of the European Union. In encouraging an interdisciplinary approach to the subject, this course will also cover the main methodological groundwork needed for the MA in European Studies. We will discuss issues related to essay writing, and we will explore methodological issues related to postgraduate research.
The full 2011-12 module description is available on the Department of European & International Studies website.
Module code: 7AAYM202
Credit level: 7
Credit value: 20 credits
Teaching pattern: One-hour lecture and one-hour seminar per week
Assessment:
coursework
Oral presentation (15%) and one 4,000 word essay (85%)
This course provides a comprehensive exploration of the history, institutions and politics of European integration since 1945. It begins by evaluating competing theories of integration that help us to explain the historical development of the EU. It then analyses the institutional framework established for managing this process and how and why it has evolved over time. The course ends by investigating the nature, development and rationale behind key EU policies – including economic and monetary union, foreign and defence policy, and justice and home affairs – as well as briefly considering the wider democratic implications of ever closer union.
The full 2011-12 module description is available on the Department of European & International Studies
website.
Module code: 7AAYM300
Credit level: 7
Module code: 7SSG5061
Credit level: 7
Credit value: 20
Semester:
Semester 1 (autumn)
This module explores the development of ideas around the form and function of cities, from modern to post-modern, through perspectives ranging from the social-scientific to the marxist and cultural, and opens up a number of emerging strands of theorisation around what it means to experience the contemporary urban environment, and to exercise the right to the city.
Module code: 7AASM032
Credit level: 7
Credit value: 20 credits
Semester:
Semester 2 (spring)
Teaching pattern: One two-hour seminar per week
Assessment:
coursework
One 4,000 word essay; one 2,000 word practice essay
This module will explore literary responses (in English translation) by Italian and Spanish writers to conflict and division in their respective societies, from the early 20th Century to the present. Common to the history of both is the experience and legacy of dictatorship and a community driven by highly polarized political ideologies and discourses. Although the markedly different trajectories of Italian Fascism and Francoism mean that over the course of the 20th Century writers in Italy and Spain come to engage with divergent political and social realities, social crisis, division and dysfunction continue to provide points of connection.
http://www.kcl.ac.uk/artshums/depts/splas/modules/level7/7aasm032.aspx
Module code: 7AAYM120
Credit level: 7
Economic integration remains at the core of what the EU is and why it exists. Today it constitutes the largest and most integrated single market in the world. But how is it governed? The module sets out to explore the development, structures and policies that characterise economic integration – in particular, the single market, monetary union, economic and fiscal coordination, employment and social policy, and cohesion policy. Drawing on theories of European integration, political economy and comparative politics, it analyses the distinctive ‘modes’ of governance that the EU employs in these different policy fields – from ‘hard’ supranational policy making through to ‘soft’ informal coordination and learning. The course concludes by addressing two fundamental issues. Firstly, what are the democratic implications of economic union without political union, and is this sustainable or desirable? Secondly, what has been the impact of the global financial crisis on economic governance, and how can the EU respond to it? The module therefore seeks to provide a clearer understanding of how and why the EU shapes our lives to a greater extent than ever before.
Teaching staff: Professor Alexander Türk
Module code: 7FFLA015
Credit level: 7
Credit value: 40
Semester:
Full-year
Teaching pattern: Two-hour seminar.
Indicative/suggested reading: H. Hofmann, A. Türk,
The Development of Integrated Administration in the EU and its Consequences, 2007 13(2) European Law Journal 253-271.
Assessment:
written examination/s
Three-hour exam.
Module description
EU administrative law has always been an integral part of the law of the European Union, but has only recently attracted greater attention by academics. Its significance is not only demonstrated by the large number of acts which are adopted every year in this area at European level (some 3,000), but also by the content of those acts (risk regulation through the approval of the release of genetically modified organisms and approval of medicinal products, market regulation through antitrust decisions imposing considerable fines on undertakings, etc). EU administrative law also involves a wide variety of actors (European Commission, national administrations, EU agencies, networks, private bodies) and forms (traditional legal instruments, but also a wide range of ‘soft’ law).
The aim of this module is to introduce you to the principles of administrative law and policy of the European Union. The module discusses the foundations of EU administrative law, its constitutional framework, its modes of delivery (comitology, agencies, open method of co-ordination, social partner agreements), its procedures (centralised and decentralised), the general principles of law which it has to observe (legal certainty and legitimate expectations, equality, proportionality, the precautionary principle, transparency), and the supervision of EU administrative action (political supervision and judicial review).
Teaching staff: Professor Alan Dashwood
Module code: 7FFLA507
Credit level: 7
Credit value: 20
Semester:
Semester 2 (spring)
Teaching pattern: Two-hour seminar.
Assessment:
written examination/s
Two-hour exam.
Module descriptionThe EU’s external policies are ever more sophisticated and wide-ranging, and the EU is a very active international actor. This module concentrates on studying the legal foundations of the EU’s external action. It looks at the scope and nature of the EU’s external competences, in particular treaty-making powers and the relationship between international and EU law. It also focuses on a couple of case-studies of major EU external policies, namely the EU’s common commercial policy and its common foreign and security policy. Those case-studies will exemplify the interaction between the many facets that shape the EU’s external relations. The module aims to give you a thorough grounding in what is a very dynamic subject.
Teaching staff: Professor Andrea Biondi
Module code: 7FFLA018
Credit level: 7
Credit value: 40
Semester:
Full-year
Teaching pattern: Weekly two-hour seminar.
Indicative/suggested reading: Barnard,
The Substantive Law of the EU, OUP, 2010.
Assessment:
written examination/s
Three-hour exam.
Module descriptionThe concept of a common market involves the elimination of all obstacles to intra-community trade in order to merge the national markets into a single market bringing about conditions as close as possible to those of a genuine internal market’ (Schul, 1982). The module, by focusing on the development and application of the principle of free movement, assesses whether those objectives have been fully achieved. The structure is firmly grounded on the four fundamental freedoms: goods, persons, services and capital. Each of the freedoms is thoroughly analysed with reference to the case law of the European Court of Justice and to relevant legislation. ‘Exemplary’ areas such as financial services, food law or the regulation of monopolies are also included. Particular attention is devoted to the debate on whether the same criteria and principles may be applied to the whole of the internal market and to the degree of convergence of the economic freedoms in EU law.
Module code: 7SSWM145
Credit level: 7
The module aims to introduce a range of analytical approaches to the study of security in Europe today and develop a detailed knowledge and understanding of the main issues and developments since the end of the Cold War. It focuses on the response of states and international organisations to the new security challenges and considers the nature of the emerging security order. It analyses the ways in which NATO, the EU and the OSCE have adapted to the post Cold War and post 9/11 security environment, the relationship between them and their respective roles in providing security. The role of the US in Europe and the debate over the future of the transatlantic security partnership will be critically explored. National perspectives on European security issues are also considered through the comparative study of the defence policies of France, Germany, the UK, Russia and a selection of other European states. The module concludes with a number of case-studies on specific issues and regions in order to bring together both the conceptual and empirical themes of the course.
Aims:
The aims of the module are to:
- Introduce a range of analytical approaches to the study of security in Europe today
- Raise awareness of the academic debate on identities, including the question of 'what is Europe?' Identify the new security challenges and assess the response of European states and international organisations to them
- Critically analyse the ways in which NATO, the EU and the OSCE have adapted to the new security environment and explore the issues concerning the evolving relationship between them and their respective roles in providing security
- Engage critically with debates on the future of the transatlantic security relationshipAssess the significance of different national perspectives by studying the security and defence policies of a number of European states, including France, Germany, the UK and Russia
- Synthesise the conceptual and empirical themes of the course through a number of case-studies on specific security issues and regions
- Reflect on the nature of the emerging European security order
Learning Outcomes:
Students who successfully complete this module will be able to:
- Identify and assess the main issues in European security today, both in terms of specific challenges and the policy responses to them
- Critically engage in the debates about the nature and role of identities in Europe, including the contested issue of 'European' identity
- Compare the security needs and policies of individual European states and account for similarities and differences between them
- Understand the rationale for European integration, particularly in the field of security
- Demonstrate a detailed knowledge and understanding of NATO, the EU and the OSCE and the debates concerning their role in European security
- Assess the basis of the transatlantic security relationship and the prospects for the future
- Apply appropriate concepts, theories and vocabulary from the specialist academic literature on European security to their study of the issues raised in the course.
Teaching staff: Professor Christoph Meyer
Module code: 7AAYM116
Credit level: 7
Credit value: 20
Semester:
Semester 2 (spring)
Teaching pattern: 1 x 1hr lecture and 1 x 1hr seminar weekly
Assessment:
coursework; presentation/s;
Briefing paper and presentation (30%); 3,000 word essay (70%)
To what extent has the EU become a unitary actor in foreign affairs with the ability to project a common interest across a range of policy areas? What influence do member states have on common policies and actions as compared to EU institutions? And how does the EU reconcile conflicts between economic, humanitarian and security goals? These are three of the central questions to be tackled by this module. It will provide you with a sound understanding of the legal basis, complexity, range and impact of the EU's foreign policy(ies) in a more globalised world. It will also help you distinguish and competently apply a range of theoretical approaches used to conceptualise the EU as a foreign actor and to analyse its decision-making dynamics. The module aims to advance students understanding of the EU's strengths and weaknesses as it related to other major states, international organisations and other non-governmental actors.
http://www.kcl.ac.uk/artshums/depts/europeanstudies/modules/level7/7aaym116.aspx
Module code: 7AAYM114
Credit level: 7
Credit value: 20 credits
Teaching pattern: One two-hour class per week
Assessment:
coursework
One 4,000 word essay
International Political Economy (IPE) has come to the fore over the past few decades as it in order to address the complex shifts in power that have developed thanks to the processes normally described as globalization. The aim of the course will be to provide students with a good intellectual grounding in International Political Economy as a discipline, particularly in respect of the nature and implications of global economic change - hence the title of the module.
The full 2010-11 module description is available on the Department of European & International Studies
website.
Module code: 7SSWM165
Credit level: 7
Human Rights and Migration adopts a socio-legal approach to questions relating migration and human rights. In doing do, it stresses the significance of political context in the construction of legal frameworks dealing with the politically charged question of the movement of peoples across national boundaries and examines these in relation to the agencies and institutions of the European Union. Each session considers the theoretical issue relating to human rights and migration, how the question is dealt with in international treaties, and what the implications are for migrants.
Aims:
The aims of the module are:
- To promote in students an advanced understanding of the relationship between human rights law and the movement of people across national boundaries. The focus throughout will be on the interrelationships both supportive and conflictual between the domestic law within states dealing with migration, EU law and International Law.
- Unpack the international legal framework in relation to contemporary ethical ideas about individual identity, belonging and citizenship. This will involve students moving beyond "black letter" law to a study of the ethical values which underpin it.
- Set out the legal framework governing the refugees and asylum seekers within the European Union as they were originally set up and the transformations which have been taking place in the post Cold War and in the globalizing environment.
- Expose students to cutting edge analyses which examine the political forces influencing the legal changes mentioned in point 3 above
- Explore the ways in which forced migration is being dealt with in national and international law.Make explicit the opportunities which exist in domestic, EU and International law for migrants to seek remedies which will protect their fundamental human rights in the face of hostile political forces. In doing this detailed consideration will be given to recent developments in the case law pertaining to these matters.
- Study the links between human rights law, family law and migration.
- Explore the economic outcomes of migration and how it has affected human rights law.
Learning Outcomes:
Students who successfully complete this module will be able to:
- Relate concepts of human rights to the movement of peoples across national boundaries as these have been defined in and controlled by law.
- Specify the complex legal framework within which our modern ideas of identity, belonging, and citizenship are located.
- Understand the legal framework relating to refugees and asylum seekers within the European Union and the transformations taking place therein. In doing this students will be able to demonstrate an ability to find their way around a complicated knowledge base which includes law reports, constitutions, legal text books, works in the field of international relations and also reports in the quality press.
- Appreciate the political context surrounding the complex relationship between human rights and migration policies within the European context.
- Engage with some of the thorny ethical issues which are raised by the legal and political disputes surrounding the problems of migration.
- Understand and analyse the issue of forced migration and the protection of refugees under international human rights law.
- Understand the question of rights and how this relates to family life across national boundaries.Assess the impact of economic migration on human rights law
- Demonstrate skill in articulating the complex interrelationships between law, politics and ethics as they pertain to issues to do with migration across national borders. These skills are likely to prove useful to students in their subsequent careers and as citizens.
Module code: 7AAYM207
Credit level: 7
Credit value: 40 credits
Teaching pattern: One two-hour seminar per week over both semesters
Assessment:
coursework
Two 4,000 word essays
The full 2011-12 module description is available on the Department of European & International Studies
website.
Module code: 7SSWM107
Credit level: 7
Aims:
The aims of the module are:
- To promote multidisciplinary understanding of concepts, issues and debates regarding nationalism and security
- To encourage understanding of the interaction between statehood and population groups
- To appreciate the relationship between national political discourse and the peace-conflict axis
- To foster conscious critical reading and discussion of issues of ethnicity, identity, statehood, self-determination and self-protection
- To complement core course work on the social dimension of war, international order nexus of international peace and security
Learning Outcomes:
Students who successfully complete this module will have :
- Familiarity with key concepts of nationalism and security
- Understanding of the variety of relationships within and between states and social groups
- Understanding of the relationship of nationalism to various aspects of security
- Command of key concepts such as state, nation, nationalism, ethnicity, self-determination and security.
- Examined the relationship of nationalism to violence, inter-communal strife, and the instruments of state policy.
- Understanding of nationalism as both a challenge and a support of international order in the contemporary world.
- Examined literature on different approaches to nationalism in history and the social sciences
- Knowledge and understanding of nationalism and security in relation to specific empirical cases
- Explored the problems and possible solutions to contemporary issues of nationalism and security
Module code: 7SSAM121
Credit level: 7
This module, taught jointly with Public Policy, aims to equip students with an understanding of the underlying issues in research methods and provide them with sufficient familiarity with specific techniques to enable choices to be made as to appropriate research strategies. It is organised to encourage students from a variety of backgrounds to grasp the relevance and utility of research for political, social and public policy decision-making and to provide a basic training to a level appropriate to MA dissertation research. Among the topics covered are the philosophy of social science, interviewing, participant observation, documentary and archival research, analysing qualitative data, survey methods, and an introduction to data analysis.
Teaching staff: Dr Nagore Calvo
Module code: 7AAYM103
Credit level: 7
Credit value: 20 credits
Semester:
Semester 1 (autumn)
Teaching pattern: One two-hour seminar per week
Assessment:
coursework
One unassessed presentation and one 4000 word essay
In this module we will focus on key themes surrounding debates on nation and state building in Europe. Through diverse theoretical and methodological approaches, this course will address different processes of nation and state formation drawing on debates on nationalism and language, history, myth, identity etc. The module then will address distinctions between different processes of nation and state formation in small and large states, former Empires, and post-socialist Eastern European countries. The module will provide students with the opportunity to contribute to these debates by presenting their own conclusions about processes and conditions of nation and state building in Europe.
http://www.kcl.ac.uk/artshums/depts/europeanstudies/modules/level7/7aaym103.aspx
Teaching staff: Dr Ramon Pacheco-Pardo
Module code: 7AAYM209
Credit level: 7
Credit value: 20 credits
Semester:
Semester 2 (spring)
Teaching pattern: One two-hour seminar per week
Assessment:
coursework; oral examination/s; presentation/s;
One oral presentation (15%); 4,000 word essay (85%)
The relationship between the EU and Asia is one of the key drivers of developments in the international system. Whereas in the past relations between these two regions were driven by economics, today political and security calculations are equally central to understand the dynamics of their interactions. This module addresses the relationship between the EU and Asia by looking at their relations at the regional level, as well as by analysing bilateral relations between the EU and key Asian countries. Particular attention will be given to how developments in the international system affect EU-Asia interactions and to how these interactions impact international relations. Special emphasis will also be put on the role of the USA in shaping the EU’s and Asian countries’ respective policies towards each other.
http://www.kcl.ac.uk/artshums/depts/europeanstudies/modules/level7/7aaym209.aspx
Module code: 7SSWM119
Credit level: 7
This course examines, compares and contrasts the representation of war in two types of discourse other than the historical and human science idioms which are mainstream in War Studies and considers what 'philosophy' and 'literature' have in common, and how they may be fruitfully contrasted, in their treatment of military affairs. The course will explore the strengths and limitations of elucidating general questions about types of discourse through the close reading of particular 'great' texts. This will include assessing the pairing of Homer's Iliad with Plato's Republic, and two other suitably paired texts, such as a Shakespeare play with Hobbes's 'Leviathan' and Tolstoi's 'War and Peace' with Nietzsche's 'Genealogy of Morals' as models for any philosophical-literary study of war.
ACADEMIC ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
General entry advice
Minimum 2:1 undergraduate honours degree (or overseas equivalent), in a subject relevant to the intended area of study (mainly European studies, politics, international relations, history, social sciences, law and modern languages). Students wishing to follow a country-based path must be fluent in either French or German and must provide evidence that they have degree-level (or equivalent) French or German.
APPLYING TO KING'S
To apply for graduate study at King's you will need to complete our graduate online application form. Applying online makes applying easier and quicker for you, and means we can receive your application faster and more securely.
King's does not normally accept paper copies of the graduate application form as applications must be made online. However, if you are unable to access the online graduate application form, please contact the relevant admissions/School Office at King's for advice.
APPLICATION PROCEDURE
Students may be invited to attend an interview, either in person or by phone if overseas. We aim to process all complete applications within four to six weeks, although this may take longer during busy periods.
PERSONAL STATEMENT & SUPPORTING INFORMATION
In their personal statement, applicants should specify their chosen pathway option, outline a likely dissertation topic, and try to provide a breakdown of the courses/modules studied at undergraduate level. Applicants should also explain fully their motivation for applying to the MA in European Studies here at King's, and how they believe it will contribute to their own intellectual and professional development.
FUNDING
AHRC; Graduate School and School of Arts & Humanities studentships and bursaries, self-funded.
Student profiles
European Studies MAWhy King’s? My friend who was studying Law in London few years ago recommended King’s to me, especially in terms of the area of study which I was interested in. King’s is not only a university on which you can find information by visiting
www.studylondon.ac.uk, it is also a part of the common conversation between students who are sharing their own experience. I have chosen to study MA European studies having in mind that the main subject which has been analyzed is Europe, within European Union’s boundaries and across them, its identity, history, main challenges that it faces, Europe as an important international actor and in the same time space with integration and disintegration processes within it.
I am happy to have the opportunity to exchange views and opinions on the main topics of the contemporary Europe with students coming from all parts of it. Going beyond my course and university I am currently enrolled in, this scholarship brought me to London, to the city where I wake up and go to the O2 arena to watch ATP World Tour Finals, enjoy in some of the exhibitions in the one of the major arts and cultural centres – Somerset House - or attending a lecture at LSE on the main challenges my region is facing on its way to become part of the EU. Finally, who has the time to notice the weather?
Staff profiles
European Studies MA
The MA in European Studies attracts people with both academic and professional aspirations, who want to deepen their understanding of Modern Europe, not just of the EU. At the same time, we offer opportunities to develop particular policy expertise, for instance, there are a number of options on European external relations, foreign and security policy.