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European Studies MA

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Our European Studies MA course will give you a detailed understanding of contemporary European politics, history, economy and society. It draws on the expertise of five highly ranked departments. You may also take either a French or German pathway, which offer you the opportunity to complete a master’s degree within a year while studying modules abroad.


Key benefits
  • Thanks to our interdisciplinary approach, this MA will enable you to study contemporary Europe from a variety of perspectives.
  • European & International Studies staff contributed in a major way to King’s College being ranked first for research power in the field of Politics & International Relations in the 2014 Research Excellence Framework.
  • A vibrant research community, with internationally reowned academics who regularly publish in major journals in the fields of European politics and political economy, European foreign policy and European society. 
  • If you are on the French or German pathways, this MA offers you the chance to spend your second semester in two of the most prestigious institutions in continental Europe, respectively the Institut d’Etudes Politiques (Sciences Po) in Paris and the Humboldt-Universität in Berlin.

Key information

Application status Open

Duration One year FT / Two years PT, September to September.

Study mode Full-time, Part-time

Credit value UK 180/ECTS 90

Course intake 20 FT

Course leaders Professor Leila Simona Talani

Further details

Course contact for further information

Postgraduate Admissions Team, Admissions Office

tel: +44 (0) 20 7848 7000

fax: +44 (0) 20 7848 7200

Course contact form Postgraduate admissions

Awarding institution King's College London

Faculty Faculty of Social Science & Public Policy

Department Department of European & International Studies

Locations

 

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European Studies MA

In the heart of London

Discover more about our European Studies MA at King's with Professor Simona Talani.

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Course detail

Description

Through this course, we offer you an in-depth analysis of major scholarly debates in history, politics, political thought, political economy and international relations of Europe, both within and beyond the European Union. You will study a range of approaches to the topic on one of the two required modules 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.

If you choose the General Pathway, you will spend your whole time with us. If you choose either the French or German Pathway, you will spend your second semester at either the Institut d’Etudes Politiques (Sciences Po) in Paris or the
Humboldt Universität in Berlin. Both institutions provide a wide range of modules allowing you to further deepen your knowledge of both European and host country institutions, politics and policies.

The course is ideally suited for 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.

Course 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.

Further literature

https://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/apply/enquiry-form.aspx

Course format and assessment

Teaching

You will have regular contact with our staff, who are world-leading experts in their fields, through lectures, seminars and supervision.

You will have six hours per week of teaching per 10-week term, as well as 34 hours of self-study per week.

If you are studying the part-time course, you will typically have two to four hours per week of lectures, seminars and feedback.

Typically, one credit equates to 10 hours of work.

Assessment

You are assessed through a combination of coursework and examinations. The majority of European and International Studies modules are assessed by coursework rather than a final unseen written examiniation although optional modules may differ. The dissertation module is assessed by a 10,000 word essay.

Structure

Year 1

Courses are divided into modules, and students on this course take modules totalling 180 credits.

If you are studying the part-time course you are required to take 60 credits in Year 1 and 120 credits in Year 2.

You will select from three pathways:

  • General Pathway – you will study throughout the year at King’s.
  • French Pathway – you will spend the second semester at the Institut d’Etudes Politiques (Sciences Po) in Paris.
  • German Pathway – you will spend the second semester at the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin.
Required Modules

You will select from three pathways:

  • General Pathway – you will study throughout the year at King’s.
  • French Pathway – you will spend the second semester at the Institut d’Etudes Politiques (Sciences Po) in Paris.
  • German Pathway – you will spend the second semester at the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin

You are required to take one of the following modules:

or

You are also required to take:

If you are on the part-time course, you are required to take one of the 20 credit modules listed above during Year 1 and the 60 credit Dissertation module in Year 2.

Optional Modules

In addition, you are required to take 100 credits from a range of optional modules from your selected pathway.

  • General Pathway: you are required to take 100 credits of optional modules at King’s.
  • French Pathway: you are required to take 40 credits of optional modules at King’s and the equivalent of 60 credits at Sciences Po that focus on Modern European politics, history and international relations.
  • German Pathway: you are required to take 40 credits of optional modules at King’s and the equivalent of 60 credits at Humboldt University that focus on Modern European politics, history and international relations.

If you are taking the part-time course, you are required to take 40 credits of optional modules during Year 1 and 60 credits of optional modules during Year 2.

The range of optional modules may typically include:

Entry requirements & how to apply

European Studies MA Entry Requirements
Minimum requirements 2:1

Bachelor's degree with 2:1 honours in a relevant subject such as (but not limited to): European studies, politics, international relations, history, social sciences, law and modern languages.

In order to meet the academic entry requirements for this programme you should have a minimum 2:1 undergraduate degree with a final mark of at least 60% or above in the UK marking scheme. If you are still studying you should be achieving an average of at least 60% or above in the UK marking scheme. 
International requirements   Visit our admissions webpages to view our International entry requirements.
English Language requirements Band B Visit our admissions webpages to view our English language entry requirements.
Additional Requirements   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.

 

Application procedure

Applications must be made online using King’s online application portal apply.kcl.ac.uk and a non-refundable application fee of £60 applies.

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.

You will be asked to submit the following documents in order for your application to be considered:

Personal Statement  Yes A personal statement of up to 4,000 characters (maximum 2 pages) is required
Previous Academic Study Yes A copy (or copies) of your official academic transcript(s), showing the subjects studied and marks obtained. If you have already completed your degree, copies of your official degree certificate will also be required. Applicants with academic documents issued in a language other than English, will need to submit both the original and official translation of their documents.
References Yes Two references are required with at least one academic. Professional references will be accepted if you have completed your qualifications over five years ago.
 Other Optional Applicants may wish to include a CV (Resume) or evidence of professional registration as part of their application

 

Personal statement and 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.

Application closing date

We recommend that you submit your application as soon as possible.  Our first application deadline is the 29 March 2019.  Applications will remain open if places are available and programmes will be closed as soon as they are full. 

Help and support

If you don't have a suitable qualification for direct entry to a UK university, or if English isn't your first language, our academic preparation courses can help you get ready for study in the UK.

Preparation courses

Fees and funding

  • Full time Home/EU fees: £9,990 per year (2019/20)
  • Full time overseas fees: £21,300 per year (2019/20)
  • Part time Home/EU fees: £4,995 per year (2019/20)
  • Part time overseas fees: £10,650 per year (2019/20)

Students starting their programme in 2019/20 who are eligible to pay EU fees will pay the same rate of tuition fees as UK students. This will apply for the duration of their programme, but may be subject to change by the UK Government for subsequent cohorts from 2020/21.

These tuition fees may be subject to additional increases in subsequent years of study, in line with King’s terms and conditions.

Deposit

When you receive an offer for this course you will be required to pay a non-refundable deposit to secure your place. The deposit will be credited towards your total fee payment.

The UK/EU deposit is £500.

The INTERNATIONAL deposit is £2,000. 

  • If you receive an offer on or before 31st March 2019, payment is due by 27th April 2019.
  • If you receive an offer between 1st April 2019 and 30th June 2019, payment is due within one month of receiving the offer.
  • If you receive an offer between 1st July 2019 and 31st July 2019, payment is due within two weeks of receiving the offer.
  • If you receive an offer on or after 1st August 2019, payment is due within one week of receiving the offer.

If you are a current King’s student in receipt of the King's Living Bursary you are not required to pay a deposit to secure your place on the programme. Please note, this will not change the total fees payable for your chosen programme.

Additional costs/expenses

Postgraduate students on the MA European Studies course who choose to study abroad for the second semester at Sciences Po, Paris, or the Humboldt in Berlin do not pay tuition fees to the host university. Instead, they will only be required to pay King's set fee for the Masters. 

You should also budget to pay for the associated subsistence costs, such as travel, visas, accommodation and food as well as any vaccination/immunisations required by the country to which you are travelling. 

In addition to your tuition fees, you can also expect to pay for: 

  • Books if you choose to buy your own copies 
  • Clothing for optional course related events and competitions 
  • Library fees and fines 
  • Personal photocopies 
  • Printing course handouts 
  • Society membership fees 
  • Stationery 
  • Travel costs for travel around London and between campuses 
  • Graduation costs

Please visit our web pages on fees and funding for more information.

Financial help and support

Visit the fees and funding webpages to find out more about bursaries, scholarships, grants, tuition fees, living expenses, student loans and other financial help available at King's.

Career prospects

Students undertaking this course will be ideally placed to work in European institutions, but also in government and international organisations, particularly in departments working on European affairs. In the private sector, our graduates have a strong track record finding employment in business (including but not limited to the City), consultancy and the media. Some of our graduates carry on with their studies undertaking doctoral research at King's or other prestigious universities. 

Career destinations

Doctoral research at King’s or other prestigious universities; employment in government, European Union institutions, international organisations, business and the media.

Testimonials

Emir

Emir

“There are two main reasons why I chose to study at King’s College London. Firstly, it is one of the best UK universities in terms of employment after graduation. Secondly, King’s is located in the heart of London, where all the world-class cultural, social and academic events are organized in the UK.”

Emir Demircan, MA European Studies

Marina

Marina

“My studying at King’s within the Department of European & International studies started as a part of the story which began in December 2011 in Montenegro, where I applied for a Chevening Scholarship, awarded by the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office.”

Marina Micunovic, MA European Studies

Paolo

Paolo

"King’s College London expanded my world, connecting me to other international students and making me feel part of a two-century old academic community. It equipped me with a thorough understanding of European public policy and structured my thinking, which helped me develop the ability to generate accurate, compelling and sound recommendations in my job as a policy adviser. King’s is an experience that stays with you forever, I definitely recommend it."

Paolo – MA in European Studies 

Next steps

Upcoming events

Jul 6 Undergraduate Open Day | Health and Life Sciences | Guy’s Campus | Saturday 6 July
Sep 7 Undergraduate Open Day | Arts and Sciences | Strand Campus | Saturday 7 September

Full list of student events

View our postgraduate guide

Learn more about postgraduate degree programmes at King's. Download or view our guide in PDF format.

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