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International Relations and Political Science – (M.A.)
Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva
International Relations and Political Science
- Master in International Relations and Political Science Programme
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| Application Deadline: | 15 January | ||
| Annual Tuition Fee: | ≈ € 4,035 - | ||
| Location: | Geneva / Switzerland / View location on map ▾ Hide location on map ▴ | ||
| Duration: | 24 months | Start Date: | September |
| Educational Form: | |||
| Education Variants: |
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| Credits (ECTS): | 120 | ||
| Languages: | English French | ||
Location of Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva
The International Relations/Political Science unit offers students the possibility of completing a master’s degree through two programs – a stand alone two-year master’s program, designed for students wishing to develop expertise in international relations; and a newly designed accelerated master’s program, tailored to speedily transition advanced students into doctoral research after three semesters.
The new, fast-tracked master’s program allows students to complete a master’s and PhD degree within five years (10 semesters).
The master’s program prepares students for doctoral studies, research activities, and careers dealing with different aspects of international relations which require strong analytical and research skills, whether in the public or private sector.
Students are equipped with the analytical tools and substantive background to understand a wide range of political topics, both in the present and in various likely futures. Engaging with multiple approaches and methods, students have the opportunity to take courses from a number of subfields, including regional and international relations and politics, comparative politics, political theory, conflict studies and more. Students also receive training in research design and statistics, and other methods courses are optional.
Both masters’ programs are made up of a standard sequence of core courses, as well as several subfield survey courses; in addition, there are numerous electives that can be taken. During the second year of studies, each student writes a master's thesis or, if he/she is enrolled in the accelerated program, transitions into the coursework that prepares him/her for writing a dissertation prospectus for doctoral research.
Teaching takes place in small classes where students are encouraged to foster a sense of inquiry, critique and argument. Students have extensive access to political science faculty, both regular professors in the unit and recurring or one-time visitors. Students writing their master’s thesis meet frequently with faculty members to go over their work. This, as well as the analytical strengths of the curriculum, the proximity to various international governmental and nongovernmental organizations in Geneva, and the broad geographical and cultural range of students in the program, make for a solid and rewarding grounding in the field.
Each year, approximately 18 students are admitted to the master’s program, and we encourage students to use this program as a way-station to doctoral research. Many students benefit from the Graduate Institute’s financial support. Students who might find financial support useful are encouraged to apply.
- Duration in Years:
- Stand alone master’s program: two years
- Accelerated master’s program: 18 months (three semesters)
- Language of instruction: English and French
Contents
Political science as a discipline of international relations has to take the major changes that have affected the international system over the last decade into account. The end of the Soviet Union and the increasing attention being given to trans-national issues such as the environment, human rights, and refugees, the increasing importance of international transactions and globalization raise a major challenge to the theoretical approaches to the study of world politics.
Under these circumstances, the Institute does not attempt to offer courses that track current events and policy fashions closely and immediately, since such topics change relatively rapidly. The aim instead is to provide students with the analytical tools and empirical background to understand a wide range of topics. More specifically, the goal is that anyone obtaining a MIS or PhD from the Institute will have a solid grounding in political science, especially in the study of linkages between domestic and international affairs, an overview of some recurring issues in the field, and detailed knowledge of some substantive areas.
MIA Graduate Courses 2011-2012
The following courses are open in priority to MIA graduate students.
Autumn Semester
- Introduction to International Relations
Spring Semester
- Epistemology and Methods
- International Institutions and Regulation
- Political Economy of the Crisis
- Statistics for International Relations Research II
- International Organisation
- Gender Politics in Global Governance
Graduate Courses 2011-2012
Further information on which of the following courses are compulsory for the MIA, the MIS and the Ph.D. programme can be found in the respective programme regulations.
Compulsory Courses Autumn Semester
- Doctoral Seminar in Political Science / International Relations
- Qualitative Methods
- Statistics for International Relations Research I
- Theories and Theorists in International Relations
- The Study of International Relations and Political Science II: International Political Economy
- The Study of International Relations and Political Science III: Foreign Policy Analysis
Non Compulsory Courses Autumn Semester
- Applied Game Theory
- Feminist Theory
- Global Environmental Politics
- Politics and Economics of International Energy
- Religion and Secularism in a Comparative Politics Approach
- The Role of Ethnicity in Civil War: Macro and Micro-Perspectives
Compulsory Courses Spring Semester
- Research Design in International Relations and Political Science
- Statistics for International Relations Research II*
- The Study of International Relations and Political Science I: Dynamics of Conflict and Cooperation
- The Study of International Relations and Political Science III: Multilateral Governance and International Organisations
- The Study of International Relations and Political Science V: Comparative Politics
Non Compulsory Courses Spring Semester
- Civil War and Genocide in Rwanda
- Contemporary Issues in Conflict and Security
- Energy Geopolitics
- European Security Challenges and Responses
- Gender Politics in Global Governance
- Research Seminar on Sanctions
- The Political Economy of the Crisis
* Please note that students must have successfully completed Statistics I or another graduate-level statistics course in the preceding four years before taking Statistics II.
You are normally required to take an English Proficiency Test if you come from a non-English speaking country.
Most European Universities recognise the IELTS test.
More informationRequirements
Bachelor’s degree in political science - or a related discipline, or a multidisciplinary Bachelor’s degree in international relations.
Language requirements
The Institute is a bilingual English-French institution; students are therefore required to demonstrate their knowledge of these languages by including the relevant certificates with their application forms.
English
- Level required: candidates are required to demonstrate excellent command of the language, both written and spoken, confirmed by a language certificate.
- Candidates of English mother-tongue and those who have completed secondary or post-secondary education in English, confirmed by a diploma, are exempt from this requirement.
French
- Level required: a passive knowledge of French can be acquired during the first study semester; knowledge of French will be tested at the beginning of the second semester (February or March).
- Candidates of French mother-tongue, candidates who have completed secondary or post-secondary education in French, confirmed by a diploma, or candidates who have obtained a French diploma equivalent to a DELF B2 are exempt from this requirement.
- Request for a waiver of the French requirement: candidates with no prior knowledge of French may request a waiver [pdf]. Upon successful acceptance to the Institute, they will be required to attend an intensive French course during the three weeks preceding the beginning of the autumn semester and for the duration of the first semester; upon completion of the course they will be required to pass a language test.
Additional Requirements
| Minimal degree required: | Bachelor's degree |
| Minimal amount of work experience | Not specified |
Language Proficiency
| IELTS Band: | 7.0 |
| TOEFL Paper-based: | 600 |
| TOEFL Computer-based: | 250 |
| TOEFL Internet-based: | 100 |
Accreditation
The Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies is accredited by the Conférence Universitaire Suisse.
Funding details
Each year the Graduate Institute awards an important number of scholarships to Master and PhD students for its study programs in the field of international affairs, development studies, international economics, political science, international law, international economics and international history. Scholarships are awarded according to academic merit and financial need of students.
There are three categories of scholarship:
- Full scholarships: with a few exceptions, these are worth CHF 18,000. Recipients are exempt from Graduate Institute tuition fees.
- Partial scholarships: the value of these grants varies according to the individual needs of the recipient student. These grants do not cover tuition fees which recipients of partial grants are required to pay.
- Tuition scholarships: these grants cover tuition fees for one academic year. They are awarded to exceptional students.
To consult a list of scholarships available through the Institute and how to apply for them, please visit:
http://www.graduateinstitute.ch/corporate/admissions/fees-scholarships_en.html
Please send your scholarship request at the same time as the documents of your application file (procedure is online). The deadline for submitting scholarship is the same as for the application: January 15, 2012.
Interested? Request information!
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