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MA in International Relations (1 year)

Overview and credit requirements

Students are enrolled in the one year Master's program in International Relations "New York City" track OR the one year Master's program in International Relations "Vienna" track. 

"New York City" track

Students begin in Vienna, studying in the International Relations program at Central European University. For the Winter and Spring terms students move to the Bard MA in Global Studies program in New York City, where they complete coursework and a mandatory internship with an organization working on global affairs. At the end of the program, students submit a capstone project. The program's curriculum places at its center the theory-practice nexus, equipping students with a sophisticated set of theoretical and conceptual tools and practical experiences. The program consists of 30 US (60 ECTS) credits including the capstone project of 4 US (8 ECTS) credits. Students in the "New York City" track cannot choose specializations.

Admissions

Students interested in this track must submit applications to both: to CEU for MA in IR (one year) program "New York City" track and to Bard College for the CEU track of the MA in Global Studies program.

"Vienna" track

This program provides students with a foundation in international relations, as well as exposure to questions relating to the study of international security and the global economy. The program offers an innovative, dynamic learning environment with relatively small class sizes and an interdisciplinary curriculum. It is accredited in both the US and Austria.  The 1-year MA program has three different specializations: Global Order and Politics (GOP), International Political Economy and Development (IPE), and Conflict and Security (CONSEC). Students are encouraged to take courses from all three groups of courses, while they may specialize in one of them to complete the degree. In addition to exposure to the main areas of teaching in the program, students will also receive thorough preparation in academic writing, and research design and methods. While internship is not mandatory in the Vienna track, students might take short professional development courses offered in the Spring term (subject to the supervisor and Program Director approval).
This is a full-time MA program, therefore, students are expected to reside at all times in Vienna, during the program. The program consists of 30 US (60 ECTS) credits, including the thesis of 6 US (12 ECTS) credits. 

Admissions

Students interested in this track must submit an application for the MA in IR (one year) program "Vienna" track.

Tentative Curriculum

Pre-session (for both tracks)

  • Orientation
  • Introduction to all courses
  • Introductory Sessions to International Relations

The purpose of the latter course – offered to incoming IR MA students – is to serve as an introduction to the main theories, debates, and concepts in international relations. It is a course that aims to provide the foundations needed for students of various disciplinary backgrounds to effectively engage in the classes they will attend during their studies at CEU. 

Fall term 

Mandatory courses (for both tracks):

  • Research Design: Tools and Techniques, 2 credits, Erin Jenne, Krisztina Szabo
  • Academic Writing for International Relations for one-year MA students, 2 credits, by the Center for Academic Writing 

In addition to mandatory courses students must register for the Fall Term

  • "Vienna track" students for a minimum of 8 US credits elective courses 
  • "New York City" track students for a minimum of 10 US credits elective courses 

Elective courses (for both tracks):

Global Order and Politics (GOP)

  • International Relations Concepts and Theories (track's core course), 4 credits, Michael Merlingen
  • Foreign policy analysis, 4 credits, Erin Jenne
  • Worldly Philosophers of Capitalism, Democracy and Development, 4 credits, Bela Greskovits
  • International Law in a Turbulent World, 4 credits, Boldizsar Nagy
  • Politics of the Anthropocene, 4 credits, Alexander Etkind
  • Border (in)security and social inequalities, 4 credits, Saskia Stachowitsch 
  • Europe in Crises: Integration under International and Internal Threat, 4 credits, Daniel Izsak
  • The Social shaping of World Order, 4 credits, Mary Kaldor
  •  Psychology of Statecraft, 4 credits, Christopher LaRoche
  • Popular culture and world politics, 2 credits, Julian Schmid
  • Inverted Utopia: Nuclear Order in an Uncertain Age, 2 credits, Christopher LaRoche

International Political Economy and Development (IPE)

  • Introduction to International Political Economy, 4 credits (track's core course), Dora Piroska
  • The Political Economy of the EU, 4 credits, Laszlo Csaba
  • Europe in Crises: Integration under International and Internal Threat, 4 credits, Daniel Izsák
  • Worldly Philosophers of Capitalism, Democracy and Development, 4 credits, Bela Greskovits
  • Geoeconomics, 2 credits, Thomas Fetzer

Conflict and Security (CONSEC)

  • Strategy, Security and Contemporary Warfare (track's core course), 4 credits, Paul Roe
  • Foreign policy analysis, 4 credits, Erin Jenne
  • Border (in)security and social inequalities, 4 credits, Saskia Stachowitsch
  • Geoeconomics, 2 credits, Thomas Fetzer
  • The Social shaping of World Order, 4 credits, Mary Kaldor
  • Inverted Utopia: Nuclear Order in an Uncertain Age, 2 credits, Christopher LaRoche
  • Psychology of Statecraft, 4 credits, Christopher LaRoche

Winter term (for "Vienna" track)

Mandatory elective course, 2 credits:

  • Research Methods for International Relations (students can choose among three courses dedicated to various research methods)

In addition to the mandatory-elective course(s), students must register for a minimum of 10 US credits elective courses for the Winter Term:

Global Order and Politics (GOP) track

  • Orders of Inequality: Race, Class, Gender, Sex, 4 credits, Michael Merlingen
  • Nationalism, Populism and Ethnic Conflict Management in Eastern Europe, 4 credits, Erin Jenne
  • What Is Diplomacy?, 4 credits, Alexander Astrov
  • International and European Refugee Policy and Law, 4 credits, Boldizsar Nagy
  • Dark Legacies: Politics of the Past and International Relations, 4 credits, Alexander Etkind and Thomas Fetzer
  • Artificial intelligence and international security, 4 credits, Raluca Csernatoni
  • Political Warfare, 2 credits, Anton Shekhovtsov
  • Global politics of health, 4 credits, Dagmar Vorlicek/Christian Haddad
  • Politics of international money and finance, 2 credits, Dominik Brenner

International Political Economy and Development (IPE) track

  • Illiberal Capitalism, 4 credits, Laszlo Csaba 
  • Political Economy of Development, 4 credits, Valentin Seidler 
  • International Political Economy of Digital Everything, 4 credits, Dora Piroska 
  • Global Political Economy of Eastern Europe, 2 credits, Imre Szabo 
  • Politics of international money and finance, 2 credits, Dominik Brenner

Conflict and Security (CONSEC) track 

  • Nationalism, Populism and Ethnic Conflict Management in Eastern Europe, 4 credits, Erin Jenne 
  • European Security, 2 credits, Raluca Csernatoni, Katherina Zarembo
  • East Asian Conflicts Through Visuals and Popular Culture, 2 credits, Akos Kopper
  • Dark Legacies: Politics of the Past and International Relations, 4 credits, Alexander Etkind and Thomas Fetzer
  • Political Warfare, 2 credits, Anton Shekhovtsov
  • Global politics of health, 4 credits, Dagmar Vorlicek/Christian Haddad
  • Artificial intelligence and international security, 4 credits, Raluca Csernatoni

Winter/Spring term ("New York City" track)

Mandatory Courses:

  • Internship in Global Affairs
  • Capstone Seminar

In addition to mandatory courses, students must register for a minimum of 8 US credit elective courses for the Winter/Spring term.

Spring term ("Vienna" track)

Under IR department faculty supervision, students will prepare an original research paper (thesis, 6 credits) to be submitted in June 2024. 

Miscellaneous

  • Students should note that they may take courses for up to four US credits from another department (1 four-credits course or 2 two-credits courses) in the academic year, without permission from the program director. 
  • Entry requirements: you can find detailed information on the CEU`s general admission procedure here and on our program specific requirements here. 
  • Merit and need-based financial aid is available