You will develop skills in critical analysis of contemporary European integration in both English and French language and further your practical skills in European issues through undertaking an EU-focused internship during your second year.

You will spend the first year at Aston University in Birmingham in the UK, and the second year at Sciences Po Lille, France, benefitting from a multicultural teaching environment and the combined expertise and experience of teaching staff at two prestigious institutions.

What you’ll learn

As a student on the Double MA in Europe and the World, you will be able to tailor make the course to suit your interests and future career goals. The core modules focus on providing you with a broad understanding of the important developments within the European polity. You’ll analyse the evolution of the EU, the role of European institutions, recent trends in European politics, economics and society, and the impact of European integration at both national and supranational levels.

You’ll also examine the process of European political and economic cooperation up to the present day and beyond; particularly, Europe’s growing role as an international actor. Within this framework, issues looked at will include the European Union’s Common Foreign and Security Policy and its role as mediator in international conflicts such as the Gulf War, Middle East, and the former Yugoslavia, with a particular emphasis on the war on terrorism, Iraq, and intelligence co-operation, as well as the Union’s positioning vis-à-vis the United States, particularly since the latest EU enlargement.

You’ll explore Europe as an economic power and her relations with its immediate neighbours, its major partners such as the US, Japan and South-East Asia, particularly in the age of the euro, and its role in Third World development and global environmental issues. While analysing these issues, you will evaluate what the trends appear to be, in the context of globalisation and world developments.

Throughout your masters course, you will benefit from active membership of the Aston Centre for Europe, a thriving research hub which organises debates, study visits, and conferences and seminars on current international issues.

All our MA programmes equip students with the knowledge and analytical and transferable skills to pursue further postgraduate research or a successful career in the public and private sector.

The careers pursued by our students vary greatly, but typical careers include:

• employment in international organisations (EU, WTO, UN etc.)
• research in policy-oriented domestic or international think tanks
• careers in government administration
• further postgraduate research at PhD level
• journalism
• international marketing or business.