Master in European Studies (MA)

The European Studies MA at Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg is a four-semester programme focused on European Policy Analysis. It combines political science, sociology, cultural studies, and economics to prepare students to analyse, evaluate, and engage with EU policy-making processes. Applicants choose between two specialisations at the point of application: European Social and Economic Policy Analysis (EPA) or European Social and Cultural Policy Analysis (CPA). The first semester establishes disciplinary and methodological foundations through introductory lectures and seminars aligned with the chosen specialisation, alongside modules on research methods. The second semester introduces policy analysis as a core skill, with EPA students focusing on economic policy analysis and CPA students on intercultural communication, supplemented by elective modules. In the third semester, students apply their academic knowledge in practice-oriented contexts, including direct engagement with practitioners in EU policy-making fields, with electives extending the analytical perspective to global contexts. The fourth and final semester centres on an interdisciplinary group project addressing a self-selected policy problem, presented at a student-organised conference, and the completion of a master's thesis. The programme accepts students for both the winter and summer semesters. Teaching takes place in small groups, and instruction is delivered entirely in English without a German language requirement. The programme is offered by Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg in Magdeburg, Germany.